the
pot she had already put up in anticipation.
“Oh, Maudly.” Lady Jane smiled at her genuine
warmth. “How very kind of you, and allow me to say how well and fit
you look. You may take the tray up to the Yellow room, where I
shall stay as always … so very kind.”
“Yes, mum.” Maudly made her a slight curtsy. “And
Miss can have the room next to Lady Babs …”
“Lovely,” said Aunt Jane.
Maudly had one more thing to say: “As it happens yer
rooms are ready … though I was not expecting you till
tomorrow.” So saying she went towards the stairs, her body
movements displaying her disapproval.
Babs witnessed this and had to stifle a giggle.
Lady Jane however did laugh and turned to her
brother. “Well, here we are.”
“The devil,” his lordship said under his breath.
Lady Jane was already hugging Babs in her arms and
then setting her apart to declare, “Heavens, Barbara … you are
quite a beauty!” She then waved this away and said, “Meet your
cousin, my late husband’s niece, Corrine Bretton.” Having made this
introduction, she moved off to link her long, lanky arm through her
brother’s.
Their conversation was lost on Babs, for she could
see that her aunt’s niece was blushing a bright shade of red. Babs
gave her a bright, welcoming smile and took her hand to lead her
upstairs, saying, “Come on … a cup of tea and a biscuit will
do you good—and me as well …”
“I am so sorry for arriving at such an hour …
but Aunt Jane insisted …” Corrine said softly as they went up
the stairs.
“Yes, poor Maudly. I am certain she had already gone
to bed, as we never expect her to wait up on us.” Babs smiled. “But
no one can control Aunt Jane. It is why my father and she rarely
visit one another.” She gave the newcomer an open appraisal. “Now
tell me, how is it we have never met before?”
“Long story,” Corrine answered and sighed.
Babs opened the door to Corrine’s room and said, “I
do hope you will be comfortable here. It is a lovely room of mauve
and greens, is it not?”
Babs stood back and watched her cousin with a soft
smile as Corrine moved about and said with pleasure, “Lovely.”
Babs put up a finger. “Wait a moment … I’ll go
to Aunt’s room and fetch us some little biscuits and tea … Go
on, sit and be comfortable.”
A moment later they were seated and sipping tea
while Babs set Corrine at ease by recanting an anecdote about her
aunt in previous years.
This immediately set the girls giggling
together.
Babs set down her empty cup and then went about the
room, showing her cousin where to store her things and babbling on,
hoping to set her at ease, for she could sense a certain reserve
about Corrine Bretton.
“Now,” said Babs, plopping in all her finery upon
the large bed and patting a place beside her. “Take off your
spencer and bonnet and be comfortable, and we shall have a very
short and more intimate chat before I let you sleep.”
“Oh, that would be nice, for now I am quite awake
and not ready to sleep at all,” said Corrine, finally taking off
her bonnet. She placed it, along with the spencer she shrugged off,
on a nearby chair.
She sat on the bed, and found Babs’ dark eyes on her
and asked with a smile, “What?”
“You look as though you think I am going to eat you
alive.” Babs giggled. “I am not such a terror.”
“It is not that at all … it is, well, I have
been closeted in a closed coach with Aunt Jane all day …”
“Oh my word! No need to go on—I quite understand,”
Babs said with a laugh. “So why precisely is she here? To curb my
wayward ways?”
Corrine smiled. “I think so, yes … are they
wayward?”
“Oh most definitely. But, I want to know about
you …”
Thus, Corrine found herself spilling not only all
her history but her points of views, her hopes, and her fears. The
next hour ended with them hugging one another fiercely.
Corrine sighed and plopped onto her back on the bed.
“And
pot she had already put up in anticipation.
“Oh, Maudly.” Lady Jane smiled at her genuine
warmth. “How very kind of you, and allow me to say how well and fit
you look. You may take the tray up to the Yellow room, where I
shall stay as always … so very kind.”
“Yes, mum.” Maudly made her a slight curtsy. “And
Miss can have the room next to Lady Babs …”
“Lovely,” said Aunt Jane.
Maudly had one more thing to say: “As it happens yer
rooms are ready … though I was not expecting you till
tomorrow.” So saying she went towards the stairs, her body
movements displaying her disapproval.
Babs witnessed this and had to stifle a giggle.
Lady Jane however did laugh and turned to her
brother. “Well, here we are.”
“The devil,” his lordship said under his breath.
Lady Jane was already hugging Babs in her arms and
then setting her apart to declare, “Heavens, Barbara … you are
quite a beauty!” She then waved this away and said, “Meet your
cousin, my late husband’s niece, Corrine Bretton.” Having made this
introduction, she moved off to link her long, lanky arm through her
brother’s.
Their conversation was lost on Babs, for she could
see that her aunt’s niece was blushing a bright shade of red. Babs
gave her a bright, welcoming smile and took her hand to lead her
upstairs, saying, “Come on … a cup of tea and a biscuit will
do you good—and me as well …”
“I am so sorry for arriving at such an hour …
but Aunt Jane insisted …” Corrine said softly as they went up
the stairs.
“Yes, poor Maudly. I am certain she had already gone
to bed, as we never expect her to wait up on us.” Babs smiled. “But
no one can control Aunt Jane. It is why my father and she rarely
visit one another.” She gave the newcomer an open appraisal. “Now
tell me, how is it we have never met before?”
“Long story,” Corrine answered and sighed.
Babs opened the door to Corrine’s room and said, “I
do hope you will be comfortable here. It is a lovely room of mauve
and greens, is it not?”
Babs stood back and watched her cousin with a soft
smile as Corrine moved about and said with pleasure, “Lovely.”
Babs put up a finger. “Wait a moment … I’ll go
to Aunt’s room and fetch us some little biscuits and tea … Go
on, sit and be comfortable.”
A moment later they were seated and sipping tea
while Babs set Corrine at ease by recanting an anecdote about her
aunt in previous years.
This immediately set the girls giggling
together.
Babs set down her empty cup and then went about the
room, showing her cousin where to store her things and babbling on,
hoping to set her at ease, for she could sense a certain reserve
about Corrine Bretton.
“Now,” said Babs, plopping in all her finery upon
the large bed and patting a place beside her. “Take off your
spencer and bonnet and be comfortable, and we shall have a very
short and more intimate chat before I let you sleep.”
“Oh, that would be nice, for now I am quite awake
and not ready to sleep at all,” said Corrine, finally taking off
her bonnet. She placed it, along with the spencer she shrugged off,
on a nearby chair.
She sat on the bed, and found Babs’ dark eyes on her
and asked with a smile, “What?”
“You look as though you think I am going to eat you
alive.” Babs giggled. “I am not such a terror.”
“It is not that at all … it is, well, I have
been closeted in a closed coach with Aunt Jane all day …”
“Oh my word! No need to go on—I quite understand,”
Babs said with a laugh. “So why precisely is she here? To curb my
wayward ways?”
Corrine smiled. “I think so, yes … are they
wayward?”
“Oh most definitely. But, I want to know about
you …”
Thus, Corrine found herself spilling not only all
her history but her points of views, her hopes, and her fears. The
next hour ended with them hugging one another fiercely.
Corrine sighed and plopped onto her back on the bed.
“And
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