But a frown and a more decisive gesture towards the chair convinced her that she did. What could be the meaning of it? She had not the least notion, but Belle’s hand in the small of her back started her moving towards Lady Hardy and without a word she took the proffered chair.
One side of Lady Hardy’s mouth twisted up. A grimace or a smile? Amy could not tell.
“Well, Miss Allamont, and how goes your dear mama? Very cut up, I daresay.”
Amy had received enough enquiries on that subject to answer readily. “Mama is in low spirits, my lady.”
“No doubt. And not at church, so I hear. That is setting a bad example to those who look up to us, Miss Allamont, and you may tell her I said so. She must rally, and be seen about the country. I was distraught when my dear Rupert passed away, but one must not succumb to one’s feelings. It is not becoming to be prostrate with grief in that manner. One must not give way beneath the trials of life, do you not agree?”
“Yes, my lady.”
Lady Hardy’s mouth twisted again. Amy was almost convinced it was intended as a smile.
“There, now, you are a good girl,” Lady Hardy said, patting Amy’s neatly clasped hands. “Osborne! Come here and talk to Miss Allamont.”
Her son had been deep in conversation with Lady Humbleforth, but he jumped up at once and went to his mama.
“Sit beside Miss Allamont, Osborne. Yes, yes, that chair there. Now you may tell her of your new curricle, if you please. Osborne is to obtain a curricle in the spring, Miss Allamont, what do you think of that? It will be the smartest little outfit imaginable, and just the thing for town, you know. He is going to take me driving in the park in it… or it could be another lady, you know. Yes, indeed. Is it not a good scheme, eh? Osborne, tell Miss Allamont all about your curricle.”
“No use talking about m’curricle, Mama,” he said, laughing. “Not got the thing yet.”
“But you will get it, I am sure. You have been talking of it for ever. Tell Miss Allamont your plans, for I am sure she is avid to hear all about it, is it not so, my dear? But you will have to choose the horses most carefully, Osborne. They must be a matched pair, or it will not do at all. I am not certain you are a good enough judge of horseflesh to choose properly.”
“Daniel’s the expert, Mama. Advises on all m’horses. Need not concern y’self over that.”
At that moment, Miss Endercott, who had been sitting quietly talking to Lady Humbleforth’s companion, Miss Durrell, now came across to take the seat on the other side of Lady Hardy, and began to talk about some improvements to the church at Lower Brinford which had been modelled on those made at Higher Brinford, and this distracted her ladyship’s attention.
Amy was now left with Sir Osborne. He wore a brown-spotted waistcoat today, so that he looked like a huge thrush. It was most disconcerting. He was exactly the sort of gentleman who terrified her. What topic could possibly be of interest to a young man of fashion? What did she know of curricles? She sat silent, her mind churning, fear clutching at her. In her head, she seemed to see her papa sitting across the room, as he so often had, his brows lowered, his eyes fixed on her, judging her performance in company. She always fell short of his expectations. She could never think what to say, and the more nervous she became, the more her mind spun.
It seemed that Sir Osborne had nothing to say, either, so for some minutes they sat in silence, and Amy was able to look about the room. No one was watching her, for they were all caught up in their own conversations, and she had time to compose herself. She recollected the name Daniel that had been mentioned earlier. Mr Daniel Merton was a friend Sir Osborne had made during his brief sojourn at school, a young man of gentle but undistinguished background who had made his home at Brinford Manor for some years now. The two were inseparable, as a rule, but not
One side of Lady Hardy’s mouth twisted up. A grimace or a smile? Amy could not tell.
“Well, Miss Allamont, and how goes your dear mama? Very cut up, I daresay.”
Amy had received enough enquiries on that subject to answer readily. “Mama is in low spirits, my lady.”
“No doubt. And not at church, so I hear. That is setting a bad example to those who look up to us, Miss Allamont, and you may tell her I said so. She must rally, and be seen about the country. I was distraught when my dear Rupert passed away, but one must not succumb to one’s feelings. It is not becoming to be prostrate with grief in that manner. One must not give way beneath the trials of life, do you not agree?”
“Yes, my lady.”
Lady Hardy’s mouth twisted again. Amy was almost convinced it was intended as a smile.
“There, now, you are a good girl,” Lady Hardy said, patting Amy’s neatly clasped hands. “Osborne! Come here and talk to Miss Allamont.”
Her son had been deep in conversation with Lady Humbleforth, but he jumped up at once and went to his mama.
“Sit beside Miss Allamont, Osborne. Yes, yes, that chair there. Now you may tell her of your new curricle, if you please. Osborne is to obtain a curricle in the spring, Miss Allamont, what do you think of that? It will be the smartest little outfit imaginable, and just the thing for town, you know. He is going to take me driving in the park in it… or it could be another lady, you know. Yes, indeed. Is it not a good scheme, eh? Osborne, tell Miss Allamont all about your curricle.”
“No use talking about m’curricle, Mama,” he said, laughing. “Not got the thing yet.”
“But you will get it, I am sure. You have been talking of it for ever. Tell Miss Allamont your plans, for I am sure she is avid to hear all about it, is it not so, my dear? But you will have to choose the horses most carefully, Osborne. They must be a matched pair, or it will not do at all. I am not certain you are a good enough judge of horseflesh to choose properly.”
“Daniel’s the expert, Mama. Advises on all m’horses. Need not concern y’self over that.”
At that moment, Miss Endercott, who had been sitting quietly talking to Lady Humbleforth’s companion, Miss Durrell, now came across to take the seat on the other side of Lady Hardy, and began to talk about some improvements to the church at Lower Brinford which had been modelled on those made at Higher Brinford, and this distracted her ladyship’s attention.
Amy was now left with Sir Osborne. He wore a brown-spotted waistcoat today, so that he looked like a huge thrush. It was most disconcerting. He was exactly the sort of gentleman who terrified her. What topic could possibly be of interest to a young man of fashion? What did she know of curricles? She sat silent, her mind churning, fear clutching at her. In her head, she seemed to see her papa sitting across the room, as he so often had, his brows lowered, his eyes fixed on her, judging her performance in company. She always fell short of his expectations. She could never think what to say, and the more nervous she became, the more her mind spun.
It seemed that Sir Osborne had nothing to say, either, so for some minutes they sat in silence, and Amy was able to look about the room. No one was watching her, for they were all caught up in their own conversations, and she had time to compose herself. She recollected the name Daniel that had been mentioned earlier. Mr Daniel Merton was a friend Sir Osborne had made during his brief sojourn at school, a young man of gentle but undistinguished background who had made his home at Brinford Manor for some years now. The two were inseparable, as a rule, but not
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