to herself.
8. Settling Up.
Lady Elizabeth drew Mary aside at the end of
breakfast. “If you will excuse us, there are some private matters
that I need to discuss with my daughter. Charles, would you look
after Miss Wood for me?”
“With pleasure.”
Mary dutifully followed her mother upstairs to
her room, where she closed the door behind them. “Mary, what
happened at Penyclawdd? We were expecting you this afternoon or
tomorrow. Not now and not without your luggage or a suitable
escort.”
“It was that Arnold woman. She decided to put
the knife into Cecelia last night. The only way I could stop Miss
Wood from immediately riding to Swansea last night was to promise
to bring her here in the morning.”
“What did she say?”
“That she would insist Captain Wood sell
Penyclawdd to pay for her settlement when they were married. This
was after she spent a good hour at dinner criticizing nearly
everything else about her.”
“I can see why that would upset your friend. Why
now, surely she would have discussed this before?”
“I don't know. She may have been upset that we
didn't wait for her when Miss Wood drove to visit a few of her
tenants.”
“Is that all?”
“It's such a change. The day before she was all
sweetness. We rode together to Llanthony and chatted the whole
time. I was beginning to think her reputation was ill-deserved. We
all, Miss Arnold, Miss Wood, Captain Wood and I had a grand time
visiting the Landors.”
“I suppose she had to assert herself. I never
understood why some people like to be so nasty.”
Mary asked, “What are we going to do now? Could
we bring Cecelia to Bath with us?”
“I'll have to consider that and discuss it with
Sir Charles. Mary, I'm proud of how you handled yourself. Thank
you.”
For someone who received a major shock, Cecelia
seemed surprisingly happy. As she chatted with Sir Charles, she
explained, “It was a decision I would have to make sooner or later.
Miss Arnold's conduct made it for me. It's best if I leave a house
where I am a cause of contention.”
“I can see your point.”
“If you and Lady Elizabeth can put up with me
for a few days, while my clothing arrives from Penylawdd, then I
can be off to stay with my aunt and uncle.”
“That is the least we can do. I'm not sure what
my wife is planning, but certainly we can do better by you than
that.”
“You don't need to. I'll be happy in Swansea.
That was always my plan.”
“We'll see. In the meantime why don't you
entertain yourself with what you can find in the study. I think
you've done enough riding for today.”
“If you insist.”
“I do, and it would do you good to practice on
our pianoforte. Most likely it's a better instrument than any at
Penyclawdd.”
“It can't be worse. Mary told me my spinnet was
ill-tuned and painful to play.”
“She shouldn't have said that.”
“It was true. She could barely stand to play it
and she's a much better musician than I am.”
“Still it was rude of her.”
Cecelia laughed, “It might have been, but I'm
one for plain speaking. The other thing I'll need is a nap. I
didn't sleep well last night for some reason.”
Mary did her best to keep her friend busy with
the things that a distinguished young lady of refinement did for
entertainment. While Cecelia did not seem to mind the stables and
indeed seemed to relish visiting them, Mary had had enough of
stables and horses for today. Instead, she showed Cecelia to the
pianoforte and found some relatively simple music for her to
play.
“You were right, Mary. This is a much superior
instrument to mine. It almost sounds good when I play now.”
“It will sound better if you practice.”
“I'll try.”
“You will do more than try, you will do it. I
know you can. Mother made me practice at least an hour a day when I
was little. I hated it, but now I like playing.”
“An hour? My arms will drop off.”
“No they won't. I'll stay here and time
you.”
Early in the afternoon
8. Settling Up.
Lady Elizabeth drew Mary aside at the end of
breakfast. “If you will excuse us, there are some private matters
that I need to discuss with my daughter. Charles, would you look
after Miss Wood for me?”
“With pleasure.”
Mary dutifully followed her mother upstairs to
her room, where she closed the door behind them. “Mary, what
happened at Penyclawdd? We were expecting you this afternoon or
tomorrow. Not now and not without your luggage or a suitable
escort.”
“It was that Arnold woman. She decided to put
the knife into Cecelia last night. The only way I could stop Miss
Wood from immediately riding to Swansea last night was to promise
to bring her here in the morning.”
“What did she say?”
“That she would insist Captain Wood sell
Penyclawdd to pay for her settlement when they were married. This
was after she spent a good hour at dinner criticizing nearly
everything else about her.”
“I can see why that would upset your friend. Why
now, surely she would have discussed this before?”
“I don't know. She may have been upset that we
didn't wait for her when Miss Wood drove to visit a few of her
tenants.”
“Is that all?”
“It's such a change. The day before she was all
sweetness. We rode together to Llanthony and chatted the whole
time. I was beginning to think her reputation was ill-deserved. We
all, Miss Arnold, Miss Wood, Captain Wood and I had a grand time
visiting the Landors.”
“I suppose she had to assert herself. I never
understood why some people like to be so nasty.”
Mary asked, “What are we going to do now? Could
we bring Cecelia to Bath with us?”
“I'll have to consider that and discuss it with
Sir Charles. Mary, I'm proud of how you handled yourself. Thank
you.”
For someone who received a major shock, Cecelia
seemed surprisingly happy. As she chatted with Sir Charles, she
explained, “It was a decision I would have to make sooner or later.
Miss Arnold's conduct made it for me. It's best if I leave a house
where I am a cause of contention.”
“I can see your point.”
“If you and Lady Elizabeth can put up with me
for a few days, while my clothing arrives from Penylawdd, then I
can be off to stay with my aunt and uncle.”
“That is the least we can do. I'm not sure what
my wife is planning, but certainly we can do better by you than
that.”
“You don't need to. I'll be happy in Swansea.
That was always my plan.”
“We'll see. In the meantime why don't you
entertain yourself with what you can find in the study. I think
you've done enough riding for today.”
“If you insist.”
“I do, and it would do you good to practice on
our pianoforte. Most likely it's a better instrument than any at
Penyclawdd.”
“It can't be worse. Mary told me my spinnet was
ill-tuned and painful to play.”
“She shouldn't have said that.”
“It was true. She could barely stand to play it
and she's a much better musician than I am.”
“Still it was rude of her.”
Cecelia laughed, “It might have been, but I'm
one for plain speaking. The other thing I'll need is a nap. I
didn't sleep well last night for some reason.”
Mary did her best to keep her friend busy with
the things that a distinguished young lady of refinement did for
entertainment. While Cecelia did not seem to mind the stables and
indeed seemed to relish visiting them, Mary had had enough of
stables and horses for today. Instead, she showed Cecelia to the
pianoforte and found some relatively simple music for her to
play.
“You were right, Mary. This is a much superior
instrument to mine. It almost sounds good when I play now.”
“It will sound better if you practice.”
“I'll try.”
“You will do more than try, you will do it. I
know you can. Mother made me practice at least an hour a day when I
was little. I hated it, but now I like playing.”
“An hour? My arms will drop off.”
“No they won't. I'll stay here and time
you.”
Early in the afternoon
Similar Books
