Read Online A Country Miss in Hanover Square by Anne Herries - Free Book Online
Authors: Anne Herries
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was wrong to do so.’
‘Yes. I thought her a very silly girl.’ Susannah looked at her with interest. ‘You do not condemn him for it?’
‘No, I do not. Nor, if you are sensible, should you.’
‘I do not,’ Susannah said. In fact, she had decided that it made him seem less dull than she had first thought him. ‘And now, Mama—I have seen a picture of a gown I should like to have made for the dance Amelia is to give for me, if I may…’
Susannah frowned as she saw that Lord Pendleton was already at Lady Hamilton’s musical evening when they arrived. He was talking to a very pretty young lady, but he had noticed them and smiled, nodding in their direction. Susannah inclined her head. She accepted a glass of lemonade from one of the footmen circulating and wandered over to look at some particularly fine plants that her hostess had caused to be arranged by the deep bow windows. The view was over a particularly pleasant garden, and Susannah was admiring it when she became aware of someone at her shoulder. She turned, not in the least surprised to see the gentleman standing just behind her, for he usually sought her out at some time in the evening.
‘Good evening, Lord Pendleton,’ she said. He was looking extremely handsome that evening dressed in a fine blue coat with pearl-grey breeches that fitted him superbly. ‘I did not know you were coming this evening.’
‘I was not sure of it myself,’ Harry told her. ‘It is odd that we seem to meet almost everywhere, Miss Hampton—but delightful. Your presence enlivens many a dull affair.’
‘You flatter me, sir. I am a very ordinary girl.’
‘I would not call you that,’ Harry replied. ‘Indeed, I would say that you are far from ordinary, Miss Hampton. Are you looking for ward to this entertainment? The tenor has an exceptional voice.’
‘I have heard that he is excellent,’ Susannah replied. ‘Do you enjoy music, sir? I like to play the pianoforte, though I am not an accomplished musician. I enjoy good singing, though I have little voice myself.’
‘Music is one of life’s true pleasures,’ Harry agreed. ‘Reading, poetry and good works of fiction are also very agreeable—do you not think so?’
‘Yes. Yes, I do,’ Susannah replied. They had not often spoken at such length and she warmed to him, for he was an intelligent man and seemed to think much as she did about such things. ‘I love to ride when I have a horse avail able and to walk in the country…’ A flush touched her cheeks—she had realised that she ought to be honest with him. ‘I believe I should tell you something, sir. When we met in company, it was not for the first time.’
‘Did you know me at once?’ Harry asked. ‘I did not place you until my return home later that evening. I must apologise for my be ha vi our that day, Miss Hampton. I was so shocked by the knowledge that I might have killed you that I lost my temper. It was abominably rude of me.’
‘I think I was as much at fault,’ Susannah said, a flush in her cheeks. ‘I did hear some thing before I dashed across the road, but I thought I had time and I was not truly thinking—I had my head in the clouds, as Mama would say.’
‘You are a re mark able young lady,’ Harry told her. ‘However, you must allow me to bear the fault, for it was my damnable temper. I try to control it, but some times when I am much moved it escapes me.’
Susannah laughed, her eyes alight with amusement. ‘You speak of your temper as though it is a wild beast, sir.’
‘Exactly so,’ Harry replied, amused by her perception. She was refreshingly honest and utterly charming, and he was becoming more and more addicted to her company. ‘Perhaps we should take our places? I believe they are about to begin….’
He offered her his arm and they walked to an unoccupied sofa, sitting down next to her as the musicians began to play.
‘What do you think of the latest “rage”?’ Toby asked when he met his uncle
‘Yes. I thought her a very silly girl.’ Susannah looked at her with interest. ‘You do not condemn him for it?’
‘No, I do not. Nor, if you are sensible, should you.’
‘I do not,’ Susannah said. In fact, she had decided that it made him seem less dull than she had first thought him. ‘And now, Mama—I have seen a picture of a gown I should like to have made for the dance Amelia is to give for me, if I may…’
Susannah frowned as she saw that Lord Pendleton was already at Lady Hamilton’s musical evening when they arrived. He was talking to a very pretty young lady, but he had noticed them and smiled, nodding in their direction. Susannah inclined her head. She accepted a glass of lemonade from one of the footmen circulating and wandered over to look at some particularly fine plants that her hostess had caused to be arranged by the deep bow windows. The view was over a particularly pleasant garden, and Susannah was admiring it when she became aware of someone at her shoulder. She turned, not in the least surprised to see the gentleman standing just behind her, for he usually sought her out at some time in the evening.
‘Good evening, Lord Pendleton,’ she said. He was looking extremely handsome that evening dressed in a fine blue coat with pearl-grey breeches that fitted him superbly. ‘I did not know you were coming this evening.’
‘I was not sure of it myself,’ Harry told her. ‘It is odd that we seem to meet almost everywhere, Miss Hampton—but delightful. Your presence enlivens many a dull affair.’
‘You flatter me, sir. I am a very ordinary girl.’
‘I would not call you that,’ Harry replied. ‘Indeed, I would say that you are far from ordinary, Miss Hampton. Are you looking for ward to this entertainment? The tenor has an exceptional voice.’
‘I have heard that he is excellent,’ Susannah replied. ‘Do you enjoy music, sir? I like to play the pianoforte, though I am not an accomplished musician. I enjoy good singing, though I have little voice myself.’
‘Music is one of life’s true pleasures,’ Harry agreed. ‘Reading, poetry and good works of fiction are also very agreeable—do you not think so?’
‘Yes. Yes, I do,’ Susannah replied. They had not often spoken at such length and she warmed to him, for he was an intelligent man and seemed to think much as she did about such things. ‘I love to ride when I have a horse avail able and to walk in the country…’ A flush touched her cheeks—she had realised that she ought to be honest with him. ‘I believe I should tell you something, sir. When we met in company, it was not for the first time.’
‘Did you know me at once?’ Harry asked. ‘I did not place you until my return home later that evening. I must apologise for my be ha vi our that day, Miss Hampton. I was so shocked by the knowledge that I might have killed you that I lost my temper. It was abominably rude of me.’
‘I think I was as much at fault,’ Susannah said, a flush in her cheeks. ‘I did hear some thing before I dashed across the road, but I thought I had time and I was not truly thinking—I had my head in the clouds, as Mama would say.’
‘You are a re mark able young lady,’ Harry told her. ‘However, you must allow me to bear the fault, for it was my damnable temper. I try to control it, but some times when I am much moved it escapes me.’
Susannah laughed, her eyes alight with amusement. ‘You speak of your temper as though it is a wild beast, sir.’
‘Exactly so,’ Harry replied, amused by her perception. She was refreshingly honest and utterly charming, and he was becoming more and more addicted to her company. ‘Perhaps we should take our places? I believe they are about to begin….’
He offered her his arm and they walked to an unoccupied sofa, sitting down next to her as the musicians began to play.
‘What do you think of the latest “rage”?’ Toby asked when he met his uncle
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