A Particular Circumstance by Shirley Smith Page A

said to Lucy and placed her little hands on the arched front of the saddle and so they set off very sedately, Hugo leading the horse and with Charlotte obliged to walk on the other side, silently fuming at his high-handedness. She would have enjoyed the walk had it not been for the nagging irritation of having Hugo Westbury’s presence imposed on her and was determined not to speak to him. She was acutely aware that he glanced at her frequently but addressed his remarks only to Lucy, who was not so much in awe of the fine horse or too tense with the delight of her ride that she couldn’t respond. By his gentle conversation and open remarks, he was able to coax the little girl into giving him a lot of information about her family and their house and their dog and even Lucy’s Sunday school teacher.
    ‘So, you go to Sunday school, Lucy?’ he enquired. ‘And who is your teacher?’
    ‘Why, it be Miss Grayson, sir,’ she said artlessly.
    ‘And is she very strict with you?’
    ‘Oh no, sir. She’m kind, she is, and I’m learning to read, I am. She’m teaching me my letters, sir.’ The little girl spoke innocently and turned to smile at Charlotte as she answered him.
    It was now Charlotte’s turn to glance triumphantly sideways and this time he made a remark directly to her, saying that the child lived in one of the cottages which he and Sir Benjamin planned to re-roof before the winter set in.
    ‘And of course, Sir Benjamin and I are desirous of improving Westbury Hall, once it is vacated. Some of the carpets and curtains desperately need replacing to make the place more comfortable.’
    Charlotte met his mocking, blue-eyed gaze unflinchingly. ‘We have been quite comfortable living at the Hall,’ she informed him with the utmost conviction. She could tell that he was not pleased with her answer but went on stubbornly, ‘However much you desire the refurbishment of Westbury Hall, sir, I still think it reprehensible of you to turn out a widow and her family at such short notice.’
    His lips tightened into a straight line and his blue eyes losttheir mocking smile. ‘Sir Benjamin is now in quite frail health,’ he said curtly. ‘And then there is the added complication of the unfortunate discovery of that skeleton.’ He spoke impatiently as though he wished her to be silent, but Charlotte had no intention of considering his wishes.
    ‘It has put an added strain on my mama,’ she protested hotly. ‘She can barely manage to accomplish all the packing in time, and the servants are finding everything difficult.’
    The more heated Charlotte became with her anger, the more coldly furious Hugo Westbury became and his tone was icily civil as he said, ‘But I obtained your mother’s agreement to vacate the premises a week early. Your mama was agreeable to the change.’
    ‘Mama felt unable to oppose your proposition, sir. She felt powerless to stand up to someone so … so … insufferably overbearing as yourself. I would never have agreed to such an arrangement had I been Mama—?’
    She broke off, breathless with temper.
    ‘But you are not she, madam, for which I am profoundly thankful. And as we are speaking plainly, I would find it intolerable to conduct business with such a termagant as yourself.’
    ‘In business, sir, it pays to abide by one’s legal agreement, not seek to gain unfair advantage and then resort to verbal insult.’
    ‘That, coming from a skilled practitioner such as yourself, is rich, madam.’
    Her colour high, she turned her head away from him and pressed her lips together, determined to say no more. They’d now reached the outskirts of Felbrook village and Lucy, who had been quiet during Charlotte’s heated exchange with Hugo Westbury, suddenly raised one of her hands from the saddle and pointed excitedly.
    ‘Oh, see there, miss, ’tis Ma come to meet me.’
    Charlotte was obliged to turn towards him as he slowed the horse to a halt. ‘Kindly lift her down, Mr Westbury.