scamp?”
“He should be along in a moment. Punctuality is not well observed at Shalbrook, I fear. Would you be so very kind as to overlook my scolding him in front of you? It embarrassed him terribly, of course, and had I had my wits about me, I would not have done it for the world.”
“He’s a large responsibility for you,” Penrith suggested.
“No, no, not at all. Henry is the only family I have and a delightful companion.” With a nod she acknowledged Mr. Rushton. “I wanted to thank you for your... assistance yesterday, sir.”
“You did so at the time, Miss Easterly-Cummings. I trust you took no harm from your spill.” When she did not offer him her hand, he forced her to do so by extending his own.
Selina quickly withdrew her hand from his firm clasp. “None whatsoever. Here is Henry now. I don’t believe you’ve met him.”
After the introductions had been made and everyone was seated, Selina rang for the tea tray and guided the conversation to various topics of interest to the different members of the group. Henry’s embarrassment at seeing Sir Penrith again rapidly disappeared under that gentleman’s cheerful acceptance of him as one of the men of the group. Penrith’s assumption that Henry was knowledgeable about horses and other sporting matters was flattering, if somewhat bewildering, to the young Forrester. Sheltered as he was at Shalbrook, he knew little of boxing and prizefights, even less of cock-fighting or cricket. But he could hold his own on coursing, shooting, fishing and even horse-racing, as he managed to get hold of the Turf Remembrancer fairly regularly.
Mr. Rushton was not as oblivious to the gaps in the boy’s knowledge as Penrith appeared to be, and when Miss Easterly-Cummings was engrossed in a discussion of village matters with Lady Southwood and Cassandra, he purposefully explored the matter. “I suppose there is no cricket team in the area?” he asked, directing his question at Henry rather than Penrith.
“Not that I know of,” the boy replied, glancing questioningly at Sir Penrith.
“No, I haven’t played since I came down from Oxford. Never was much good at it,” Penrith confessed.
“I don’t believe I’ve seen you with the Quorn, Mr. Forrester. Have you no interest in hunting?” Rushton probed.
Henry flushed. “I should like to hunt of all things. It’s just... well, there have been my studies...”
Mr. Rushton’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps your cousin has some objection to hunting?”
“Well, I... we…” Henry could not find a way to explain, and he fell silent under Rushton’s intent gaze.
Penrith cast a disparaging glance at his friend and intervened. “I imagine Selina keeps no hunters at Shalbrook these days. No matter. I can mount you, Forrester. Why not join us tomorrow? Ride over to Oak Park and leave your hack there. We leave about nine.”
“That’s awfully good of you, sir. I mean, you have no idea whether I could manage one of your hunters, or anything. I don’t know.”
“Nonsense! Have the greatest confidence in you. Just be there by nine, and we’ll have a great day’s sport,” Penrith assured him bluffly, not wanting the boy to think his cousin’s scold of the previous day had given him any lack of faith in the lad’s ability.
“I will then, thank you,” Henry accepted with a worried glance at his cousin. He could tell by the slight tightening of her lips that she had overheard the conversation, but she made no sign to him, composedly continuing her discourse with the ladies. It was not so much out of rebellion that he accepted, but out of his strong desire to do so, and under the pressure of the two gentlemen expecting that he would. After all, he had just said that he wanted to hunt of all things, and what would they think if he refused when they had made it possible for him to do so? With relief he found the conversation turned to other matters, and the subject did not arise again until the Oak Park party was
“He should be along in a moment. Punctuality is not well observed at Shalbrook, I fear. Would you be so very kind as to overlook my scolding him in front of you? It embarrassed him terribly, of course, and had I had my wits about me, I would not have done it for the world.”
“He’s a large responsibility for you,” Penrith suggested.
“No, no, not at all. Henry is the only family I have and a delightful companion.” With a nod she acknowledged Mr. Rushton. “I wanted to thank you for your... assistance yesterday, sir.”
“You did so at the time, Miss Easterly-Cummings. I trust you took no harm from your spill.” When she did not offer him her hand, he forced her to do so by extending his own.
Selina quickly withdrew her hand from his firm clasp. “None whatsoever. Here is Henry now. I don’t believe you’ve met him.”
After the introductions had been made and everyone was seated, Selina rang for the tea tray and guided the conversation to various topics of interest to the different members of the group. Henry’s embarrassment at seeing Sir Penrith again rapidly disappeared under that gentleman’s cheerful acceptance of him as one of the men of the group. Penrith’s assumption that Henry was knowledgeable about horses and other sporting matters was flattering, if somewhat bewildering, to the young Forrester. Sheltered as he was at Shalbrook, he knew little of boxing and prizefights, even less of cock-fighting or cricket. But he could hold his own on coursing, shooting, fishing and even horse-racing, as he managed to get hold of the Turf Remembrancer fairly regularly.
Mr. Rushton was not as oblivious to the gaps in the boy’s knowledge as Penrith appeared to be, and when Miss Easterly-Cummings was engrossed in a discussion of village matters with Lady Southwood and Cassandra, he purposefully explored the matter. “I suppose there is no cricket team in the area?” he asked, directing his question at Henry rather than Penrith.
“Not that I know of,” the boy replied, glancing questioningly at Sir Penrith.
“No, I haven’t played since I came down from Oxford. Never was much good at it,” Penrith confessed.
“I don’t believe I’ve seen you with the Quorn, Mr. Forrester. Have you no interest in hunting?” Rushton probed.
Henry flushed. “I should like to hunt of all things. It’s just... well, there have been my studies...”
Mr. Rushton’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps your cousin has some objection to hunting?”
“Well, I... we…” Henry could not find a way to explain, and he fell silent under Rushton’s intent gaze.
Penrith cast a disparaging glance at his friend and intervened. “I imagine Selina keeps no hunters at Shalbrook these days. No matter. I can mount you, Forrester. Why not join us tomorrow? Ride over to Oak Park and leave your hack there. We leave about nine.”
“That’s awfully good of you, sir. I mean, you have no idea whether I could manage one of your hunters, or anything. I don’t know.”
“Nonsense! Have the greatest confidence in you. Just be there by nine, and we’ll have a great day’s sport,” Penrith assured him bluffly, not wanting the boy to think his cousin’s scold of the previous day had given him any lack of faith in the lad’s ability.
“I will then, thank you,” Henry accepted with a worried glance at his cousin. He could tell by the slight tightening of her lips that she had overheard the conversation, but she made no sign to him, composedly continuing her discourse with the ladies. It was not so much out of rebellion that he accepted, but out of his strong desire to do so, and under the pressure of the two gentlemen expecting that he would. After all, he had just said that he wanted to hunt of all things, and what would they think if he refused when they had made it possible for him to do so? With relief he found the conversation turned to other matters, and the subject did not arise again until the Oak Park party was
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