Page 19 of The Book of Lost Stories
Alys said patiently, ‘But in my book itwillbe a castle, neglected and dank, with guttering torches along gloomy passages, dungeons, cellars and huge cavernous chimneys that howl like the voices of the dead whenever the wind blows, and—’
‘Oh, stop, stop!’ begged Letty, her eyes round as saucers. ‘I declare, I don’t know where you get your terrifying ideas from in the least.’
Mary came in for the tea tray and surveyed the empty plate with disgust. ‘Has that great lummock etten all the cheese straws? You’d think they never fed him, up t’Hall.’
‘Appearances are against him,’ Alys said with a smile. ‘He will bid fair to rival Lady Basset for corpulence very soon, if he goes on at this rate.’
‘Eh, if I wasn’t forgetting.’ Mary dipped her hand into her apron pocket: ‘Saul’s brought this back for you, Miss Alys.’
‘Oh, a letter from Nell!’ She opened it eagerly, for although her friend’s descriptions of her London debut sometimes madeher feel quite restless, they also provided a window on to a glittering and entirely different world.
When she had read and reread it several times, she sat down to answer it.
Dear Nell,
I am indeed grateful that despite all the distractions and gaieties of your first London season, you still find the time to write to me.
While I relished every detail of your descriptions, I was particularly interested in that of Lord Byron, who sounds to me as if he would blend very easily into my notions of a villain, which as you know are to date all based entirely onLord Rayven.And whilst we are on the subject of the infamous viscount, I am not at all surprised that he is viewed as such an eligible parti, since he has inherited a title, great estate, a town house and presumably a fortune. But I am exceedingly amazed that he should come bang up to you at a rout, and have the insufferable insolence to ask after me! He cannot have known that I told you the whole tale of our encounter by the river in Knaresborough – although unless you have learned to hide your blushes since we met, I dare say he has guessed as much now.
It was the most amazingly fortuitous circumstance, dear Nell, that you fell in love instantly with the very man already chosen for you by your family and whom you were determined to dislike. He sounds very amiable and handsome, and altogether quite good enough to marry my only friend, and so I wish you very happy.
I hear from Mr Thomas Grimshaw, who is handling my business affairs – how grand that sounds! – that the MinervaPress have rushed forward publication day and intend to puff offMalvinain the newspapers at any moment. I do not expect much notice will be taken of it – but still, I find it all vastly exciting and look forward to the day when I can hold the published volumes in my hands.
Your affectionate friend,
Alys
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‘Through the dark cellars Liliana stumbled, praying to the Lord to deliver her from the foul designs of Lord Rothskent …’read Alys, in thrilling accents.
‘I’ve never heard of anyone called Liliana,’ Miss Grimshaw commented mildly, looking up from her bottomless mending basket. ‘Where did you get the name from?’
‘I don’t know. It just popped into my head. Anyway, that is all beside the point. DoesThe Captive Bride of Castle Grismortnot curdle your blood?’
‘Oh, yes, indeed, it is quite deliciously ghastly and gruesome. Do carry on and read me some more, Alys.’
‘There is not much more to read. I must get on and try and finish it while my name – or rather, that of Orlando Browne – is still fresh on everyone’s lips.’
Dear Nell,
I am quite taken aback by what you say, for I did not expectMalvinato make such a stir, nor that people would notice Lord Rayven’s resemblance to the villainous Raymundo Ravegnac. Not that he doesn’t deserve it after insulting meso grossly, but he will never guess who the author is, thank goodness.
I suppose society must talk about something other than Bonaparte’s encroachments and the poor King’s state of health, and it might as well be my novel. If it is a great success and sells many copies, who knows how much money Mr Grimshaw may secure forThe Captive Bride of Castle Grismort, which is already well advanced?
I will be glad of every last little detail you can provide about my maternal relatives. If my grandfather is very disagreeable, which is just what I expected from the way he behaved in casting off my mother, then Mrs Lavinia Hartwood, my great-uncle’s widow, sounds pleasant enough. I am sorry that her daughter is still in the schoolroom, or you might have described her, too. I will just have to make do with the son – and you wax so lyrical on the subject of Nathaniel Hartwood, Nell, that had your heart not been so securely claimed by another I would accuse you of having a decided tendre for him. That he should also turn out to be the same handsome, fair man we saw so briefly in Harrogate, too! The world of thetonis indeed a small one.
Your Aunt Becky is quite right in counselling you to have nothing to do with Lady Crayling. I could not sully your ears with half the things she writes to Lady Basset.
My warmest congratulations on your betrothal to Mr Rivers. He has been very frank and open with you about his rather wild youth, and earnest in his assurances that all that was behind him, but I do not suppose your grandfather would have promoted the match otherwise.
He is quite right in saying that he does not deserve you, dear Nell, but I feel sure of your future happiness.
Your affectionate friend,
Alys
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