Page 50 of The Book of Lost Stories
‘Perhaps, but Nat strikes me as a man of such fashion that he would not thank you for the suggestion that he rise hours before his usual time in order to look at a lot of old tombs, buildings and museums.’
‘ls that what you do?’
‘Yes. This morning I much enjoyed myself in Westminster Abbey, and tomorrow—’
They were interrupted by a tap on the door and a soft voice calling, ‘Uncle Titus? May I come in?’
‘Ah, Bella, my dear, you see Alys is here, giving me a game of chess.’
Bella pouted. ‘Oh, chess. I do not understand it in theleast. But my cousin is so clever, it does not surprise me that she can play. In fact I suspect she is quite a bluestocking.’
‘So you have said before, but I am not any such thing, unfortunately.’
‘I came to thank dear Uncle for his generosity. I expect you have a mind above such things as new gowns, Cousin, but I am in transports, for I am to have the most wonderful ball dress of white satin with a pink net overdress for my come-out, and wear a blush-pink rose garland in my hair.’
‘You need not thank me, for I told your mother to get what you needed and send the bills to me.’ His eye fell on Alys, who was neat, if not bang up to the nines, in a striped cambric gown she had had made for her by an inexpensive dressmaker found by the invaluable Jane, from materials purchased at the bazaar. ‘I suppose you might as well do the same, Alys, for you will need a ball gown to wear for Bella’s party.’
‘I thank you, Grandfather, but I already have a ball gown, one rather more suited to my years than pink net and rosebuds.’
‘Well, run along, both of you. I grow tired of such frippery talk,’ he said, rather unfairly, Alys thought, since she had not introduced the topic of fashion in the first place.
‘Nat is in the drawing room, waiting to drive you home, Cousin,’ Bella said, as soon as the doors were closed behind them. Alys noted that her fluffily girlish manner rather dropped away as soon as she was out of her uncle’s sight, and thought it sad that she felt she must put on those airs in order to gain his affection.
‘That is very kind, but I believe I must not trouble him again,’ Alys said hastily.
‘Oh, but he has already sent away your carriage, for he insists on having the pleasure of your company.’
‘How … delightful,’ Alys said, earnestly hoping that today he might at least be driving horses over which he had some control.
19
Peerless
‘I agreed to escort my kinswoman here,’ Simon de Lombard said, ‘but would not have lingered so long had I not set eyes on you. To find you were betrothed to another was a cruel blow, but I soon discovered he was unworthy of you and I determined to wait and ask your father for your hand on his return.’
Ravish’d by Cruel FatebyORLANDO BROWNE
‘You like my cousin Nat, don’t you, Nell?’ Alys said next day, as they drove out towards Kew to visit the Red House, as the establishment founded by the Benevolent Ladies was called.
‘Yes, for he is always kind and charming and so very elegant! He is the only one of George’s old friends who seems to be a good influence on him, and even chaffed him back to good humour on the humiliating occasion when he showed his anger with me in public.’
‘I like him too. It would be hard not to, especially when he insists that nothing would please him more than the pleasure of my company if I should allow him to drive me home, as he did yesterday. But I wish he were not so very cow-handed with the reins, for I am in a constant fear that he will overturn me. Do you know, my grandfather had already heard of my morning sightseeing expeditions, and said he would prefer Nat to escort me rather than Lord Rayven, although I told him Nat would not thank him for the suggestion.’
‘Have you thought that Mr Hartwood might hope to make a match between you and Nat?’
Alys laughed. ‘Oh, Nell, I am sure he cannot have any such idea –orNat, who is so very handsome that I can only wonder that some eligible maiden has not snapped him up in matrimony long since.’
‘Heisvery popular with the ladies, but his father did not leave him any great fortune, although it is well known that he and Bella are Mr Titus Hartwood’s heirs … or itwas, for now perhaps that has changed?’
‘I do not think it. Bella, in particular, has been my grandfather’s pet for so long that I cannot imagine her being cut out. I may be his granddaughter, but I am still little more than a stranger to him and he is baffled and angered by my wish to remain independent.’
‘I believe Nat has been living on his expectations and there are rumours current that he is paying court to Miss Malfont, who is the daughter of a wealthy mill owner, so he must have outrun the fiddler. But if your grandfather decided to leave his personal fortune to you, then I can quite see that a match between you and Nat would be perfect.’
‘Perfect for whom?’ demanded Alys. ‘This is a great deal ofnonsense, Nell. I admit I was dazzled by Nat when I first met him – I would have to be made of marble not to have been – but, like all men, I can see that he has feet of clay and I do not in the least wish to marry him, oranyone.’
‘Oh, well, perhaps you are right, but people will talk when it becomes known that both he and Lord Rayven are seen so often in your company.’
‘There is nothing loverlike about Lord Rayven, I thank God, and I have made it plain to him that he is in no danger of my mistaking the nature of his attentions,’ Alys said. ‘I am glad to say we now understand each other very well. By the by, I was not much taken with Carlton House, which we saw this morning.’
