hope your sister recovers quickly.”
“So do I, for I must tell you that with four of us sharing a tiny cabin, her continued indisposition will be most inconvenient.”
“I should rather think so,” he replied, much struck. “See here, ma’am, whatever were you about, to arrange for only one cabin for the four of you? In my experience, these cabins are deucedly small even for one.”
“I do not approve of extravagance, sir. We shall reach Swansea tomorrow, where I change to the Channel packet, while my aunt and sisters go on into Bristol aboard the Camden . For merely the one night it would be an unnecessary expense to order more than one cabin when each sleeps four or five persons.”
“Nonsense,” he said, but she could not imagine he meant to offend her, for his thoughts were clearly otherwhere. Frowning, he said, “See here, you cannot be comfortable with a sick child in a cabin with three other persons. ’Twould be astonishing an you were not all sick before the day is out. When Trent finds your maidservant, I will show you to my stateroom. You may safely leave the woman there with your sister.”
“I could not, sir.” But even as she said the words, Meriel was thinking of how uncomfortable it would be if Gwenyth continued to be sick, as indeed it was most likely she would be.
“Nonsense,” he said again, more firmly. “As you pointed out, it will be only for the one night. I daresay I can rack up in the great cabin, for although I have been given to understand that all the staterooms are occupied, the boat does not seem to be filled to capacity.”
“Oh, but it is two nights to Bristol, sir, and I greatly fear my little sister will be incapacitated the entire time. However, perhaps you mean there will be another cabin available after Swansea?”
“No, I leave the Camden at Swansea.”
She cocked her head to one side, regarding him in surprise. “Are you not returning to London, then, sir?”
“No, Lady Meriel, I have formed the intention of visiting the French coast again.” His expression was still calm, but his eyes were dancing again.
Meriel frowned. “You said nothing of such plans the other night, sir.”
“Did I not? Perhaps I had not then realized that I wished to indulge myself with a period of foreign travel.”
She believed she was beginning to understand his motives, but instead of being angered by her suspicions, she found that she was rather pleased. “Did you form this intention because I am traveling into France, sir?”
His eyelids drooped a little, hooding his expression. “You are very direct, ma’am. Are you offended?”
“Not at all, sir. Surely one must be flattered. However, I hope you have not formed an incorrect notion of my moral character, for I must assure you that I am not a woman of easy virtue.”
“Dear me.” Sir Antony raised his quizzing glass and regarded her through it curiously. “Whatever can I have said to stir such thoughts in your head, I wonder.”
“Well,” she said frankly, attempting to ignore the absurd way his eye was magnified by the quizzing glass, “my aunt warned me how it would be if I insisted upon traveling abroad with only my maid for escort, but I could not allow Mr. Glendower—her chaplain, you know, and no doubt a worthy man despite the fact that he is constantly ogling one—to accompany me. And as my elder brother is away, and I have no cousins upon whom I might call for assistance, there you are. I daresay you will agree with her, as Lord Uxbridge did, and say that, under the circumstances, I ought not to go at all.”
“I will certainly say no such thing,” he replied. “Nor can I believe you would be wiser to take the impertinent Mr. Glendower as your escort.”
“Then you believe I am quite capable of looking after myself,” she said, looking upon him favorably again.
He smiled. “As to that, ma’am, I cannot deny that if I were in any way responsible for your well-being I would forbid you to travel
“So do I, for I must tell you that with four of us sharing a tiny cabin, her continued indisposition will be most inconvenient.”
“I should rather think so,” he replied, much struck. “See here, ma’am, whatever were you about, to arrange for only one cabin for the four of you? In my experience, these cabins are deucedly small even for one.”
“I do not approve of extravagance, sir. We shall reach Swansea tomorrow, where I change to the Channel packet, while my aunt and sisters go on into Bristol aboard the Camden . For merely the one night it would be an unnecessary expense to order more than one cabin when each sleeps four or five persons.”
“Nonsense,” he said, but she could not imagine he meant to offend her, for his thoughts were clearly otherwhere. Frowning, he said, “See here, you cannot be comfortable with a sick child in a cabin with three other persons. ’Twould be astonishing an you were not all sick before the day is out. When Trent finds your maidservant, I will show you to my stateroom. You may safely leave the woman there with your sister.”
“I could not, sir.” But even as she said the words, Meriel was thinking of how uncomfortable it would be if Gwenyth continued to be sick, as indeed it was most likely she would be.
“Nonsense,” he said again, more firmly. “As you pointed out, it will be only for the one night. I daresay I can rack up in the great cabin, for although I have been given to understand that all the staterooms are occupied, the boat does not seem to be filled to capacity.”
“Oh, but it is two nights to Bristol, sir, and I greatly fear my little sister will be incapacitated the entire time. However, perhaps you mean there will be another cabin available after Swansea?”
“No, I leave the Camden at Swansea.”
She cocked her head to one side, regarding him in surprise. “Are you not returning to London, then, sir?”
“No, Lady Meriel, I have formed the intention of visiting the French coast again.” His expression was still calm, but his eyes were dancing again.
Meriel frowned. “You said nothing of such plans the other night, sir.”
“Did I not? Perhaps I had not then realized that I wished to indulge myself with a period of foreign travel.”
She believed she was beginning to understand his motives, but instead of being angered by her suspicions, she found that she was rather pleased. “Did you form this intention because I am traveling into France, sir?”
His eyelids drooped a little, hooding his expression. “You are very direct, ma’am. Are you offended?”
“Not at all, sir. Surely one must be flattered. However, I hope you have not formed an incorrect notion of my moral character, for I must assure you that I am not a woman of easy virtue.”
“Dear me.” Sir Antony raised his quizzing glass and regarded her through it curiously. “Whatever can I have said to stir such thoughts in your head, I wonder.”
“Well,” she said frankly, attempting to ignore the absurd way his eye was magnified by the quizzing glass, “my aunt warned me how it would be if I insisted upon traveling abroad with only my maid for escort, but I could not allow Mr. Glendower—her chaplain, you know, and no doubt a worthy man despite the fact that he is constantly ogling one—to accompany me. And as my elder brother is away, and I have no cousins upon whom I might call for assistance, there you are. I daresay you will agree with her, as Lord Uxbridge did, and say that, under the circumstances, I ought not to go at all.”
“I will certainly say no such thing,” he replied. “Nor can I believe you would be wiser to take the impertinent Mr. Glendower as your escort.”
“Then you believe I am quite capable of looking after myself,” she said, looking upon him favorably again.
He smiled. “As to that, ma’am, I cannot deny that if I were in any way responsible for your well-being I would forbid you to travel
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