share him with the others, to stand back while he played the
jovial host. Why, oh why, had Lavinia seen the need to bring these friends back
with her, to expect Cedric to fall in with her wishes and entertain them?
As if in
answer to her question, she caught sight of the count walking at Lavinia’s
side, his dark head bowed towards her so that they could carry on some private conversation
which had Lavinia in fits of giggles. If the light had been better, Rose had no
doubt, she would have seen a rosy blush upon the girl’s cheek. The count and
Lavinia … yes. Rose could see that the notion might hold some attraction to her
friend. He was tall and dark and mysterious. Lavinia had hinted at wars in his
homeland which had caused him to flee, and the noble cause for which he was
fighting to restore order to his land. It all sounded very romantic. Just
Lavinia’s sort of thing, Rose thought not particularly kindly, as she was momentarily
feeling some resentment towards Lavinia and her guests.
Vera was doggedly
following Theo, who looked minded to put some distance between them and catch
up with Cedric. Vera appeared to be talking to him quite seriously, with never
a glance at the various things of interest being pointed out to them by Cedric.
Rose supposed that she had seen these all many times before in the light and
saw no need to give them a second glance in the dusk. But Theo, Rose could tell,
was annoyed, as if he found her conversation irritating. Rose wondered idly
whether she was giving forth on the virtues of being a country doctor. Whatever
she was saying was not being received at all well, for the doctor stopped and
turned suddenly and looked directly at Emmeline who was walking with Jemima.
Rose fancied that he tried to catch the girl’s eye, but she was unaware of this
being herself engaged in deep conversation with Jemima, which necessitated them
walking closely together, almost huddled. They appeared to be talking in
whispers and Rose was surprised to find that their conversation did not appear
to be littered with Emmeline’s usual laughter. She wondered what they could be
talking about so seriously. Meanwhile, she noticed that Vera was glaring at
Theo, and looked undecided as to whether to give him a piece of her mind or
pointedly forsake his side. Really, Rose was far from sure which one of the two
she felt most sorry for.
‘Well,
Miss Simpson,’ said Felix Thistlewaite suddenly, making her start, ‘and how do
you find Sedgwick Court? Quite a stately pile, don’t you think? How the other
half live and all that.’
There was
something quite innocuous and endearing about his manner which resulted in Rose
not taking offence at his words or assumed familiarity, for she did not think
that his intention was to be rude. Rather he seemed only to want to speak the
truth as he saw it, and there was something rather naïve about him that she
found appealing. He seemed to her very young, although at five or six and
twenty he was a few years her senior.
‘I must
apologise, Rose. May I call you Rose? You must think me very rude and
impertinent to speak so of our host and hostess’s hospitality. It’s jolly
decent of Lavinia to invite me here and on the basis of the merest of acquaintances
too. If you had told me a few weeks ago that I would find myself the guest of
an earl, why, I would never have believed you!’
Rose
looked up into his freckled face and smiled. She had had little opportunity to
have a proper conversation with Felix Thistlewaite up to now, but she found
herself warming to him as she had not to the other guests.
‘I’m
jolly glad Lavinia invited me,’ Felix was saying, ‘and I’m awfully glad you and
even Miss Brewster are here, although she does seem to be giving that doctor of
hers a time of it, doesn’t she? But what I mean is I was afraid that it was
just going to be a lot of toffs and it’s not at all. And Lord Belvedere seems a
very decent sort of chap, although of course
jovial host. Why, oh why, had Lavinia seen the need to bring these friends back
with her, to expect Cedric to fall in with her wishes and entertain them?
As if in
answer to her question, she caught sight of the count walking at Lavinia’s
side, his dark head bowed towards her so that they could carry on some private conversation
which had Lavinia in fits of giggles. If the light had been better, Rose had no
doubt, she would have seen a rosy blush upon the girl’s cheek. The count and
Lavinia … yes. Rose could see that the notion might hold some attraction to her
friend. He was tall and dark and mysterious. Lavinia had hinted at wars in his
homeland which had caused him to flee, and the noble cause for which he was
fighting to restore order to his land. It all sounded very romantic. Just
Lavinia’s sort of thing, Rose thought not particularly kindly, as she was momentarily
feeling some resentment towards Lavinia and her guests.
Vera was doggedly
following Theo, who looked minded to put some distance between them and catch
up with Cedric. Vera appeared to be talking to him quite seriously, with never
a glance at the various things of interest being pointed out to them by Cedric.
Rose supposed that she had seen these all many times before in the light and
saw no need to give them a second glance in the dusk. But Theo, Rose could tell,
was annoyed, as if he found her conversation irritating. Rose wondered idly
whether she was giving forth on the virtues of being a country doctor. Whatever
she was saying was not being received at all well, for the doctor stopped and
turned suddenly and looked directly at Emmeline who was walking with Jemima.
Rose fancied that he tried to catch the girl’s eye, but she was unaware of this
being herself engaged in deep conversation with Jemima, which necessitated them
walking closely together, almost huddled. They appeared to be talking in
whispers and Rose was surprised to find that their conversation did not appear
to be littered with Emmeline’s usual laughter. She wondered what they could be
talking about so seriously. Meanwhile, she noticed that Vera was glaring at
Theo, and looked undecided as to whether to give him a piece of her mind or
pointedly forsake his side. Really, Rose was far from sure which one of the two
she felt most sorry for.
‘Well,
Miss Simpson,’ said Felix Thistlewaite suddenly, making her start, ‘and how do
you find Sedgwick Court? Quite a stately pile, don’t you think? How the other
half live and all that.’
There was
something quite innocuous and endearing about his manner which resulted in Rose
not taking offence at his words or assumed familiarity, for she did not think
that his intention was to be rude. Rather he seemed only to want to speak the
truth as he saw it, and there was something rather naïve about him that she
found appealing. He seemed to her very young, although at five or six and
twenty he was a few years her senior.
‘I must
apologise, Rose. May I call you Rose? You must think me very rude and
impertinent to speak so of our host and hostess’s hospitality. It’s jolly
decent of Lavinia to invite me here and on the basis of the merest of acquaintances
too. If you had told me a few weeks ago that I would find myself the guest of
an earl, why, I would never have believed you!’
Rose
looked up into his freckled face and smiled. She had had little opportunity to
have a proper conversation with Felix Thistlewaite up to now, but she found
herself warming to him as she had not to the other guests.
‘I’m
jolly glad Lavinia invited me,’ Felix was saying, ‘and I’m awfully glad you and
even Miss Brewster are here, although she does seem to be giving that doctor of
hers a time of it, doesn’t she? But what I mean is I was afraid that it was
just going to be a lot of toffs and it’s not at all. And Lord Belvedere seems a
very decent sort of chap, although of course
Similar Books
