isn’t that so my dear?” said Mrs. Barham to her husband.
“I think it was meant in an extraordinary sense, love,” said Mr. Barham.
“Oh Harold, do not speak if you cannot follow along,” said his wife.
“Would you like to dance, Miss Bridget, when the music begins?” inquired Mr. Annesley.
“That sounds lovely, thank you, Mr. Annesley,” said Bridget. Mrs. Barham took off for another corner of the room to sulk, taking Mr. Barham with her. Anne sighed in relief. Jonah approached Victoria Barham, giving Anne and Emily a superb opportunity to leave the couples behind.
The public hall rang with laughter and the clinking of glasses. Mr. Worthing himself had funded the rebuilding of the uncared for structure, insisting on a sturdier floor and a new balcony for romantic views of the night sky. Mary and Miss Morley were not on the balcony, leading Emily to think they’d gone out the front where the servants and drivers made their own merry.
“This is how it shall be, when we are old maids. We shall slip away from couples to talk about our adventures,” said Anne.
Caught thinking about the Wingraves, Emily blurted out, “If your perfect man walked into this room and valiantly proposed, would you accept him?” as they took a turn about the room.
“That is a strange question. My perfect man... Barring the notion that he does not breathe air, but faerie dust, if he could make me happy and treat me as I wish to be treated, would I marry him? I--“
“Miss Worthing, Miss Barham,” Mr. Wingrave interrupted Anne’s answer, “Miss Worthing, would you give me the honor of dancing with you again?”
“I will, thank you,” said Emily and he led her away. Anne pursed her lips, and shook her head.
“Your sister had a dizzy spell, do you know how she fairs?” said Emily.
“I have ordered the carriage for her. Apparently it did not pass,” said Mr. Wingrave.
“Peter will be disappointed. He had planned on dancing with her.”
“Send along her apologies, if you will,” he said.
“Have you met Mr. Annesley?”
“I have. He’s an old friend of mine.”
“Oh. ’Tis a shame then that he does not stay at your house,” said Emily.
“We haven’t spoken in many years,” said Mr. Wingrave. The subject was firmly closed, even to Emily.
“I see,” she said.
“You seem in better spirits tonight than I’ve seen you before,” said Mr. Wingrave.
“My sister reminded me what taking oneself too seriously can do to one’s constitution.”
“A splendid victory for your sister, though I must warn you, if Mr. Sheridan sees how much improved you are, he’ll be quite taken in.”
“Mr. Wingrave!” cried Emily.
“Do not be shocked by the honesty you ask for or I shall no longer give it to you, Miss Worthing.” Mr. Wingrave smiled as she calmed her nerves. For his treachery, she decided to tease his own sensibilities. She put on a considerate frown as they stepped toward and away from each other with the music.
“Mr. Sheridan is a nice man,” said Emily, “With jolly manners and a house fit for a lady.”
“You... are correct.” The confusion played across his face.
“What are you imagining, Mr. Wingrave? That the value of a secure husband is lost on me?”
“More that a secure husband is of no value to you, a daughter of fortune who cares for her own needs.”
“That makes me sound rather selfish, Mr. Wingrave,” said Emily.
“Not at all. I would call it self-reliance. As with all things, a virtue can be turned into a fault, however.”
“Perhaps you are right. I should learn to depend on a nice man, someone with jolly manners.” She relished the sight of his troubled stare, usually so unaffected.
“I think you would do better to depend on a different sort of man,” he said at last.
“Oh? And what sort of man is that? My own definition caused us some difficulty, so this time I shall let you
“I think it was meant in an extraordinary sense, love,” said Mr. Barham.
“Oh Harold, do not speak if you cannot follow along,” said his wife.
“Would you like to dance, Miss Bridget, when the music begins?” inquired Mr. Annesley.
“That sounds lovely, thank you, Mr. Annesley,” said Bridget. Mrs. Barham took off for another corner of the room to sulk, taking Mr. Barham with her. Anne sighed in relief. Jonah approached Victoria Barham, giving Anne and Emily a superb opportunity to leave the couples behind.
The public hall rang with laughter and the clinking of glasses. Mr. Worthing himself had funded the rebuilding of the uncared for structure, insisting on a sturdier floor and a new balcony for romantic views of the night sky. Mary and Miss Morley were not on the balcony, leading Emily to think they’d gone out the front where the servants and drivers made their own merry.
“This is how it shall be, when we are old maids. We shall slip away from couples to talk about our adventures,” said Anne.
Caught thinking about the Wingraves, Emily blurted out, “If your perfect man walked into this room and valiantly proposed, would you accept him?” as they took a turn about the room.
“That is a strange question. My perfect man... Barring the notion that he does not breathe air, but faerie dust, if he could make me happy and treat me as I wish to be treated, would I marry him? I--“
“Miss Worthing, Miss Barham,” Mr. Wingrave interrupted Anne’s answer, “Miss Worthing, would you give me the honor of dancing with you again?”
“I will, thank you,” said Emily and he led her away. Anne pursed her lips, and shook her head.
“Your sister had a dizzy spell, do you know how she fairs?” said Emily.
“I have ordered the carriage for her. Apparently it did not pass,” said Mr. Wingrave.
“Peter will be disappointed. He had planned on dancing with her.”
“Send along her apologies, if you will,” he said.
“Have you met Mr. Annesley?”
“I have. He’s an old friend of mine.”
“Oh. ’Tis a shame then that he does not stay at your house,” said Emily.
“We haven’t spoken in many years,” said Mr. Wingrave. The subject was firmly closed, even to Emily.
“I see,” she said.
“You seem in better spirits tonight than I’ve seen you before,” said Mr. Wingrave.
“My sister reminded me what taking oneself too seriously can do to one’s constitution.”
“A splendid victory for your sister, though I must warn you, if Mr. Sheridan sees how much improved you are, he’ll be quite taken in.”
“Mr. Wingrave!” cried Emily.
“Do not be shocked by the honesty you ask for or I shall no longer give it to you, Miss Worthing.” Mr. Wingrave smiled as she calmed her nerves. For his treachery, she decided to tease his own sensibilities. She put on a considerate frown as they stepped toward and away from each other with the music.
“Mr. Sheridan is a nice man,” said Emily, “With jolly manners and a house fit for a lady.”
“You... are correct.” The confusion played across his face.
“What are you imagining, Mr. Wingrave? That the value of a secure husband is lost on me?”
“More that a secure husband is of no value to you, a daughter of fortune who cares for her own needs.”
“That makes me sound rather selfish, Mr. Wingrave,” said Emily.
“Not at all. I would call it self-reliance. As with all things, a virtue can be turned into a fault, however.”
“Perhaps you are right. I should learn to depend on a nice man, someone with jolly manners.” She relished the sight of his troubled stare, usually so unaffected.
“I think you would do better to depend on a different sort of man,” he said at last.
“Oh? And what sort of man is that? My own definition caused us some difficulty, so this time I shall let you
Similar Books
