you don’t need me to tell you that.’
Rose
blushed. ‘You met Lavinia on the Continent?’ she said, partly to change the
subject and also for something to say.
‘Yes, I
met them all in Florence and we visited all the galleries and gardens and
palaces together. We made quite a party, I can tell you. I was there courtesy
of my Great Aunt Maud, in case you think I am a gentleman of independent means.
Unfortunately I’m not. I’m due to start as an articled clerk in some awful
backstreet London office in a few weeks’ time. This is my last opportunity to
pretend that I am a young man of leisure.’
‘I see,’
said Rose smiling.
‘My Great
Aunt Maud is very much of the opinion that gentlemen, even those as poor as
church mice like myself, should do the European grand tour. Unfortunately, if
anything it has made me even more dissatisfied with my lot.’ He paused a moment
and looked over towards the huddled couple of Emmeline and Jemima, still
engrossed in whispered conversation. ‘I say, she is rather wonderful, isn’t she?’
‘Emmeline?
Yes, I suppose she is.’
‘No, not
Emmeline. There is nothing very wonderful about her . She is exactly as
one would imagine an heiress to be, awfully spoilt, you know, used to getting
her own way and commanding everyone’s undivided attention and all that. No,
rather I was talking of Jemima. How that poor girl puts up with her, I can’t
imagine. She’s treated more like a servant than a relative. And yet she is a
distant relation of Emmeline’s, you know, but as poor as anything. She fulfils
the role of companion from what I can gather, and hates every minute of it I
shouldn’t wonder.’
‘Yet the
way that they call each other by their Christian names, surely that implies
they are more friends than employer and employee, doesn’t it?’ said Rose.
Indeed, the way the two girls were huddled so closely together suggested to her
that they were exchanging confidences.
‘That’s
just Emmeline’s way,’ Felix replied rather dismissively. ‘It means nothing. She
still treats Jemima like a lady’s maid, expects her to do her hair and put out
her clothes and all that. I’ve heard her speak to Jemima quite rudely and the
poor girl takes it in her stride with never a bad word said. Why, if I had my
way I’d take her away from it all, I can tell you.’
Rose
looked up at him, somewhat taken aback by his frankness. Felix had the grace to
blush.
‘Sorry, I
shouldn’t have said that. Why, I haven’t even told the girl herself how I feel
about her. But I’m in no position to offer her marriage, at least not until
I’ve done a few years of this articled clerk lark.’ He groaned. ‘I daresay she
wouldn’t have me. A girl like that could do a damned sight better than a fellow
like me.’
Rose
looked up and caught Jemima looking at Felix. There was something in her look
which made Rose think that Felix’s feelings for the girl might not be unrequited
after all. At the same time Rose wondered what there was about her that made
people feel that they could confide in her their innermost hopes and fears.
First there had been Vera and her fear that mixing with grand society would increase
Theo’s desire to become a fashionable doctor. And now here was Felix, a man
with whom she had hardly even passed the time of day, confessing his love for
Jemima. He hadn’t said it was a secret or that she should keep the knowledge to
herself, but she assumed that he would not want it broadcast. She thought too
that Emmeline was ignorant of Felix’s feelings for her companion. Even if his
feelings were reciprocated, she thought it unlikely that the reserved Jemima
would confide in Emmeline on such a matter. No, Emmeline might confide trivial
confidences to Jemima but, from what she had seen of Jemima, the girl kept
herself to herself, remained on the edge looking on, an observer of the party
rather than a participant. What a strange girl she is, thought Rose,
Rose
blushed. ‘You met Lavinia on the Continent?’ she said, partly to change the
subject and also for something to say.
‘Yes, I
met them all in Florence and we visited all the galleries and gardens and
palaces together. We made quite a party, I can tell you. I was there courtesy
of my Great Aunt Maud, in case you think I am a gentleman of independent means.
Unfortunately I’m not. I’m due to start as an articled clerk in some awful
backstreet London office in a few weeks’ time. This is my last opportunity to
pretend that I am a young man of leisure.’
‘I see,’
said Rose smiling.
‘My Great
Aunt Maud is very much of the opinion that gentlemen, even those as poor as
church mice like myself, should do the European grand tour. Unfortunately, if
anything it has made me even more dissatisfied with my lot.’ He paused a moment
and looked over towards the huddled couple of Emmeline and Jemima, still
engrossed in whispered conversation. ‘I say, she is rather wonderful, isn’t she?’
‘Emmeline?
Yes, I suppose she is.’
‘No, not
Emmeline. There is nothing very wonderful about her . She is exactly as
one would imagine an heiress to be, awfully spoilt, you know, used to getting
her own way and commanding everyone’s undivided attention and all that. No,
rather I was talking of Jemima. How that poor girl puts up with her, I can’t
imagine. She’s treated more like a servant than a relative. And yet she is a
distant relation of Emmeline’s, you know, but as poor as anything. She fulfils
the role of companion from what I can gather, and hates every minute of it I
shouldn’t wonder.’
‘Yet the
way that they call each other by their Christian names, surely that implies
they are more friends than employer and employee, doesn’t it?’ said Rose.
Indeed, the way the two girls were huddled so closely together suggested to her
that they were exchanging confidences.
‘That’s
just Emmeline’s way,’ Felix replied rather dismissively. ‘It means nothing. She
still treats Jemima like a lady’s maid, expects her to do her hair and put out
her clothes and all that. I’ve heard her speak to Jemima quite rudely and the
poor girl takes it in her stride with never a bad word said. Why, if I had my
way I’d take her away from it all, I can tell you.’
Rose
looked up at him, somewhat taken aback by his frankness. Felix had the grace to
blush.
‘Sorry, I
shouldn’t have said that. Why, I haven’t even told the girl herself how I feel
about her. But I’m in no position to offer her marriage, at least not until
I’ve done a few years of this articled clerk lark.’ He groaned. ‘I daresay she
wouldn’t have me. A girl like that could do a damned sight better than a fellow
like me.’
Rose
looked up and caught Jemima looking at Felix. There was something in her look
which made Rose think that Felix’s feelings for the girl might not be unrequited
after all. At the same time Rose wondered what there was about her that made
people feel that they could confide in her their innermost hopes and fears.
First there had been Vera and her fear that mixing with grand society would increase
Theo’s desire to become a fashionable doctor. And now here was Felix, a man
with whom she had hardly even passed the time of day, confessing his love for
Jemima. He hadn’t said it was a secret or that she should keep the knowledge to
herself, but she assumed that he would not want it broadcast. She thought too
that Emmeline was ignorant of Felix’s feelings for her companion. Even if his
feelings were reciprocated, she thought it unlikely that the reserved Jemima
would confide in Emmeline on such a matter. No, Emmeline might confide trivial
confidences to Jemima but, from what she had seen of Jemima, the girl kept
herself to herself, remained on the edge looking on, an observer of the party
rather than a participant. What a strange girl she is, thought Rose,
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