aloud until he at once insisted that he would hire her a good ladies’ horse and take her riding in the park.
‘Would you really?’ Melia asked and fluttered her lashes at him. ‘I have a darling mare at home. She has the softest mouth and has spirit, but is a gentle soul as a rule and would never dream of tipping me off.’
‘I shall bring you a creature to rival your darling,’ Adam ventured, vowing privately that he would buy such a horse if none suitable were to be hired. ‘I promise you will not be disappointed. I am said to be a judge. Even Frant takes my advice on horses, though he is a marvellous judge and rider himself. We have been talking of setting up our racing stables together.’
‘So Lord Frant intends to remain in England?’
‘Yes, I think he does,’ Adam said with a small smile and for a moment his eyes seemed to dwell on Lady March and his friend. ‘Though we may keep our horses in Ireland and train them there...’
‘Papa told me that the best horses came from Ireland...’
‘Well, perhaps,’ Adam agreed, ‘but I like Spanish myself. Spanish bred and trained in Ireland—a winning combination...’
‘How clever you are,’ Melia said, gazing up at him. Her fingers fluttered on his arm and she felt almost faint when he smiled down at her. ‘Do you intend to stay in England, Captain?’
‘I dare say I shall divide my time between London and Ireland,’ he told her. ‘We shall race the horses here, you see—but I must visit them often. However, I prefer to live in London. It is the heart of things...but I do not mind travelling. I have had adventures enough for any man, and must find a good house where a sensible woman could be happy. I think my wife must love London, as I do, but be prepared to visit Ireland and other parts with me from time to time.’
‘Oh, yes, she would surely wish to do that,’ Melia said, quite carried away by such an enticing picture. ‘To live in London for most of one’s life must be heaven...though it is pleasant to walk in the country when the weather is good.’
‘Yes, exactly,’ Adam said and smiled again. ‘I think we are to see a good play this evening. It is a comedy, I believe, and then we shall be entertained by a dancer. I am led to understand that she is wonderful to behold but I shall reserve judgement. I have seen a great deal of dancing in India.’
‘Oh, yes, how exciting that must have been,’ Melia said and her fingers curled about his arm. ‘You must tell me all about it.’
‘Not this evening for we must be quiet now the lights are going down,’ he whispered, ‘but perhaps I can take you driving in the park in the morning...’
She indicated that she would love that above all things and then was silent for the play had begun and Melia, like everyone else, was soon laughing at the scandalous romp Mr Sheridan had written for their amusement. Melia knew that it had first been acted upon the stage in 1777 and was much admired, but she had not expected to be so amused by the intrigues unravelling upon the stage.
When, after the performance, she and Lady March were taken for a light supper consisting mainly of ices, sweet trifles and jellies for the ladies, and bread, cold meat and cheese for the gentlemen, accompanied by wine or a cool, crisp sweet cider.
Later, after they had been escorted home in Lord Frant’s very comfortable carriage, the gentlemen had said their goodbyes and they were about to depart to their own rooms, Melia asked Jane what she had thought to the play.
‘Very amusing,’ Jane said. ‘I had seen it years ago when my mama took me, but I believe I appreciated it more this time.’
‘Some of it went over my head, I must admit,’ Melia said, ‘but Viscount Hargreaves explained it all to me.’
‘How very kind of him,’ Jane said and hid her amusement, for only a very innocent mind would need to have the play explained and she did not think Melia that innocent and she certainly was not stupid,
‘Would you really?’ Melia asked and fluttered her lashes at him. ‘I have a darling mare at home. She has the softest mouth and has spirit, but is a gentle soul as a rule and would never dream of tipping me off.’
‘I shall bring you a creature to rival your darling,’ Adam ventured, vowing privately that he would buy such a horse if none suitable were to be hired. ‘I promise you will not be disappointed. I am said to be a judge. Even Frant takes my advice on horses, though he is a marvellous judge and rider himself. We have been talking of setting up our racing stables together.’
‘So Lord Frant intends to remain in England?’
‘Yes, I think he does,’ Adam said with a small smile and for a moment his eyes seemed to dwell on Lady March and his friend. ‘Though we may keep our horses in Ireland and train them there...’
‘Papa told me that the best horses came from Ireland...’
‘Well, perhaps,’ Adam agreed, ‘but I like Spanish myself. Spanish bred and trained in Ireland—a winning combination...’
‘How clever you are,’ Melia said, gazing up at him. Her fingers fluttered on his arm and she felt almost faint when he smiled down at her. ‘Do you intend to stay in England, Captain?’
‘I dare say I shall divide my time between London and Ireland,’ he told her. ‘We shall race the horses here, you see—but I must visit them often. However, I prefer to live in London. It is the heart of things...but I do not mind travelling. I have had adventures enough for any man, and must find a good house where a sensible woman could be happy. I think my wife must love London, as I do, but be prepared to visit Ireland and other parts with me from time to time.’
‘Oh, yes, she would surely wish to do that,’ Melia said, quite carried away by such an enticing picture. ‘To live in London for most of one’s life must be heaven...though it is pleasant to walk in the country when the weather is good.’
‘Yes, exactly,’ Adam said and smiled again. ‘I think we are to see a good play this evening. It is a comedy, I believe, and then we shall be entertained by a dancer. I am led to understand that she is wonderful to behold but I shall reserve judgement. I have seen a great deal of dancing in India.’
‘Oh, yes, how exciting that must have been,’ Melia said and her fingers curled about his arm. ‘You must tell me all about it.’
‘Not this evening for we must be quiet now the lights are going down,’ he whispered, ‘but perhaps I can take you driving in the park in the morning...’
She indicated that she would love that above all things and then was silent for the play had begun and Melia, like everyone else, was soon laughing at the scandalous romp Mr Sheridan had written for their amusement. Melia knew that it had first been acted upon the stage in 1777 and was much admired, but she had not expected to be so amused by the intrigues unravelling upon the stage.
When, after the performance, she and Lady March were taken for a light supper consisting mainly of ices, sweet trifles and jellies for the ladies, and bread, cold meat and cheese for the gentlemen, accompanied by wine or a cool, crisp sweet cider.
Later, after they had been escorted home in Lord Frant’s very comfortable carriage, the gentlemen had said their goodbyes and they were about to depart to their own rooms, Melia asked Jane what she had thought to the play.
‘Very amusing,’ Jane said. ‘I had seen it years ago when my mama took me, but I believe I appreciated it more this time.’
‘Some of it went over my head, I must admit,’ Melia said, ‘but Viscount Hargreaves explained it all to me.’
‘How very kind of him,’ Jane said and hid her amusement, for only a very innocent mind would need to have the play explained and she did not think Melia that innocent and she certainly was not stupid,
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