stepped
forward and embraced her.
‘I think of you
as a sister already so it is only right that we share.’
As she sponged
away the dust and sweat of the long run through the woods in her second wash of
the day Marianne went over the events again. Something was amiss; if she
thought hard she was sure she would discover what this was.
Jane had tutted sadly
about the torn gown but promised to wash, press and repair it by the following
morning. She hadn’t asked how the damage had occurred and Marianne had not
volunteered the information. Time
enough when she had it straight in her own mind.
She ran through
the sequence of events for a third time. She gasped and dropped her barefoot
into the basin sending a cascade of dirty water flooding onto the floor.
Charles hadn’t been scared of what the men would do but what they might say. He
had made them race off not because they were in any danger but because he and
Edward were desperate to avoid being recognized or greeted by name.
She felt sick.
Her suspicions were correct. Charles and Edward, who already had a place in her
affections, were involved with free-traders. She had been placed in the
invidious position of having to decide if she would denounce them or turn a
blind eye to their activities. That there was to be a third option did not then
occur to her.
Chapter
Six
Three horses all
eager to depart were being held steady at the front of Frating Hall. Marianne,
out in good time for her morning ride, arrived at the door and her eyes
narrowed.
‘John, do not
tell me, Miss Grierson and Lady Arabella are accompanying us!’
John grinned ‘ Fraid so, miss; orders came down last night to have three
horses saddled.’
‘I thought I had
made the position clear to Lady Arabella. I told her I had no wish to ride with
her. I cannot imagine what Sir Theodore’s reaction will be.’
‘You will soon
find out, miss, for I can see him coming up the drive.’
Marianne glanced
behind her. There was no sign of Emily. As the two girls had not been invited
she saw no reason to wait. They would depart as soon as her guardian arrived.
She was congratulating herself on a lucky escape too soon because at that
moment Emily appeared at the head of the steps her face wan.
Forgetting her
annoyance, Marianne exclaimed, ‘Emily, you don’t look at all the thing. Are you
unwell?’
‘No, I’m not sick.
Oh, Marianne, I am so sorry but Arabella insisted. I know you didn’t wish us to
come with you this morning.’
Marianne’s anger
evaporated and she smiled warmly. ‘I’m delighted to see you. I was a cross
-patch yesterday - pray forget I ever mentioned not wishing to have your
company.’
At the sound of
hooves behind them they turned. Tom and Sam appeared leading two handsome bay
hacks. Puzzled Marianne looked at John.
‘Good heavens!
Who else is joining our outing? Are we to expect the entire Grierson family to
arrive at any moment?’
‘No, miss. I am
accompanying you. The other horse is for Sam who has to lead Lady Arabella’s
mount.’
‘Leading it? Am
I to believe that as Lady Arabella is not here in person she has arranged for a
phantom to ride alongside us?’
She heard Emily
giggling at the absurdity of her comment. ‘We’re to rendezvous with Arabella on
the far side of the green. She’s travelling in her carriage from Great
Bromley.’
‘Let me
understand this correctly, Emily. Lady Arabella wishes to ride with us but we
have to meet her at Great Bentley?’ Emily nodded her smile fading. ‘She is
being driven to this point?’ Emily nodded a second time. ‘Does Lord Hawksmith
not keep horses at his establishment?’
This was a
question Emily could answer. ‘Of course he does, silly. But Arabella isn’t
allowed to ride outside the grounds of Bromley Park.’
Marianne turned
away not wishing her horrified expression to be seen. John’s face was equally
concerned. Before they had time to discuss the implication of
forward and embraced her.
‘I think of you
as a sister already so it is only right that we share.’
As she sponged
away the dust and sweat of the long run through the woods in her second wash of
the day Marianne went over the events again. Something was amiss; if she
thought hard she was sure she would discover what this was.
Jane had tutted sadly
about the torn gown but promised to wash, press and repair it by the following
morning. She hadn’t asked how the damage had occurred and Marianne had not
volunteered the information. Time
enough when she had it straight in her own mind.
She ran through
the sequence of events for a third time. She gasped and dropped her barefoot
into the basin sending a cascade of dirty water flooding onto the floor.
Charles hadn’t been scared of what the men would do but what they might say. He
had made them race off not because they were in any danger but because he and
Edward were desperate to avoid being recognized or greeted by name.
She felt sick.
Her suspicions were correct. Charles and Edward, who already had a place in her
affections, were involved with free-traders. She had been placed in the
invidious position of having to decide if she would denounce them or turn a
blind eye to their activities. That there was to be a third option did not then
occur to her.
Chapter
Six
Three horses all
eager to depart were being held steady at the front of Frating Hall. Marianne,
out in good time for her morning ride, arrived at the door and her eyes
narrowed.
‘John, do not
tell me, Miss Grierson and Lady Arabella are accompanying us!’
John grinned ‘ Fraid so, miss; orders came down last night to have three
horses saddled.’
‘I thought I had
made the position clear to Lady Arabella. I told her I had no wish to ride with
her. I cannot imagine what Sir Theodore’s reaction will be.’
‘You will soon
find out, miss, for I can see him coming up the drive.’
Marianne glanced
behind her. There was no sign of Emily. As the two girls had not been invited
she saw no reason to wait. They would depart as soon as her guardian arrived.
She was congratulating herself on a lucky escape too soon because at that
moment Emily appeared at the head of the steps her face wan.
Forgetting her
annoyance, Marianne exclaimed, ‘Emily, you don’t look at all the thing. Are you
unwell?’
‘No, I’m not sick.
Oh, Marianne, I am so sorry but Arabella insisted. I know you didn’t wish us to
come with you this morning.’
Marianne’s anger
evaporated and she smiled warmly. ‘I’m delighted to see you. I was a cross
-patch yesterday - pray forget I ever mentioned not wishing to have your
company.’
At the sound of
hooves behind them they turned. Tom and Sam appeared leading two handsome bay
hacks. Puzzled Marianne looked at John.
‘Good heavens!
Who else is joining our outing? Are we to expect the entire Grierson family to
arrive at any moment?’
‘No, miss. I am
accompanying you. The other horse is for Sam who has to lead Lady Arabella’s
mount.’
‘Leading it? Am
I to believe that as Lady Arabella is not here in person she has arranged for a
phantom to ride alongside us?’
She heard Emily
giggling at the absurdity of her comment. ‘We’re to rendezvous with Arabella on
the far side of the green. She’s travelling in her carriage from Great
Bromley.’
‘Let me
understand this correctly, Emily. Lady Arabella wishes to ride with us but we
have to meet her at Great Bentley?’ Emily nodded her smile fading. ‘She is
being driven to this point?’ Emily nodded a second time. ‘Does Lord Hawksmith
not keep horses at his establishment?’
This was a
question Emily could answer. ‘Of course he does, silly. But Arabella isn’t
allowed to ride outside the grounds of Bromley Park.’
Marianne turned
away not wishing her horrified expression to be seen. John’s face was equally
concerned. Before they had time to discuss the implication of
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