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.Remember, too, that I had just received a blow to the head! I’d not have deceived Hester—Miss Godric—had I known her then as I do now, and now I do not know how to undo my deceit.Shall you tell her, sir?”Mr.Stevens pondered.“Nay, lad,” he answered at last.“‘Twould serve no purpose as I can see, and ye’ll not be here forever.But my girl trusts you, and I’ll not have her hurt.Ye’ll make mighty sure she’ll not find out.”“I will, Mr.Stevens.I am truly sorry for all the trouble I am causing.”“I believe ye, I believe ye, though I’m danged if I know why! Good day to ye, m’lord.Take care o’ that leg, lad.” He went off shaking his head over the foibles of the aristocracy, or possibly those of the younger generation.Lord Alton, unmasked, lay back against his pillows with his eyes closed and breathed deeply.Who would have thought the old fellow would be so perspicacious? He’d be danged himself if he knew how he had given himself away.He found himself as reluctant as ever to have Hester know of his deception.Her grandfather was right; the discovery might hurt her, and that was not to be thought of.It crossed his mind that if Alice went to town for the season, she would inevitably be enlightened and would certainly pass on the news.However, he managed to persuade himself that after a few months back in his usual milieu he would be quite uninterested in the Godrics’ feelings, and anyway, she might not go.Robbie peeped round the door and saw Mr.Fairfax’s eyes open at last.Purple with suppressed excitement, he burst in.“Sir! Sir!” he shouted, “there’s a letter come from Aunt Bardry, and we’re all to go to London!”Chapter 7Dear Niece,For the sake of my poor dear Sister, I shall be happy to receive you in Holles Street in the Spring.Your Cousin Sophie will also Come Out next Season so I shall be subject to Great Expence.I understand that a Connexion of your Papa’s is able to defray the Cost of your Season, so that we may hope to rig you out in tolerable Style and contrive an Eligible Match.Henrietta Bardry.“You’ll not go, Alice!” The usually restrained Jamie was scarlet with fury.“The dreadful woman to speak so of Hester! I don’t care if she is Mama’s sister; this is outside of enough!”“Oh, Jamie, I do not wish to go!” Alice’s eyes filled with tears.“She sounds so cold, not welcoming at all.I could not bear to be alone in London in such a household, with all of you so far away.”“Of course you shall go,” declared Hester firmly.“It was your mama’s dearest wish that you should be introduced to polite society.I am sure Lady Bardry is not unkind.I expect she was embarrassed at having to write such a letter.”“And so she should be! To write to Allie instead of to you and then to address it to ‘Miss Godric’ as though you did not exist!” Jamie, once roused, was not easily mollified.“I call it the height of discourtesy, and if that is an example of polite society, I am sure I cannot guess where it came by the name.”“Pray do not make me go,” wept Alice.Jamie looked at her in disgust and stalked out to find Geoff and tell him the news.“My dear, I know you will enjoy it if you will only compose yourself.And I hope we will not be so very far from you.I have not mentioned it before, for it seemed like castles in Spain, but I have been asked to rent out this house for the spring and summer at the most exorbitant rate.Of course, it is Jamie’s house and his decision, but if he should like it, we will all remove to London to be near you, and then go together to the seaside in July.”Robbie and Susan, who had been interested spectators of the entire scene, jumped up and down and clapped their hands.“Can we go to Portsmouth, Hester, can we?” cried Robbie.“And see the navy and all the ships and go sailing on the real sea? Oh, please say we may!”“I need a new dress for London,” pointed out Susan, pastry-cook and saint both in abeyance.“Can we go to Vauxhall Gardens and see the fireworks?”“Hush, children, hush.Nothing is settled yet, so off you go and let me talk to Alice.”While Robbie went to inform Mr.Fairfax of the great treat in store, Susan first told Ivy, before running down the garden to Grandpa Stevens’s cottage.Soon the whole household was discussing Lady Bardry’s letter.James, still in a rage, had given Geoffrey the details of the letter and finding his sentiments on the subject entered into exactly, he was able to calm down.“Of course Hester is right,” he admitted.”Alice must go.She is such a wet-goose—dripping all over, in fact—but it is the only chance she will have to find a creditable husband.Geoff, should you like to go to London for a few months?”“Me? You mean all of us? That would be above anything great, to see all the sights—the menagerie at the Tower and the theatres and.oh, everything.”“I should like to go to the theatres,” agreed Jamie, “and to the British Museum to see Lord Elgin’s marbles.Only I cannot like the idea of renting out the house to strangers.However, it falls mighty apropos, and I know Hester would prefer to be near Allie.You wouldn’t believe what they have offered.We should be able easily to afford a small house and a servant in London, and have some over to help with Allie’s expenses.”“That rankles, doesn’t it? Having Hester pay for her season? You know she wants to do it, Jamie, and I daresay you could not stop her if you tried.”“I know, I know.But it was damnable of Papa to leave me in such a situation.You do not know the half of it.”“That we are living on Hester’s fortune?”“And that her grandfather frequently helps out.She always told me that this house was bought with the proceeds of the sale of the manor, but I know how encumbered it was, and I am certain that Grandpapa had a hand in the purchase.How much I cannot guess,” said Jamie bitterly.“I do not want so much for myself—just my books and a roof over my head—but that I should be unable to provide for my brothers and sisters!”“You could refuse to let Alice go to London.She does not wish to go.”“How can I go against Hester’s wishes? Besides, it was what Mama wanted, and it is my duty to see that Alice finds an eligible husband.There are none around here, you must agree.Oh, Geoff, I do not know what to do for the best!”“Should you object to consulting Mr.Fairfax?” suggested Geoffrey cautiously.“Don’t chew my head off now.He’s not a member of the family, but that will make it easier for him to judge impartially, and he does know us all pretty well.You must admit he’s up to every rig and row, and you need not take his advice, after all.”“I could never tell him I’m hanging on Hester’s purse-strings!”Geoffrey cleared his throat.“I—er—I rather think he already knows.You may call me any name you choose and I will deserve it, but I let it drop, oh, an age ago,” he confessed [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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