to our society hereabouts.’
Lydia smiled gratefully as she bobbed a curtsy to the speaker. Mrs Churchman was small, pale and almost girlishly slim. She spoke with a slight Irish lilt which Lydia found particularly attractive. She walked only with difficulty and had to be assisted into a chair but her dark eyes were as bright as buttons and seemed to take in her difficult position in the household immediately.
‘You are too kind, ma’am. My aunt and uncle have made me most welcome at Abdale. I consider myself to be very fortunate to have been offered a home with them.’
She was conscious of Mr Churchman’s eye upon her as she said this, and blushed.
‘Do please take a seat next to me, Miss Barrington,’ continued Mrs Churchman. ‘My sons have mentioned you a number of times and I have been longing to get to know you. Unfortunately I am not able to get out as much as I would like, or I should have called on you before.’
Henry and Edward, having made sure that their mother was quite comfortable, stood together by the fire and listened to the rather one-sided conversation being indulged by their hostess. Mrs Abdale seemed determined to destroy any notion that Mrs Churchman might have had of a tete-a-tete with Lydia and they were soon forced to give up the unequal fight and listen to her instead.
‘I am sorry that Mr Abdale is not yet down to meet you, Mrs Churchman,’ she was saying. ‘He was called away by his bailiff at the very last moment and had to hurry off with him. Most impolite of him, of course, and I can assure you that I shall scold him most shockingly when I get him alone tonight, although you are now such good friends of ours that I know you will forgive him and of course business is business and sometimes it will not wait … such a responsibility, managing all these estates, is it not, Mrs Churchman? I am thankful that I have a husband to do it. I’m sure I could not cope by myself, we have so much to look after nowadays – although, of course, you have sons to see to such things and we have a good legal man (although I never have anything to do with him, of course)…’
Both Lydia and Julia were taking the opportunity provided by this discourse to compare the brothers at the fireside. Edward was looking elegant in his rather careless way, his long tailcoat undone at the front to reveal a plain white waistcoat and ruffled shirt beneath. Julia allowed herself more than a few admiring glances whenever her mama’s attention seemed elsewhere. But it was Henry who attracted Lydia’s gaze. Julia had told her that he was a Corinthian. Lydia was none too sure about that. He did not look the type to brawl over females of dubious reputation, although she could hazard a guess that he would stand up for himself quite sturdily if the need arose. Despite his lack of good looks, however, she could quite imagine a number of females fighting over him . Certainly he looked supremely elegant in buff pantaloons and fashionably-tied cravat on a snow-white ruffled shirt, and he leaned against the mantle with the unconscious air of a true gentleman. She allowed hersel f to wonder how Julia could possibly prefer his brother to him. True, Edward had a charming, open manner, which Henry lacked, and which recommended him more immediately to strangers, and he was by far the more handsome of the two. But it was very apparent to her that Henry had much the greater style and much the greater depth.
Mr Abdale appeared at last, a little out of breath, with apologies for being late.
‘Wretched poachers again,’ he muttered, to no-one in particular. ‘Can’t seem to keep them away at this time of year. Still, a few more man-traps should do it. Old Bill Bailey’s got another think coming if he thinks he can help himself in my coverts…’
Mrs Abdale rang the bell and the whole party proceeded into the dining room next door.
The dinner was a fine one. Several dishes of soup were followed by a boiled leg of lamb with
Lydia smiled gratefully as she bobbed a curtsy to the speaker. Mrs Churchman was small, pale and almost girlishly slim. She spoke with a slight Irish lilt which Lydia found particularly attractive. She walked only with difficulty and had to be assisted into a chair but her dark eyes were as bright as buttons and seemed to take in her difficult position in the household immediately.
‘You are too kind, ma’am. My aunt and uncle have made me most welcome at Abdale. I consider myself to be very fortunate to have been offered a home with them.’
She was conscious of Mr Churchman’s eye upon her as she said this, and blushed.
‘Do please take a seat next to me, Miss Barrington,’ continued Mrs Churchman. ‘My sons have mentioned you a number of times and I have been longing to get to know you. Unfortunately I am not able to get out as much as I would like, or I should have called on you before.’
Henry and Edward, having made sure that their mother was quite comfortable, stood together by the fire and listened to the rather one-sided conversation being indulged by their hostess. Mrs Abdale seemed determined to destroy any notion that Mrs Churchman might have had of a tete-a-tete with Lydia and they were soon forced to give up the unequal fight and listen to her instead.
‘I am sorry that Mr Abdale is not yet down to meet you, Mrs Churchman,’ she was saying. ‘He was called away by his bailiff at the very last moment and had to hurry off with him. Most impolite of him, of course, and I can assure you that I shall scold him most shockingly when I get him alone tonight, although you are now such good friends of ours that I know you will forgive him and of course business is business and sometimes it will not wait … such a responsibility, managing all these estates, is it not, Mrs Churchman? I am thankful that I have a husband to do it. I’m sure I could not cope by myself, we have so much to look after nowadays – although, of course, you have sons to see to such things and we have a good legal man (although I never have anything to do with him, of course)…’
Both Lydia and Julia were taking the opportunity provided by this discourse to compare the brothers at the fireside. Edward was looking elegant in his rather careless way, his long tailcoat undone at the front to reveal a plain white waistcoat and ruffled shirt beneath. Julia allowed herself more than a few admiring glances whenever her mama’s attention seemed elsewhere. But it was Henry who attracted Lydia’s gaze. Julia had told her that he was a Corinthian. Lydia was none too sure about that. He did not look the type to brawl over females of dubious reputation, although she could hazard a guess that he would stand up for himself quite sturdily if the need arose. Despite his lack of good looks, however, she could quite imagine a number of females fighting over him . Certainly he looked supremely elegant in buff pantaloons and fashionably-tied cravat on a snow-white ruffled shirt, and he leaned against the mantle with the unconscious air of a true gentleman. She allowed hersel f to wonder how Julia could possibly prefer his brother to him. True, Edward had a charming, open manner, which Henry lacked, and which recommended him more immediately to strangers, and he was by far the more handsome of the two. But it was very apparent to her that Henry had much the greater style and much the greater depth.
Mr Abdale appeared at last, a little out of breath, with apologies for being late.
‘Wretched poachers again,’ he muttered, to no-one in particular. ‘Can’t seem to keep them away at this time of year. Still, a few more man-traps should do it. Old Bill Bailey’s got another think coming if he thinks he can help himself in my coverts…’
Mrs Abdale rang the bell and the whole party proceeded into the dining room next door.
The dinner was a fine one. Several dishes of soup were followed by a boiled leg of lamb with
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