happened!’ snapped Susannah. ‘I cannot be left to
do everything while you go out buying new dresses. Harriet is ungovernable.’
Mr Savage stepped forward. ‘Ladies! Come now, nothing too grave has happened. Your new dress is very handsome, madam, and
may I say that only a lady of taste and discernment could have picked the blue ribbons that adorn it to so
perfectly
match the clear blue of your eyes. My cousin will bandage the wound on Miss Leyton’s head and so no real harm has been done.
And we must all be thankful that little Harriet was saved from a terrible and untimely death.’ He pressed a hand to his chest
and raised his eyes heaven-wards. ‘I thank God that I chanced to be here to save her.’
Arabella blanched. ‘Was she really in such danger?’
‘If I had not been there …’ Henry Savage shook his head sorrowfully.
‘Then I am greatly in your debt, sir.’
He smiled. ‘This is true but all I ask in return is that I may be introduced to your husband.’
‘He is not at home just now. Perhaps you would come back later? Or …’ Arabella tapped her cheek while she thought. ‘I have
a better idea. Since I have such cause to be grateful to you, will you and your cousin do us the honour of dining with us
tonight?’ She smiled prettily. ‘I shall have a chance to show off my new dress and perhaps by then I may have restored some
order to the household.’
Susannah’s eyes met those of Dr Ambrose and her boiling indignation was instantly extinguished by his incredulous expression.
She clasped a hand over her mouth and saw the doctor turn away to stifle his own amusement.
Mr Savage bowed again. ‘I am sure I speak for my cousin when I say we will be delighted to dine with two such beautiful ladies.
And your husband, of course.’
The rays of the evening sun slanted through the parlour window making a golden halo of Arabella’s fair hair and touching her
buttercup silk dress with shimmering radiance. She looked divine, thought Susannah, in spite of the vulgar over-embellishment
of the blue ribbon rosettes.
Perfectly aware of the effect she was having on not only her husband but also her male guests, Arabella flirted shamelessly
with them all.
Susannah had put on her green silk with her mama’s pearl pendant and carefully arranged her auburn curls as well as she could
over the bandage Dr Ambrose had wound about her forehead. She knew she was not in her best looks and her head throbbed like
a blacksmith’s anvil even though she had rubbed oil of lavender onto her temples. She feared she would have a black eye by
the following day.
Mr Savage had an engaging manner and, although it was obvious he had no compunction about using his charm to persuade Cornelius
to place an order for sugar and rum, it was gracefully done.
‘I am determined to make a success of my new life here in London,’ he said.
‘If you can so easily bamboozle me into doing business with you, there should be no difficulty about that,’ said Cornelius,
pouring him another glass of wine.
‘Unfortunately the plague has caused many merchants to flee to the country and it is not as easy as I hoped to sell even such
good quality merchandise as I offer. But I assure you that you will be delighted with the sugar and rum you have ordered,
once the
Mary Jane
has docked.’
‘And
you
may be assured I will come looking for you if I am not,’ said Cornelius.
‘Mr Leyton did not amass his fortune by allowing tricksters to cheat him,’ said Arabella. ‘He is most particularly careful
with his money. As I should know.’ She smiled at her husband to sweeten the words.
Susannah resisted the impulse to say that Arabella had caused her father to loosen his purse strings more in the past few
months than at any time in the previous eleven years and concentrated instead on the way Henry Savage’s golden-brown hair
curled so attractively against his shoulders.
‘Henry won’t be hard to
do everything while you go out buying new dresses. Harriet is ungovernable.’
Mr Savage stepped forward. ‘Ladies! Come now, nothing too grave has happened. Your new dress is very handsome, madam, and
may I say that only a lady of taste and discernment could have picked the blue ribbons that adorn it to so
perfectly
match the clear blue of your eyes. My cousin will bandage the wound on Miss Leyton’s head and so no real harm has been done.
And we must all be thankful that little Harriet was saved from a terrible and untimely death.’ He pressed a hand to his chest
and raised his eyes heaven-wards. ‘I thank God that I chanced to be here to save her.’
Arabella blanched. ‘Was she really in such danger?’
‘If I had not been there …’ Henry Savage shook his head sorrowfully.
‘Then I am greatly in your debt, sir.’
He smiled. ‘This is true but all I ask in return is that I may be introduced to your husband.’
‘He is not at home just now. Perhaps you would come back later? Or …’ Arabella tapped her cheek while she thought. ‘I have
a better idea. Since I have such cause to be grateful to you, will you and your cousin do us the honour of dining with us
tonight?’ She smiled prettily. ‘I shall have a chance to show off my new dress and perhaps by then I may have restored some
order to the household.’
Susannah’s eyes met those of Dr Ambrose and her boiling indignation was instantly extinguished by his incredulous expression.
She clasped a hand over her mouth and saw the doctor turn away to stifle his own amusement.
Mr Savage bowed again. ‘I am sure I speak for my cousin when I say we will be delighted to dine with two such beautiful ladies.
And your husband, of course.’
The rays of the evening sun slanted through the parlour window making a golden halo of Arabella’s fair hair and touching her
buttercup silk dress with shimmering radiance. She looked divine, thought Susannah, in spite of the vulgar over-embellishment
of the blue ribbon rosettes.
Perfectly aware of the effect she was having on not only her husband but also her male guests, Arabella flirted shamelessly
with them all.
Susannah had put on her green silk with her mama’s pearl pendant and carefully arranged her auburn curls as well as she could
over the bandage Dr Ambrose had wound about her forehead. She knew she was not in her best looks and her head throbbed like
a blacksmith’s anvil even though she had rubbed oil of lavender onto her temples. She feared she would have a black eye by
the following day.
Mr Savage had an engaging manner and, although it was obvious he had no compunction about using his charm to persuade Cornelius
to place an order for sugar and rum, it was gracefully done.
‘I am determined to make a success of my new life here in London,’ he said.
‘If you can so easily bamboozle me into doing business with you, there should be no difficulty about that,’ said Cornelius,
pouring him another glass of wine.
‘Unfortunately the plague has caused many merchants to flee to the country and it is not as easy as I hoped to sell even such
good quality merchandise as I offer. But I assure you that you will be delighted with the sugar and rum you have ordered,
once the
Mary Jane
has docked.’
‘And
you
may be assured I will come looking for you if I am not,’ said Cornelius.
‘Mr Leyton did not amass his fortune by allowing tricksters to cheat him,’ said Arabella. ‘He is most particularly careful
with his money. As I should know.’ She smiled at her husband to sweeten the words.
Susannah resisted the impulse to say that Arabella had caused her father to loosen his purse strings more in the past few
months than at any time in the previous eleven years and concentrated instead on the way Henry Savage’s golden-brown hair
curled so attractively against his shoulders.
‘Henry won’t be hard to
Similar Books
