Read Online Madcap Miss by Joan Smith - Free Book Online Page A

”
    “ You ’ ll stay, then. ”
    “ Yes, Grandmama. I ’ ll drop my man of business a note tonight. ”
    “ Good. Now we must discuss the Scotland properties. I have promised five thousand to the Hunt Club there. My Willie started it up, you know. It is to be endowed in his name. The balance of what I possess is for Gussie. I mean to remain in Scotland till I die. It is my home. Once I am gone, however, you will want to dispose of the property and get the money. It is the sensible course. Bruce MacKinnon, a neighbor, has dropped hints he is interested. Don ’ t give it away. It is worth ten thousand. ”
    “ Yes, I ’ ll arrange it. Gussie would have no use for a Scottish property. ”
    This innocent remark caused his companion to turn querulous. “ It seems not, as she was never once allowed to visit Scotland in twelve years. She should have come at least once. She ain ’ t sickly, and she ain ’ t shy. Why did you keep her from me? ”
    “ I couldn ’ t send her alone, and you know I am busy. ”
    ‘‘ You could have sent her with Invers. I have an excellent opinion of Invers. She has trained Gussie well. ”
    Of course he could not tell the truth, but he must say something. “ Gussie is pretty young yet. ”
    “ I ain ’ t! If she is ever to come, it must be soon. ”
    “ Yes, ” he said, to have done with the subject.
    “ Good, I am glad you agree with me. I shall have Mulkins prepare my posset and bring it to my room. I am for the tick, Alfred. I ain ’ t much company for you, I fear. Help me out of this demmed chair. The chairs are all too low in this house. ”
    He hauled her up, called Mulkins, then helped her upstairs. Within minutes, he was tapping at Grace ’ s door. Her room was cheerier with more candles to relieve the heavy shadows. She was happier, too, with a copy of Richardson ’ s Pamela open before her.
    “ Brushing up on the Bible, are you? ” he asked, glancing at the book.
    “ I am more agreeably entertained, reading up on the rewards of virtue. ”
    He lifted the tome to see the title. “ Pretty warm stuff for my twelve-year-old daughter, ” he quizzed.
    “ Buy her a copy. One is never too young to learn about the wickedness of men. I consider the book de rigueur for servants like myself, and I like Pamela, the heroine. A pity Mrs. Bixworth had no wastrel son to fall in love with me. Even the initial would have matched Pamela ’ s Mr. B. ”
    Whewett lifted a satirical brow. “ A great pity. It would have enlivened your dull days no end to have the pleasure of being pursued by a rake. ”
    “ My days did not lack liveliness, I promise you. When I was not pulling Dora out from under a horse ’ s hooves, I was rescuing Ellie Lou from the briny deep. ”
    “ It puts skipping and Bible reading quite in the shade, eh, Doll? ”
    “ You should not call me that in front of Grandma. She likes to hear her own name being used on a younger person. She resents her age so. ”
    “ It must be the devil when they start building the chairs so low you can ’ t get out of them unaided."
    Grace adopted a confidential tone. “ Did you know her hair is dyed? I caught Mulkins with the dye pot going to her room when I came upstairs. ”
    “ And she letting on it was a posset! It ’ s sweet, though, to have held on to her vanity for so long. I seemed to turn old at thirty or so. ”
    Grace looked at his smooth cheek and discerned a fresh dose of cologne emanating from him. “ I don ’ t think you are quite free of vanity yet, sir. A man does not shave twice in one day if he does not care for his appearance. I think you are on the scent of some female, Whewett. ”
    She watched in astonishment as a pink flush ascended from his collar. What had possessed him to have a fresh shave, only to come in here and be mocked by this bright-eyed young lady?
    “ It ’ s true! ” she charged, and laughed loudly. “ Now do tell me all about her. You must have met her at the inn, unless she was