commanded me to escort her here instead.’
‘I pity you! Is she with Fanny? I must go in.’
He began to walk with her towards the house, the long skirt of his driving-coat of white drab brushing his ankles. ‘Do you continue to stable your other horses at Milverley?’ he demanded.
She hesitated. ‘I might have done so, but no!’
‘Where, then?’
‘Why, the truth is I’ve sold ’em!’ she said lightly.
He looked thunderstruck. ‘Sold them! Good God, am I to understand that your cousin would not house them for you?’
‘By no means! He was perfectly willing to do so, but it would be a great piece of nonsense for me to be keeping half a dozen hunters I can’t use eating their heads off in the stable; and since Jane doesn’t ride I thought it best to be rid of them. Besides, were we not agreed – such an event you cannot have forgotten! – that I cannot, in my present circumstances, afford to maintain a string of hunters?’
He was very much vexed, and said roughly: ‘Don’t talk that stuff to me! Why the devil didn’t you apply to me? If you need money for such a reason as that, you may have it!’
‘Out of your pocket, Ivo?’
‘Nonsense! You are a rich woman!’
She was surprised, and a good deal touched. ‘My dear Ivo, I know as well as you do that it is not in your power to contravene the Trust! I am not so bird-witted as you must think me! I had all that out with Mr Perrott long since.’
‘Let me tell you, Serena, that these independent ways of yours are not at all becoming!’ he said angrily. ‘Consulting Perrott – ! There was not the least need!’
She smiled. ‘You have convinced me that there was every need! Thank you, Ivo, but I am persuaded you must perceive how improper it would be for you to be franking me!’
‘No such thing! If I lend you money, be sure I shall keep strict account of it, and expect to be repaid in due course!’
‘Ah, but Papa warned me never to get into the hands of moneylenders!’ she retorted, laughing at him. ‘No, no! Say no more! Indeed, I am not ungrateful, but I don’t care to be behindhand with the world! As for my horses – why, yes! it cost me a pang to part with them, but that is all done with now, and I promise you I don’t repine any more. Pray go in, and tell Lady Silchester that I shall be with her directly! I must not appear in all my dirt!’
She vanished into the house as she spoke; after a scowling moment, he followed her, cast his driving coat and hat on to a chair, and joined his sister and Fanny in the drawing room.
When Serena presently entered the room, she had changed her walking-dress for a robe of clinging black crape, made high to the throat, and relieved only by a little ruff of goffered lawn. The sombre hue seemed to enhance the whiteness of her skin; if Fanny, in her weeds, was ethereally fair, she, with her flaming locks and creamy complexion appeared magnificent.
Lady Silchester, already, though only two years older than her brother, a formidable matron, stared, and exclaimed: ‘Upon my word, Serena, I never saw you looking better!’
‘Do we take that for praise, or censure?’ demanded Rotherham.
‘Oh, you need not try to frown me down! Serena knows I always speak my mind! How do you do, Serena? I am glad to find you and Lady Spenborough so comfortable. Though I daresay you are a trifle cramped. How do your cousins go on at Milverley? I suppose I shall be obliged to call. I fancy I never met Hartley’s wife. Lady Theresa warns me I shall find her to be no great thing. However, I should not wish to be uncivil!’
‘My dear Lady Silchester, if you do not know enough of my aunt at this date – ! Jane is perfectly amiable, I assure you.’
‘Well, I am happy to hear you say so. It would be excessively disagreeable for you to be living so close if she were not. Not that I mean to say it is not the horridest thing, whatever she may be like. I shan’t enlarge on that head, but I feel for you most
‘I pity you! Is she with Fanny? I must go in.’
He began to walk with her towards the house, the long skirt of his driving-coat of white drab brushing his ankles. ‘Do you continue to stable your other horses at Milverley?’ he demanded.
She hesitated. ‘I might have done so, but no!’
‘Where, then?’
‘Why, the truth is I’ve sold ’em!’ she said lightly.
He looked thunderstruck. ‘Sold them! Good God, am I to understand that your cousin would not house them for you?’
‘By no means! He was perfectly willing to do so, but it would be a great piece of nonsense for me to be keeping half a dozen hunters I can’t use eating their heads off in the stable; and since Jane doesn’t ride I thought it best to be rid of them. Besides, were we not agreed – such an event you cannot have forgotten! – that I cannot, in my present circumstances, afford to maintain a string of hunters?’
He was very much vexed, and said roughly: ‘Don’t talk that stuff to me! Why the devil didn’t you apply to me? If you need money for such a reason as that, you may have it!’
‘Out of your pocket, Ivo?’
‘Nonsense! You are a rich woman!’
She was surprised, and a good deal touched. ‘My dear Ivo, I know as well as you do that it is not in your power to contravene the Trust! I am not so bird-witted as you must think me! I had all that out with Mr Perrott long since.’
‘Let me tell you, Serena, that these independent ways of yours are not at all becoming!’ he said angrily. ‘Consulting Perrott – ! There was not the least need!’
She smiled. ‘You have convinced me that there was every need! Thank you, Ivo, but I am persuaded you must perceive how improper it would be for you to be franking me!’
‘No such thing! If I lend you money, be sure I shall keep strict account of it, and expect to be repaid in due course!’
‘Ah, but Papa warned me never to get into the hands of moneylenders!’ she retorted, laughing at him. ‘No, no! Say no more! Indeed, I am not ungrateful, but I don’t care to be behindhand with the world! As for my horses – why, yes! it cost me a pang to part with them, but that is all done with now, and I promise you I don’t repine any more. Pray go in, and tell Lady Silchester that I shall be with her directly! I must not appear in all my dirt!’
She vanished into the house as she spoke; after a scowling moment, he followed her, cast his driving coat and hat on to a chair, and joined his sister and Fanny in the drawing room.
When Serena presently entered the room, she had changed her walking-dress for a robe of clinging black crape, made high to the throat, and relieved only by a little ruff of goffered lawn. The sombre hue seemed to enhance the whiteness of her skin; if Fanny, in her weeds, was ethereally fair, she, with her flaming locks and creamy complexion appeared magnificent.
Lady Silchester, already, though only two years older than her brother, a formidable matron, stared, and exclaimed: ‘Upon my word, Serena, I never saw you looking better!’
‘Do we take that for praise, or censure?’ demanded Rotherham.
‘Oh, you need not try to frown me down! Serena knows I always speak my mind! How do you do, Serena? I am glad to find you and Lady Spenborough so comfortable. Though I daresay you are a trifle cramped. How do your cousins go on at Milverley? I suppose I shall be obliged to call. I fancy I never met Hartley’s wife. Lady Theresa warns me I shall find her to be no great thing. However, I should not wish to be uncivil!’
‘My dear Lady Silchester, if you do not know enough of my aunt at this date – ! Jane is perfectly amiable, I assure you.’
‘Well, I am happy to hear you say so. It would be excessively disagreeable for you to be living so close if she were not. Not that I mean to say it is not the horridest thing, whatever she may be like. I shan’t enlarge on that head, but I feel for you most
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