bit back the angry remark that rose to her lips. The Reckfords were socially powerful and she must be careful to do nothing to thwart her daughter’s ambitions.
Alice Belding narrowed her pretty eyes. If the Beau and his sister meant to bring the dreary Henrietta into fashion, they were probably doing it out of sheer kindness. After all, Henrietta was positively
old.
But perhaps she had better establish her friendship with Henrietta if it meant that she could thereby see more of the Reckfords. Accordingly, she tripped forward and hugged the surprised Henrietta with great warmth.
“Why, mama, you are too severe on my dear friend! It is not as if Henrietta has had our social advantages,” cried Alice, admiring her reflection in the looking glass over Henrietta’s shoulder. “Henrietta shall stay in London and I will not let any of you say her nay!”
Henrietta started to mutter ungratefully that she was not in need of a champion but the Beau gave Alice a warm smile of appreciation. He must have been mistaken in her. She was a thoughtful and kind girl after all… and extremely beautiful.
Catching his admiring look at Alice, Henrietta felt all the warmth and light go out of her day. Then Lord Reckford bowed his handsome head over her hand. “I should be honored if you would drive with me in the park tomorrow afternoon, Miss Sandford.” The sun shone out again behind Henrietta’s clouds and she raised her head to accept when Alice rushed forward. “Why, we would be delighted! Would not we, my dear.”
The Beau looked down at Henrietta’s face and wondered why he had ever considered it expressionless.
One minute she had looked radiant and the next as if the world had come to an end. “My apologies to you Miss Belding,” said Lord Reckford, “but there is only room in my curricle for one passenger.”
“Oh, I am sure Henrietta will not mind us going without her,” said Alice blithely, bringing her long eyelashes into play.
Lord Reckford rapidly revised his recent favorable opinion of Alice. Why, the girl was as pushing and forward as a Cit.
“You misunderstood me, Miss Belding,” he said with a steely note creeping into his voice. “The invitation was issued to Miss Sandford.”
Alice flushed and her eyes began to glitter dangerously. Lady Belding realized that her daughter was about to throw one of her well-known temper tantrums and they hurriedly made their goodbyes.
“Until tomorrow then,” said the Beau, bending to kiss Henrietta’s hand. He raised his head and tawny eyes met hazel for a long moment. A thin tenuous thread of emotion seemed to momentarily join the pair. Then with another bow to Miss Scattersworth, the Beau was gone, leaving Henrietta to place the hand he had kissed against her cheek.
Miss Mattie looked at her anxiously. “Do not be overcome with passion, my dear. Passion is a very dangerous animal.”
Henrietta gave her infectious giggle. “Really, Mattie, what will you say next? What a morning! Now, no one else can
possibly
call.”
Suddenly the door was flung open and brother Henry bustled into the room in great haste followed by his curate, Mr. John Symes. Henry’s elaborate garb made the drab clericals of Mr. Symes look positively poverty-stricken. He swept past the astonished Henrietta and ran about the room, picking up
objets d’art
one after the other and carrying them to the light.
Mr. Symes, an elderly white haired man with a stoop which betokened years of servitude, gave his vicar an embarrassed look and went to sit down beside Miss Mattie.
“What on earth are you
doing
, Henry,” asked Henrietta at last.
“I am looking at all this waste of money on trivia… all this sheer extravagance,” spluttered Henry.
“All this ‘sheer extravagance’ as you call it, is part of the estate left me by Mrs. Tankerton,” said Henrietta, eyeing the silver buttons on her brother’s coat with disdain.
He gave her a look of relieved surprise. Thoroughly annoyed,
Alice Belding narrowed her pretty eyes. If the Beau and his sister meant to bring the dreary Henrietta into fashion, they were probably doing it out of sheer kindness. After all, Henrietta was positively
old.
But perhaps she had better establish her friendship with Henrietta if it meant that she could thereby see more of the Reckfords. Accordingly, she tripped forward and hugged the surprised Henrietta with great warmth.
“Why, mama, you are too severe on my dear friend! It is not as if Henrietta has had our social advantages,” cried Alice, admiring her reflection in the looking glass over Henrietta’s shoulder. “Henrietta shall stay in London and I will not let any of you say her nay!”
Henrietta started to mutter ungratefully that she was not in need of a champion but the Beau gave Alice a warm smile of appreciation. He must have been mistaken in her. She was a thoughtful and kind girl after all… and extremely beautiful.
Catching his admiring look at Alice, Henrietta felt all the warmth and light go out of her day. Then Lord Reckford bowed his handsome head over her hand. “I should be honored if you would drive with me in the park tomorrow afternoon, Miss Sandford.” The sun shone out again behind Henrietta’s clouds and she raised her head to accept when Alice rushed forward. “Why, we would be delighted! Would not we, my dear.”
The Beau looked down at Henrietta’s face and wondered why he had ever considered it expressionless.
One minute she had looked radiant and the next as if the world had come to an end. “My apologies to you Miss Belding,” said Lord Reckford, “but there is only room in my curricle for one passenger.”
“Oh, I am sure Henrietta will not mind us going without her,” said Alice blithely, bringing her long eyelashes into play.
Lord Reckford rapidly revised his recent favorable opinion of Alice. Why, the girl was as pushing and forward as a Cit.
“You misunderstood me, Miss Belding,” he said with a steely note creeping into his voice. “The invitation was issued to Miss Sandford.”
Alice flushed and her eyes began to glitter dangerously. Lady Belding realized that her daughter was about to throw one of her well-known temper tantrums and they hurriedly made their goodbyes.
“Until tomorrow then,” said the Beau, bending to kiss Henrietta’s hand. He raised his head and tawny eyes met hazel for a long moment. A thin tenuous thread of emotion seemed to momentarily join the pair. Then with another bow to Miss Scattersworth, the Beau was gone, leaving Henrietta to place the hand he had kissed against her cheek.
Miss Mattie looked at her anxiously. “Do not be overcome with passion, my dear. Passion is a very dangerous animal.”
Henrietta gave her infectious giggle. “Really, Mattie, what will you say next? What a morning! Now, no one else can
possibly
call.”
Suddenly the door was flung open and brother Henry bustled into the room in great haste followed by his curate, Mr. John Symes. Henry’s elaborate garb made the drab clericals of Mr. Symes look positively poverty-stricken. He swept past the astonished Henrietta and ran about the room, picking up
objets d’art
one after the other and carrying them to the light.
Mr. Symes, an elderly white haired man with a stoop which betokened years of servitude, gave his vicar an embarrassed look and went to sit down beside Miss Mattie.
“What on earth are you
doing
, Henry,” asked Henrietta at last.
“I am looking at all this waste of money on trivia… all this sheer extravagance,” spluttered Henry.
“All this ‘sheer extravagance’ as you call it, is part of the estate left me by Mrs. Tankerton,” said Henrietta, eyeing the silver buttons on her brother’s coat with disdain.
He gave her a look of relieved surprise. Thoroughly annoyed,
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