Archer merely as a decoration and no threat at all.
In despair, Lady Godolphin had sent a note to Mr Archer’s lodgings, telling him that unfortunately his presence would mean she would be seating thirteen and she did so hope he would not consider it inconvenient to consider his invitation null and void.
Mr Archer had sent a note by return saying, yes, he did find it inconvenient and looked forward to herdinner party prodigiously, which made Lady Godolphin so incensed she damned him as having a hide as thick as a runningsoris.
But at least Lady Godolphin had the pleasure of letting Mr Armitage know that the prey in the form of Mr Garfield was shortly to enter the net.
The vicar’s spirits soared again but caution prevented him from telling Daphne that Mr Garfield was to be one of the guests.
Daphne knew that Archer was to be at Lady Godolphin’s and so Daphne would no doubt be looking her most beautiful.
Daphne did look exquisite as the Armitage party set out for Lady Godolphin’s. Only Daphne, Mr and Mrs Armitage were to attend. Diana and Frederica, to their great relief, were to be left behind. Daphne was wearing a white muslin gown with a thin gold stripe, each stripe having been delicately embroidered onto the fine fabric. The dress had a very high waist and a very low bodice. The bodice was unlined and the thin material exposed more of Daphne’s charms to the public gaze than the vicar thought seemly.
The trouble was he only noticed the scantiness of her gown when they arrived at Lady Godolphin’s. He also noticed that the gown opened all the way down the back to reveal a pink scanty petticoat which managed to create the fleeting illusion that Daphne was wearing nothing underneath.
The vicar’s conscience told him he should ask Lady Godolphin to lend Daphne a shawl. But theother Mr Armitage fought stoutly with the niggling voice of conscience – and won. Girls were fit for nothing better in life than to get married and rear children, and if you were going to bait the man-trap, then it argued that the bait should be as attractive as possible.
Daphne had chosen the dress some time ago from a fashion plate in La Belle Assemblée . She was not in the slightest aware that it was daring; only that it felt cool and comfortable and that the gold and white nicely set off the blackness of her hair and the whiteness of her skin.
She was completely unaware of the sexual attractions of her body; she was only conscious of the beauty of her face.
In Mr Archer’s inclusion in the dinner party, Daphne saw great hope. Her father’s moods were as variable as the winds of Heaven, and given that the wind was blowing in the right direction at the right time, then it was quite possible that she would be able to marry Mr Archer and live placidly ever after.
It was not until the company was gathered in Lady Godolphin’s Green Saloon that Mrs Armitage let the cat out of the bag. She tweaked Daphne’s dress at the back to straighten the fall of the delicate muslin and murmured, ‘I am glad you are in looks, my pet. Mr Garfield is a very great catch.’
‘Oh, mama, Mr Garfield is not here,’ pointed out Daphne, smiling in an unruffled way in the direction of Mr Archer.
‘But he is expected!’ said Mrs Armitage.
A tide of colour rushed into Daphne’s face. She remembered Mr Garfield’s hard mouth, hard body, and strange yellow eyes. All at once she felt her security threatened and instinctively moved to Mr Archer’s side.
‘Your dress is beautiful, Miss Daphne,’ said that gentleman. ‘I must copy that idea for a waistcoat – gold stripes on white muslin.’
‘Do but listen!’ hissed Daphne. ‘Mr Simon Garfield is shortly to arrive and Papa wishes me to marry him.’
‘But you cannot,’ said Mr Archer simply, ‘for we are to be married – to each other.’
Daphne felt let down. If this was a proposal of marriage, it was not the sort of proposal of which she had dreamt.
‘ Are we to be married?’
In despair, Lady Godolphin had sent a note to Mr Archer’s lodgings, telling him that unfortunately his presence would mean she would be seating thirteen and she did so hope he would not consider it inconvenient to consider his invitation null and void.
Mr Archer had sent a note by return saying, yes, he did find it inconvenient and looked forward to herdinner party prodigiously, which made Lady Godolphin so incensed she damned him as having a hide as thick as a runningsoris.
But at least Lady Godolphin had the pleasure of letting Mr Armitage know that the prey in the form of Mr Garfield was shortly to enter the net.
The vicar’s spirits soared again but caution prevented him from telling Daphne that Mr Garfield was to be one of the guests.
Daphne knew that Archer was to be at Lady Godolphin’s and so Daphne would no doubt be looking her most beautiful.
Daphne did look exquisite as the Armitage party set out for Lady Godolphin’s. Only Daphne, Mr and Mrs Armitage were to attend. Diana and Frederica, to their great relief, were to be left behind. Daphne was wearing a white muslin gown with a thin gold stripe, each stripe having been delicately embroidered onto the fine fabric. The dress had a very high waist and a very low bodice. The bodice was unlined and the thin material exposed more of Daphne’s charms to the public gaze than the vicar thought seemly.
The trouble was he only noticed the scantiness of her gown when they arrived at Lady Godolphin’s. He also noticed that the gown opened all the way down the back to reveal a pink scanty petticoat which managed to create the fleeting illusion that Daphne was wearing nothing underneath.
The vicar’s conscience told him he should ask Lady Godolphin to lend Daphne a shawl. But theother Mr Armitage fought stoutly with the niggling voice of conscience – and won. Girls were fit for nothing better in life than to get married and rear children, and if you were going to bait the man-trap, then it argued that the bait should be as attractive as possible.
Daphne had chosen the dress some time ago from a fashion plate in La Belle Assemblée . She was not in the slightest aware that it was daring; only that it felt cool and comfortable and that the gold and white nicely set off the blackness of her hair and the whiteness of her skin.
She was completely unaware of the sexual attractions of her body; she was only conscious of the beauty of her face.
In Mr Archer’s inclusion in the dinner party, Daphne saw great hope. Her father’s moods were as variable as the winds of Heaven, and given that the wind was blowing in the right direction at the right time, then it was quite possible that she would be able to marry Mr Archer and live placidly ever after.
It was not until the company was gathered in Lady Godolphin’s Green Saloon that Mrs Armitage let the cat out of the bag. She tweaked Daphne’s dress at the back to straighten the fall of the delicate muslin and murmured, ‘I am glad you are in looks, my pet. Mr Garfield is a very great catch.’
‘Oh, mama, Mr Garfield is not here,’ pointed out Daphne, smiling in an unruffled way in the direction of Mr Archer.
‘But he is expected!’ said Mrs Armitage.
A tide of colour rushed into Daphne’s face. She remembered Mr Garfield’s hard mouth, hard body, and strange yellow eyes. All at once she felt her security threatened and instinctively moved to Mr Archer’s side.
‘Your dress is beautiful, Miss Daphne,’ said that gentleman. ‘I must copy that idea for a waistcoat – gold stripes on white muslin.’
‘Do but listen!’ hissed Daphne. ‘Mr Simon Garfield is shortly to arrive and Papa wishes me to marry him.’
‘But you cannot,’ said Mr Archer simply, ‘for we are to be married – to each other.’
Daphne felt let down. If this was a proposal of marriage, it was not the sort of proposal of which she had dreamt.
‘ Are we to be married?’
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