“Gracious, no! We only met him last year and he hardly ever attends parties.”
“No, indeed. I am sure he only came last night because Aunt Angelica nagged him. She has been trying to marry him off for years, you must know.”
“Not to one of us, I trust.” Henrietta shuddered. She pointed her pencil at her twin. “You might cope with that horrid sarcastic manner of his, Silve. He frightens me into sounding like a complete ninny.”
Silvestre laughed. “You goose, Hetty. He does it on purpose to put females off setting their caps at him. That’s what Aunt Angelica says and she should know.”
“Are they very close, then?” Despising herself for asking, Felicity could not ignore a thread of curiosity. “It did not seem so to me, I must say.”
“That is the pragmatic Frenchness in him,” said Silvestre. “She has it too.”
“Frenchness?”
“They are both half French. He is called Raoul and Aunt Angelica is really Angelique. Their mothers were sisters.”
Henrietta leaned forward with an air of sudden excitement. “They were not precisely émigrés, for they both married Englishmen before the Terror began, but it was a lucky escape for them all the same.”
“Although Lady Lynchmere unfortunately died a few years after it all started.”
“Her heart broke,” said Henrietta, “when they lost members of their family. That’s what Aunt Angelica says.”
Silvestre gave her sister a pitying look. “You shouldn’t believe her nonsense, Hetty. In fact, Lady Lynchmere died giving birth to her daughter.”
“Lord Lynchmere has a sister?”
“Yes, but she is not yet out. Aunt Angelica will do the honours, I expect.”
“Does the girl then live with Mrs Summerhayes?”
“Heavens, no! She is incarcerated at Ruscoe Hall in the care of a cousin or some such thing.”
Henrietta tutted. “Really, Silve, you should not say such things. Incarcerated indeed!”
“Well, I should not care to have Lynchmere for a guardian.” Silvestre pointed a finger at Felicity. “Mark my words, if he has any idea of interfering in your plans, you will be quite overborne.”
The memory of his lordship’s remarks upon her scheme of returning to Bath by the stage rose up in Felicity’s mind. He had been a trifle autocratic, and he did have an abrupt and sarcastic way with him. On the other hand, he had been kind — when he was not looking decidedly bored. No, she could not flatter herself his interest would go further than assisting her in the present necessity as he did last night. Nevertheless, she confessed to being intrigued by this glimpse into his private life.
Mrs Summerhayes, arriving like a whirlwind, put all thought of Lord Lynchmere temporarily out of Felicity’s head.
“I have it all planned, my dear, and you can stop worrying,” she said the instant she set foot in the parlour. She waved at the twins. “Excellently done, my loves, for she looks a good deal restored. Is it one of your gowns, Hetty? Yes, it must be,” she went on, answering her own question without giving either girl a chance to respond, “and a good choice too. But we will soon be able to give it back to you, for I mean to take the girl at once toCerisetteand have a few gowns made up.”
Felicity blinked and Silvestre twinkled across at her. “What did I tell you? You may as well give in at once and be done with it.”
Henrietta jumped up, catching at Mrs Summerhayes’ arm. “But, dear ma’am, she does not mean to remain in Town, you know. And perhaps it will embarrass her to be taken toCerisette.”
Mrs Summerhayes became even brisker. “That is just why I choseCerisetteand notPandora’s. Madame Cerisette may be relied upon to be discreet, and we won’t meet anyone fashionable there. As to remaining in Town, there is no question of that. I am taking her with me to Barkham, but she must have something to wear.”
“Taking her with you to Barkham?” echoed Silvestre in astonished accents. “What in the world for? What should she do there?”
“Do? Good heavens, child, I don’t know! Whatever she wishes to do. She will play with the children, I expect.”
“Oh, do you mean for her to become their governess, then?”
Mrs Summerhayes raised her brows at the other twin. “My dear Hetty, what are you talking about? Sally is far too young to need a governess, and Hugh insists the boys must go to school when they are a little older.”
“Well, but —”
“Hetty is thinking of Felicity’s plan to return to her academy, Aunt, and I must say I should suppose she will be anxious for employment of some kind.”
