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

lurking about the west acres. ”
    At least she didn ’ t suspect she was the cause. The pink faded, leaving only an air of consciousness. “ I always shave twice a day, ” he said with a fair semblance of ease.
    “ You didn ’ t yesterday. Your cheek was rough last night. You ’ ll have to slip out quietly, Whewett.. Grandma wouldn ’ t like it. ”
    “ I ’ m not slipping out! ” he exclaimed. “ You make me sound like a libertine. ”
    She gave him a saucy smile. “ No, you are making yourself sound like one. A gentleman might take a glass of wine with a lady in the evening without being a libertine. Now, before you shock me with any further lechery, let us speak of more important things. I mean, of course, food. ”
    Whewett was remarkably glad to change the subject. “ I thought it would not be long before we came back to that. I daresay you haven ’ t had a bite in half an hour, except for a peck of apples and box of bonbons. ”
    “ It ’ s been more than half an hour since I ate, ” she reminded him, as he went to his room for the food. He returned with a roasted chicken in oiled paper and an apple tart,
    “ A whole meal! ” she gurgled. “ How splendid. And how messy. I cannot eat an apple tart with my fingers. And what do I do with a chicken carcass after I have devoured the rest? ”
    “ I thought you would eat the bones, too, like a whale. ”
    “ Whales are not carnivores, Whewett, ” she said! daintily dismembering a leg and nibbling on it. “ I ’ ll wrap the bones up for you to throw away when you are riding tomorrow. Would you like some of this? ”
    “ It looks good, ” he said, accepting the other leg. “ A pity we have no wine for our picnic. ”
    “ So much more appetizing than sour milk, my youthful innards notwithstanding. Did Grandma say anything interesting after I left? ”
    “ It is settled you are to be her sole heir but for the Hunt Club in Scotland. Mulkins and the servants will get some bequests, of course, though she didn ’ t say so. ”
    “ I am happy for Augusta, but I feel badly about fooling Lady Healy. ”
    “ I don ’ t. She might have left it all to the Scottish hunters if you hadn ’ t come. She is miffed with me for not having sent Gussie to her, but this visit convinces me they would not have rubbed along at all. She is shy, my Gussie. ”
    “ Tell me about her, ” Grace said.
    “ It ’ s hard for me to be objective. I love her, you see. She is quiet, ” he began, with a fond smile. “ She ’ s been too much alone, with no mother, you know. We are close, but it ’ s not the same. She often rides out with me on my rounds when she is not at her lessons. She ’ s bright, plays the pianoforte, speaks French, but not so fluently as you. Neither does she do so well in her sums. ”
    “ As to the sums, there is no teacher like necessity. Besides, you forget I ’ m old enough to be teaching Augusta. ”
    “ That ’ s true. She ’ s a good rider. I made her be. She was frightened at first. ”
    “ What of her friends — the girl with the toothache? ”
    “ There are no youngsters living close by. The one with the toothache, Sally Grimsby, was just visiting six months ago. Gussie makes a big thing of anyone who happens along. A cousin or whatnot in the house for a few days takes on great importance. ”
    “ I expect she has an active imagination. Those ... lonesome children do. ”
    “ Too much so. I had a librarian cataloging my books a while ago, and Gussie took to pretending his daughter was her sister. For two weeks she was happy as a lark and talked on for ages about her sister. I worry a little about her. I should send her to a seminary, I expect, but I ’ m too selfish. ”
    “ That ’ s not really selfishness. I imagine you ’ re a very nice sort of father. Kind, caring, easy to wind round a thumb, ” she added with a pert look. “ Is Gussie a winder? ”
    “ Not at all. ”
    “ You wouldn ’ t recognize it if she were.