Read Online Elizabeth Mansfield by Matched Pairs - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Matched Pairs
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indeed, if you’re willing to ride early. And on the condition that you skip the your-lordships and call me Peter.”
They made arrangements for the time and place, and Tris rose to leave. Canfield walked him to the door. “I was almost forgetting why I came,” Tris said before departing. “My mother is giving a small dinner party on Saturday. Very informal, with no more than a dozen guests... her friend Lady Branscombe and her daughter Juliet, Sir William Kenting and his lady, and a few others from town. We thought it might be a good way for you to meet some of your neighbors in a rather more intimate setting than at one of those deuced assemblies.” He looked at his host with an expression that combined hope and doubt. “After what you’ve told me, I suppose a small country dinner party like that—completely informal, as I said—will seem to you as dull as ditchwater, but if you think you could bear it for one evening, we’d very much like you to come.”
“Of course I’ll come,” Canfield said, his bright smile reappearing. “I’m sure it won’t be dull at all. And you have my promise that, even though it’s informal, I will wash this dirt away before making my appearance.”
10
Lady Phyllis did not have any difficulty in persuading her son to escort her to the Branscombes for dinner that evening. To her astonishment, he seemed almost eager to join her. Was it possible, she wondered, that the situation between her son and Julie was about to change? Did the dream that she and Madge had shared so fruitlessly for so long suddenly have a hope of coming true?
However, she tried not to let herself climb too high into alt. The shreds of evidence that a tendre was developing between her son and Julie were too thin to count on. There were only two: Tris’s unexpected return from London, and his willingness to endure an evening meal at the Branscombes’. Hardly enough reason to rejoice. Nevertheless, she could barely restrain her smiles as they set out in their carriage for Larchwood.
Tris could see that his mother was in high spirits. He decided, therefore, that this was a good time to inform her that he’d invited Lord Canfield to a dinner party for the coming Saturday night. When she heard his request, she stared at him blankly. “A dinner party? In less than a week?”
He shrugged. “I hope you won’t find it too difficult to arrange the affair at such short notice.”
“But you’ve never done such a thing before ... invited someone for a party that hasn’t even been arranged!”
“Don’t look so flabbergasted,” Tris laughed, patting her hand soothingly. “You arrange dinner parties so well that I knew you’d not be overwhelmed by this last-minute request.”
Lady Phyllis was indeed flabbergasted, for Tris had never before invited anyone to the house without giving her appropriate warning. But since she did not wish to spoil the good spirits of the evening by giving him a scold, she muttered an assent. Besides, arranging a dinner party in four days was not an overwhelming task for her. She had a large staff, after all, and would not have to do more than give them orders. “I’ll send out invitations tomorrow,” she said, merely throwing her son a look of mild annoyance.
The dinner at Larchwood was a pleasant affair, with Julie and Tris apparently on very good terms. Phyllis and Madge couldn’t help exchanging gleeful smiles when, after dinner, Tris asked that he and Julie be excused to play a game of billiards. “Go right ahead,” Lady Branscombe said, barely able to conceal her delight. “Don’t worry about us. Phyllis and I always have plenty to talk about.”
Once in the billiard room, Tris reported to Julie the details of his meeting with Canfield that afternoon. “I liked him,” he concluded, “though I don’t think snaring him will be easy.”
“I told you that,” Julie said sourly.
“Yes, but it’s too soon to despair. I’ve arranged two
They made arrangements for the time and place, and Tris rose to leave. Canfield walked him to the door. “I was almost forgetting why I came,” Tris said before departing. “My mother is giving a small dinner party on Saturday. Very informal, with no more than a dozen guests... her friend Lady Branscombe and her daughter Juliet, Sir William Kenting and his lady, and a few others from town. We thought it might be a good way for you to meet some of your neighbors in a rather more intimate setting than at one of those deuced assemblies.” He looked at his host with an expression that combined hope and doubt. “After what you’ve told me, I suppose a small country dinner party like that—completely informal, as I said—will seem to you as dull as ditchwater, but if you think you could bear it for one evening, we’d very much like you to come.”
“Of course I’ll come,” Canfield said, his bright smile reappearing. “I’m sure it won’t be dull at all. And you have my promise that, even though it’s informal, I will wash this dirt away before making my appearance.”
10
Lady Phyllis did not have any difficulty in persuading her son to escort her to the Branscombes for dinner that evening. To her astonishment, he seemed almost eager to join her. Was it possible, she wondered, that the situation between her son and Julie was about to change? Did the dream that she and Madge had shared so fruitlessly for so long suddenly have a hope of coming true?
However, she tried not to let herself climb too high into alt. The shreds of evidence that a tendre was developing between her son and Julie were too thin to count on. There were only two: Tris’s unexpected return from London, and his willingness to endure an evening meal at the Branscombes’. Hardly enough reason to rejoice. Nevertheless, she could barely restrain her smiles as they set out in their carriage for Larchwood.
Tris could see that his mother was in high spirits. He decided, therefore, that this was a good time to inform her that he’d invited Lord Canfield to a dinner party for the coming Saturday night. When she heard his request, she stared at him blankly. “A dinner party? In less than a week?”
He shrugged. “I hope you won’t find it too difficult to arrange the affair at such short notice.”
“But you’ve never done such a thing before ... invited someone for a party that hasn’t even been arranged!”
“Don’t look so flabbergasted,” Tris laughed, patting her hand soothingly. “You arrange dinner parties so well that I knew you’d not be overwhelmed by this last-minute request.”
Lady Phyllis was indeed flabbergasted, for Tris had never before invited anyone to the house without giving her appropriate warning. But since she did not wish to spoil the good spirits of the evening by giving him a scold, she muttered an assent. Besides, arranging a dinner party in four days was not an overwhelming task for her. She had a large staff, after all, and would not have to do more than give them orders. “I’ll send out invitations tomorrow,” she said, merely throwing her son a look of mild annoyance.
The dinner at Larchwood was a pleasant affair, with Julie and Tris apparently on very good terms. Phyllis and Madge couldn’t help exchanging gleeful smiles when, after dinner, Tris asked that he and Julie be excused to play a game of billiards. “Go right ahead,” Lady Branscombe said, barely able to conceal her delight. “Don’t worry about us. Phyllis and I always have plenty to talk about.”
Once in the billiard room, Tris reported to Julie the details of his meeting with Canfield that afternoon. “I liked him,” he concluded, “though I don’t think snaring him will be easy.”
“I told you that,” Julie said sourly.
“Yes, but it’s too soon to despair. I’ve arranged two
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