Read Online Marrying Miss Hemingford by Nadia Nichols - Free Book Online Page B

regular amount to be paid from her account every month? Would they insist on knowing why and investigating the recipient? Questions like that bred morequestions, but she had to put them aside to stand beside her aunt and receive their guests.
    Lord and Lady Mancroft arrived with the Major, magnificent in his regimental dress uniform, then the widowed Mrs Barry with Annabelle and Jeanette, whom she hoped someone would take off her hands before much longer. Lieutenants Cawston and Harcourt arrived on foot, followed by Sir Gerald Sylvester, who came in a cab. Sir Gerald, fifty if he was a day and thin as a bean pole, was got up in a dark blue evening suit, a blue shirt whose collar points grazed his cheeks and supported a pink starched cravat with an enormous bow. His waistcoat was heavily embroidered in rose and silver thread and his breeches were so tight fitting, Anne wondered if he would be able to sit, much less eat. Captain Gosforth arrived last, in a black evening suit, white shirt and brocade waistcoat, and hurried over to bow and make his apologies to his hostesses, which meant he was standing beside them when supper was announced.
    â€˜May I?’ he asked, offering his arm to Mrs Bartrum.
    Graciously she laid her fingers on his sleeve, leaving Anne to be escorted by Major Mancroft, who was quickly at her side. His parents followed and everyone else paired up to go into the dining room, the Barry girls with the two lieutenants and Mrs Barry with Sir Gerald. They all knew each other; indeed, it was Anne and her aunt who were the strangers to the company, but Anne did not mind that; it gave her the opportunity to observe their guests. None of them, she realised, was likely to be acquainted with a young physician looking for a first post. Such a being would be beneath their notice.
    â€˜I took your advice,’ she said to Captain Gosforth as the soup was served by the two footmen her aunt had employed for the evening. ‘I took a dip in the sea this morning.’
    â€˜And how did you find it?’
    â€˜Very refreshing. I shall certainly go again.’
    â€˜And did you see the commotion on the beach?’ Lieutenant Cawston asked.
    â€˜No. Was there a commotion?’
    â€˜I was strolling along the sea front when I saw a crowd round a big white tent, so I wandered over to see the cause of it.’ He paused, realising he had the attention of everyone. ‘One of the fishermen had caught a large sea creature in his net and was preparing to make an exhibition of it, hence the tent. There was a notice on a board inviting the public to view the merman at tuppence a time.’
    â€˜Merman! There is no such thing!’ Lord Mancroft scoffed. ‘Nor mermaids either.’
    â€˜Oh, I don’t know,’ Walter Gosforth said. ‘When I was sailing in the south seas, there were stories of strange sea creatures who were said to have the head and upper body of a human and the tail of a fish. They were supposed to lure sailors on to the rocks with their singing…’
    â€˜Oh, do you think the Brighton fishermen have really caught one?’ Jeanette Barry asked, wide-eyed.
    â€˜Of course not,’ her mother said. ‘It is no doubt something they’ve constructed for gullible people to gape at.’
    â€˜I do not think they have constructed it,’ Anne said. ‘I heard about it yesterday from the child of the fisherman that caught it. She said it was a monster.’
    They all turned to look at her and she began to wishshe had not spoken. ‘You remember, Aunt, I told you about the little girl who was hurt.’
    â€˜Do tell us the tale,’ Annabelle said. ‘How did you come to be in conversation with a fisherman’s daughter?’
    Anne was obliged to tell the same story as she had related it to her aunt, which was not very exciting when all was said and done, certainly not to her listeners, who had no interest in the doctor to whom she had taken the