Read Online His Michaelmas Mistress by Marly Mathews - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marly Mathews
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hands.
Her cousins gathered around her, and Hyacinth and Poppy had their arms wrapped around her. “You look lovely,” Hyacinth said, staring up at her in adoration. She had missed this. The younger girls had always worshipped her as if she was a Goddess.
The Miss Prices had walked to follow the children, and she could see Ruby lingering behind everyone. As she looked past them all, she saw her Aunt Alice and Grandpapa Somersby sitting in the Gardens. Fortunately, Grandpapa Somersby hadn’t moved from where he sat. It was a rather lovely day, and it looked as if everyone was taking full advantage of it. Soon, the crisp coolness of autumn would come, and these carefree days would be long behind them.
Lily and Violet were absent. Well, she couldn’t take one of them along with her on her quest. She would have to either take one of the younger girls…or if she could find Simon, she could enlist his help, not that he was of any help usually, but he would fill the role of chaperone nicely.
They walked together back toward where Alice and Grandpapa Somersby sat. The children gave her parting hugs, and then went to back to flying their kites with the Miss Prices looking on.
“Oh, Julia, you look quite fetching today. The colour in your cheeks, gives you quite the glow,” Alice exclaimed.
“Here, here,” Thomas Somersby said, giving her a wide smile. He failed to impart anymore of his usual verbal commentary, and busied himself with drinking his perry and reading his newspaper.
Ruby sat down without saying a word, and reached for her glass of lemonade. The girl was so quiet, one could rather forget she was even there!
“I shan’t stay for long, Aunt Alice. Mama implored me to go to Avondale Abbey today, but she wanted me to stop by here and find someone suitable to come with me. Normally, I would take along a companion, but I rather think she wants someone male or older than me.”
“Indeed,” Alice said, looking at her with her kind eyes. “Well, I can take some time away from Lark Hall, or you could enlist Simon to go with you. He is not at all busy, and he was complaining just the other day that there wasn’t much for him to do here. He will certainly be content when terms start at Oxford, as he is bored so easily.” Alice looked over at Ruby. “I daresay that Ruby could do with an outing as well. Why don’t you take her along with you? The Duke has an aunt visiting him at the moment, and I should think she’d do well enough as the older chaperone of the female variety.”
“The Duke’s aunt left yesterday,” Grandpapa Somersby said.
“Oh, she did, didn’t she? Silly me,” Alice said. “Ah well, there is still Simon. He returned from riding about an hour ago, but he takes most any excuse to go out riding. I daren’t think we shall have to twist his arm. Simon,” she called. He sat away from them, on a hammock hung between two trees, and he looked bored to death. Her voice startled him, and he fell off the hammock onto the grass. Julia laughed, as did Alice. “Oh, I do hope he is all right,” Alice said.
“He falls out of that contraption several times a day, Aunt Alice,” Ruby said. Though Ruby was actually a cousin of Alice’s, she called Alice and Edward aunt and uncle.
“Oh, yes. He’s rather lucky that way, isn’t he?” Alice said.
Simon walked toward them in his leisurely way. “Yes, Mama?” he asked, coming to stand behind his mother’s chair.
“Julia would like to go on an outing to Avondale Abbey. She requests your company and Ruby’s.”
“You rode down in that awful curricle, didn’t you?” Simon asked, with a grimace.
“Aye,” she said, resisting the urge to laugh.
“Well, Ruby can ride with you. I shall ride on horseback alongside you two.” He dashed away toward the stables. She hoped they would make haste to saddle his horse, because if she continued to put off her trip to Avondale Abbey, she would lose her nerve. And she had worked up the courage do
Her cousins gathered around her, and Hyacinth and Poppy had their arms wrapped around her. “You look lovely,” Hyacinth said, staring up at her in adoration. She had missed this. The younger girls had always worshipped her as if she was a Goddess.
The Miss Prices had walked to follow the children, and she could see Ruby lingering behind everyone. As she looked past them all, she saw her Aunt Alice and Grandpapa Somersby sitting in the Gardens. Fortunately, Grandpapa Somersby hadn’t moved from where he sat. It was a rather lovely day, and it looked as if everyone was taking full advantage of it. Soon, the crisp coolness of autumn would come, and these carefree days would be long behind them.
Lily and Violet were absent. Well, she couldn’t take one of them along with her on her quest. She would have to either take one of the younger girls…or if she could find Simon, she could enlist his help, not that he was of any help usually, but he would fill the role of chaperone nicely.
They walked together back toward where Alice and Grandpapa Somersby sat. The children gave her parting hugs, and then went to back to flying their kites with the Miss Prices looking on.
“Oh, Julia, you look quite fetching today. The colour in your cheeks, gives you quite the glow,” Alice exclaimed.
“Here, here,” Thomas Somersby said, giving her a wide smile. He failed to impart anymore of his usual verbal commentary, and busied himself with drinking his perry and reading his newspaper.
Ruby sat down without saying a word, and reached for her glass of lemonade. The girl was so quiet, one could rather forget she was even there!
“I shan’t stay for long, Aunt Alice. Mama implored me to go to Avondale Abbey today, but she wanted me to stop by here and find someone suitable to come with me. Normally, I would take along a companion, but I rather think she wants someone male or older than me.”
“Indeed,” Alice said, looking at her with her kind eyes. “Well, I can take some time away from Lark Hall, or you could enlist Simon to go with you. He is not at all busy, and he was complaining just the other day that there wasn’t much for him to do here. He will certainly be content when terms start at Oxford, as he is bored so easily.” Alice looked over at Ruby. “I daresay that Ruby could do with an outing as well. Why don’t you take her along with you? The Duke has an aunt visiting him at the moment, and I should think she’d do well enough as the older chaperone of the female variety.”
“The Duke’s aunt left yesterday,” Grandpapa Somersby said.
“Oh, she did, didn’t she? Silly me,” Alice said. “Ah well, there is still Simon. He returned from riding about an hour ago, but he takes most any excuse to go out riding. I daren’t think we shall have to twist his arm. Simon,” she called. He sat away from them, on a hammock hung between two trees, and he looked bored to death. Her voice startled him, and he fell off the hammock onto the grass. Julia laughed, as did Alice. “Oh, I do hope he is all right,” Alice said.
“He falls out of that contraption several times a day, Aunt Alice,” Ruby said. Though Ruby was actually a cousin of Alice’s, she called Alice and Edward aunt and uncle.
“Oh, yes. He’s rather lucky that way, isn’t he?” Alice said.
Simon walked toward them in his leisurely way. “Yes, Mama?” he asked, coming to stand behind his mother’s chair.
“Julia would like to go on an outing to Avondale Abbey. She requests your company and Ruby’s.”
“You rode down in that awful curricle, didn’t you?” Simon asked, with a grimace.
“Aye,” she said, resisting the urge to laugh.
“Well, Ruby can ride with you. I shall ride on horseback alongside you two.” He dashed away toward the stables. She hoped they would make haste to saddle his horse, because if she continued to put off her trip to Avondale Abbey, she would lose her nerve. And she had worked up the courage do
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