Read Online Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind by Heidi Ashworth - Free Book Online
Authors: Heidi Ashworth
Ads: Link
Sir Anthony.
Lord Avery seemed to take notice of them for the first time. “My flower, who are these people?”
“Why, this is Sir Anthony Crenshaw, and that is Miss Delacourt”
Lord Avery forced his eyes from Lucinda’s face to Ginny’s. He must not have found it utterly odious for he lost no time in striding to her side. “Miss Delacourt” He took one of her hands and turning it palm up, he placed a light kiss on her wrist. “Delighted!”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, my lord.” Ginny pulled her hand from Lord Avery’s and smiled into her lap. Lord Avery did not take the hint. He hovered over her, formulating his next flowery phrase, no doubt.
Sir Anthony stood with a loud scraping of chair legs against the gleaming hardwood floor. “Lord Avery, a pleasure. Have you had your breakfast yet this morning? There is a very good kidney steak on the sideboard.”
Lord Avery lifted his quizzing glass and considered Sir Anthony. “Yes, indeed. I could smell it, so aromatic, so rich, wafting down the hall.”
“Ooh, would you like some?” Lucinda squealed. “Let me help you” She picked a plate off the sideboard and began piling it with generous servings from each dish. Lord Avery followed like a dog on a leash.
“Well ,” Ginny said when Sir Anthony had seated himself next to her. “He is remarkable”
“You think so?” Sir Anthony looked down the length of his nose at her. “I think he is a bit of a nodcock, myself”
“Miss Barrington seems to find him utterly charming. She must feel comfortable around him. Her lisp has made a most sudden departure”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
“No doubt it is her other qualities which claim your notice” Such as Lucinda’s fluttering eyelashes and welldesigned decolletage.
“Um, yes. No doubt. Now about our change in plans..
“Oh, had we a change, Sir Anthony? I had already made the decision to stay on. It is only yourself who will be inconvenienced by the quarantine.”
“If indeed there is one, Miss Delacourt. We have yet to hear from a physician.”
“You seemed quite willing to accept the possibility a moment ago. Indeed, you expressed yourself delighted by the prospect of being shut up in the house with two such charming ladies.”
“One mustn’t believe everything one hears, Miss Delacourt”
“Oh really? Poor Miss Barrington. I’m sure she believes you find her enchanting.”
Sir Anthony glanced at Lucinda still fussing over Lord Avery’s plate at the sideboard. “She is refreshingly different.”
From whom? Ginny wanted to ask but wisely held her tongue.
“Though I cannot fathom what she sees in Avery.”
“Perhaps the same things she sees in you, Sir Anthony.”
Sir Anthony did not respond, but the way his cup clattered in its saucer led her to believe she had touched a chord.
After taking a last sip of chocolate and serenely wiping her fingers on her napkin, Ginny stood. “I think I shall just go see about Nan. It was a pleasure to meet you, Lord Avery. Miss Barrington, so lovely to renew our acquaintance.” With a nod to Sir Anthony and a flip of her skirts, she walked out.
Ginny made her way to Nan’s room with new determination. There was more than a little evidence to suggest Sir Anthony was a man of real emotion, perhaps even of passion. With Miss Lucinda Barrington and Lord Avery standing buffer, she thought she could now unleash the beast.
GGWhat do you mean the doctor will not come?” Ginny demanded of Mrs. Barrington cowering behind the door of the adjoining room. Through a crack in the door, Ginny glared at the one brown eye, large with distress, Mrs. Barrington dared to expose.
A pair of highly rouged lips replaced the eye. “I mean that Dr. Simms trusts my good sense. She looks just as my Lucinda did a month back”
Ginny cast a look of frustration at Nan. Her fever had passed, but she was now covered head to toe with spots. She was a picture of agony, writhing in pain, lying on her hands.
Lord Avery seemed to take notice of them for the first time. “My flower, who are these people?”
“Why, this is Sir Anthony Crenshaw, and that is Miss Delacourt”
Lord Avery forced his eyes from Lucinda’s face to Ginny’s. He must not have found it utterly odious for he lost no time in striding to her side. “Miss Delacourt” He took one of her hands and turning it palm up, he placed a light kiss on her wrist. “Delighted!”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, my lord.” Ginny pulled her hand from Lord Avery’s and smiled into her lap. Lord Avery did not take the hint. He hovered over her, formulating his next flowery phrase, no doubt.
Sir Anthony stood with a loud scraping of chair legs against the gleaming hardwood floor. “Lord Avery, a pleasure. Have you had your breakfast yet this morning? There is a very good kidney steak on the sideboard.”
Lord Avery lifted his quizzing glass and considered Sir Anthony. “Yes, indeed. I could smell it, so aromatic, so rich, wafting down the hall.”
“Ooh, would you like some?” Lucinda squealed. “Let me help you” She picked a plate off the sideboard and began piling it with generous servings from each dish. Lord Avery followed like a dog on a leash.
“Well ,” Ginny said when Sir Anthony had seated himself next to her. “He is remarkable”
“You think so?” Sir Anthony looked down the length of his nose at her. “I think he is a bit of a nodcock, myself”
“Miss Barrington seems to find him utterly charming. She must feel comfortable around him. Her lisp has made a most sudden departure”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
“No doubt it is her other qualities which claim your notice” Such as Lucinda’s fluttering eyelashes and welldesigned decolletage.
“Um, yes. No doubt. Now about our change in plans..
“Oh, had we a change, Sir Anthony? I had already made the decision to stay on. It is only yourself who will be inconvenienced by the quarantine.”
“If indeed there is one, Miss Delacourt. We have yet to hear from a physician.”
“You seemed quite willing to accept the possibility a moment ago. Indeed, you expressed yourself delighted by the prospect of being shut up in the house with two such charming ladies.”
“One mustn’t believe everything one hears, Miss Delacourt”
“Oh really? Poor Miss Barrington. I’m sure she believes you find her enchanting.”
Sir Anthony glanced at Lucinda still fussing over Lord Avery’s plate at the sideboard. “She is refreshingly different.”
From whom? Ginny wanted to ask but wisely held her tongue.
“Though I cannot fathom what she sees in Avery.”
“Perhaps the same things she sees in you, Sir Anthony.”
Sir Anthony did not respond, but the way his cup clattered in its saucer led her to believe she had touched a chord.
After taking a last sip of chocolate and serenely wiping her fingers on her napkin, Ginny stood. “I think I shall just go see about Nan. It was a pleasure to meet you, Lord Avery. Miss Barrington, so lovely to renew our acquaintance.” With a nod to Sir Anthony and a flip of her skirts, she walked out.
Ginny made her way to Nan’s room with new determination. There was more than a little evidence to suggest Sir Anthony was a man of real emotion, perhaps even of passion. With Miss Lucinda Barrington and Lord Avery standing buffer, she thought she could now unleash the beast.
GGWhat do you mean the doctor will not come?” Ginny demanded of Mrs. Barrington cowering behind the door of the adjoining room. Through a crack in the door, Ginny glared at the one brown eye, large with distress, Mrs. Barrington dared to expose.
A pair of highly rouged lips replaced the eye. “I mean that Dr. Simms trusts my good sense. She looks just as my Lucinda did a month back”
Ginny cast a look of frustration at Nan. Her fever had passed, but she was now covered head to toe with spots. She was a picture of agony, writhing in pain, lying on her hands.
Similar Books
