comfortably.
The frail lady (eighty-five if she was a day, thought Susan) made slow progress back to the chaise. “I cannot think what is the matter with me,” she said finally. “I scarcely seem to know my own limbs.”
“You ’ave been dreadfully shaken!” replied Susan, aching with pity for the poor lady. “It is no wonder you are not quite right.”
“I suppose so,” Lady Mewhinny agreed. “To tell the truth, I do not think Vigor feels quite the thing, either. I hardly like to ask him to help your groom.”
“Vigor?” Susan asked blankly.
“Yes, my groom. He is directly descended from the Roman invaders on both sides,” she explained proudly. “He is from Sussex, you see. His mother’s name was Venus and his father’s, Avis. You can see it in his nose, of course.”
“’Is nose?”
“Of course, my dear. Why surely you must have noticed his Roman nose!”
Susan looked back over her shoulder at the thin, stooped creature hovering over the doomed carriage but managed to keep the smile from her voice. “I am afraid I did not, Lady Mewhinny. But I was so concerned about you, I must ’ave been razzer unobservant.”
Lady Mewhinny laid a wasted hand on Susan’s and patted it kindly. “Aren’t you a dear,” she said. Her voice had lost its quavering quality. “You must not worry about me; I am certain your man will have the carriage righted shortly.”
But no sooner had Lady Mewhinny been settled comfortably in Susan’s chaise than she was proven wrong. When Tom stepped up to the window to make his report, Susan saw that his breeches had taken on a vast quantity of mud.
“I’m afraid it’s no use, milady,” he said in the humblest of tones. “It’s going to take more than one man to set your coach to rights.”
“Oh, bother!” exclaimed Lady Mewhinny. “Now we shall be delayed.”
Susan looked at Lord Harleston and noticed a streak of mud across his forehead. He was holding up magnificently, but she could see the relief in his expression. He obviously thought they were about to resolve the episode. But they could not leave Lady Mewhinny and Vigor here.
Directing Tom a subtly pleading glance, Susan said, “You must let us convey you somewhere, Lady Mewhinny. Was your destination ’ere in ze vicinity?”
“Oh, no, I could not trouble you to do that!” protested the older woman. “You were on a journey of your own. I would not think of interrupting it more than I already have!”
“But zat is absurd!” cried Susan, more than ever wishing to help. The frail lady’s courage touched her deeply. “We were just on our way to London. But zere is no urgency; we ‘ave no business zere. A slight delay will not inconvenience us in ze least.” She could sense the widening of his lordship’s eyes.
Lady Mewhinny offered no further protest. “Then I accept,” she said. “It is most kind of you to offer. To tell the truth, I had worried about Vigor.” She lowered her voice to a near whisper. “He is not as young as he used to be, though you might not think it. You see, he was already in Sir William’s service when I married him in 1749.”
Susan’s eyes opened with incredulity and Tom put a quick hand to his mouth to stifle a cough. “Non, I should never s’ink it,” said Susan hastily. “Now where may we set you down?”
Lady Mewhinny sat a bit straighter in her seat and placed her hands on her lap with a curiously authoritative gesture. “That will be quite simple. My estates are in Sussex, near Heathfield. Do not be concerned if your man doesn’t know the way,” she added at Susan’s look of surprise. “Vigor shall ride up on the box beside him and direct him. Then I hope you will be so good as to accept my hospitality while your man comes back for my carriage.”
Susan opened her mouth in shock. Had she really heard that correctly? Was Lady Mewhinny proposing such an imposition on a peer of the realm? She started to protest, “But Lord...” and was
The frail lady (eighty-five if she was a day, thought Susan) made slow progress back to the chaise. “I cannot think what is the matter with me,” she said finally. “I scarcely seem to know my own limbs.”
“You ’ave been dreadfully shaken!” replied Susan, aching with pity for the poor lady. “It is no wonder you are not quite right.”
“I suppose so,” Lady Mewhinny agreed. “To tell the truth, I do not think Vigor feels quite the thing, either. I hardly like to ask him to help your groom.”
“Vigor?” Susan asked blankly.
“Yes, my groom. He is directly descended from the Roman invaders on both sides,” she explained proudly. “He is from Sussex, you see. His mother’s name was Venus and his father’s, Avis. You can see it in his nose, of course.”
“’Is nose?”
“Of course, my dear. Why surely you must have noticed his Roman nose!”
Susan looked back over her shoulder at the thin, stooped creature hovering over the doomed carriage but managed to keep the smile from her voice. “I am afraid I did not, Lady Mewhinny. But I was so concerned about you, I must ’ave been razzer unobservant.”
Lady Mewhinny laid a wasted hand on Susan’s and patted it kindly. “Aren’t you a dear,” she said. Her voice had lost its quavering quality. “You must not worry about me; I am certain your man will have the carriage righted shortly.”
But no sooner had Lady Mewhinny been settled comfortably in Susan’s chaise than she was proven wrong. When Tom stepped up to the window to make his report, Susan saw that his breeches had taken on a vast quantity of mud.
“I’m afraid it’s no use, milady,” he said in the humblest of tones. “It’s going to take more than one man to set your coach to rights.”
“Oh, bother!” exclaimed Lady Mewhinny. “Now we shall be delayed.”
Susan looked at Lord Harleston and noticed a streak of mud across his forehead. He was holding up magnificently, but she could see the relief in his expression. He obviously thought they were about to resolve the episode. But they could not leave Lady Mewhinny and Vigor here.
Directing Tom a subtly pleading glance, Susan said, “You must let us convey you somewhere, Lady Mewhinny. Was your destination ’ere in ze vicinity?”
“Oh, no, I could not trouble you to do that!” protested the older woman. “You were on a journey of your own. I would not think of interrupting it more than I already have!”
“But zat is absurd!” cried Susan, more than ever wishing to help. The frail lady’s courage touched her deeply. “We were just on our way to London. But zere is no urgency; we ‘ave no business zere. A slight delay will not inconvenience us in ze least.” She could sense the widening of his lordship’s eyes.
Lady Mewhinny offered no further protest. “Then I accept,” she said. “It is most kind of you to offer. To tell the truth, I had worried about Vigor.” She lowered her voice to a near whisper. “He is not as young as he used to be, though you might not think it. You see, he was already in Sir William’s service when I married him in 1749.”
Susan’s eyes opened with incredulity and Tom put a quick hand to his mouth to stifle a cough. “Non, I should never s’ink it,” said Susan hastily. “Now where may we set you down?”
Lady Mewhinny sat a bit straighter in her seat and placed her hands on her lap with a curiously authoritative gesture. “That will be quite simple. My estates are in Sussex, near Heathfield. Do not be concerned if your man doesn’t know the way,” she added at Susan’s look of surprise. “Vigor shall ride up on the box beside him and direct him. Then I hope you will be so good as to accept my hospitality while your man comes back for my carriage.”
Susan opened her mouth in shock. Had she really heard that correctly? Was Lady Mewhinny proposing such an imposition on a peer of the realm? She started to protest, “But Lord...” and was
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