delightful, my dear.’ Placing his hand under her elbow, he led her towards the guests. ‘May I introduce Simon Bailey and his sister, Sarah Tibbets. Simon represents the customs revenue service in the district.’ He turned to the older couple. ‘And this is my legal representative, Andrew Patterson, and his wife, Mary. Miss Miranda Jarvis. You’ve already met her younger sister, Lucinda.’
‘A delightful young lady,’ Andrew Patterson said, sending Lucy a smile. ‘I believe Miss Lucinda is going to entertain us after dinner. I’m looking forward to it.’
Seated on the sofa, Lucy looked shy and self-conscious in her finery, and in the company of so many adults. Both of them wore black armbands to signify their bereavement, for they had no mourning garments. ‘Two pretty butterflies should not be covered in ugly black, and wearing only an armband will not cause any disrespect to your mother,’ Sir James had said.
Both couples scrutinized Miranda without seeming to. Their glances flitted from her dress to her hair, and to places in between, like curious birds. In the case of the men, they lingered on her breasts, their eyes vaguely predatory. The women’s gazes were more critical and somewhat speculative, as though they were wondering what sort of relationship she had with Sir James.
Sarah Tibbets’s smile faded when she looked at Sir James. ‘I thought you said they were both children, James.’
He gave her an easy smile. ‘At my age it becomes harder and harder to differentiate. Girls seem to change into women overnight.’
‘The younger, the better – aye, Sir James?’ Andrew Patterson said with chuckle.
Miranda blushed, remembering her host’s hands on her exposed flesh.
‘Not a subject fit for the drawing room, Andrew,’ Sir James said firmly, and he held out his arm for her to take. ‘Shall we go in to dinner? We’ve already kept the cook waiting for twenty minutes.’
To which Miranda replied, seeing an opening for her to hit back at him, ‘It was entirely my fault, Sir James. I couldn’t decide between the suitability of two gowns. Then I discovered a huge tear in one and was forced to change into the other. I apologize most profoundly for keeping everyone waiting.’
His eyes narrowed in on her. ‘Apology accepted.’ He beckoned to Lucy, who took his other arm. ‘You look pretty tonight, Miss Lucy. You’ll sit on my left hand and Miss Jarvis on my right. Promise me you won’t grow up as unexpectedly as your sister did?’
Lucy offered him a smile filled with hero worship. ‘I promise.’
Mrs Patterson chuckled. ‘You’re such a wag, James. You’ve only known these lovely girls for a couple of weeks. How much growing up can be done in that short time?’
‘You’d be surprised.’
Sarah asked, in a rather imperious tone for a guest, ‘And where shall I be seated, pray?’
‘Wherever you wish, Sarah. It’s a large table and the dinner is informal, which is why I’ve allowed you the liberty of using my first name on this occasion.’
When they were seated, Sir James rang a little bell before turning to Simon Bailey. ‘What did you think of the funeral and sea burial for Silas?’
‘It was interesting, but I thought there was a little too much romance attached to the demise of such a rogue. Silas was born dishonest and should have been hanged years ago. The world would be a better place without the Silas Ashers of this world littering it, like so much rubbish.’
‘The old families hereabouts tend to follow tradition. Silas’s family came from a long line of Vikings; smuggling was part of his blood.’
‘So was murder, but that doesn’t make it right.’
‘Come, come now, Simon. Silas was a good man in his way. He kept many of the local men in work when they could have starved in the gutter, and he was honest in his dealings with his equals, even when he was being dishonest in the eyes of the law. Sometimes one has to measure a man’s worth to the
‘A delightful young lady,’ Andrew Patterson said, sending Lucy a smile. ‘I believe Miss Lucinda is going to entertain us after dinner. I’m looking forward to it.’
Seated on the sofa, Lucy looked shy and self-conscious in her finery, and in the company of so many adults. Both of them wore black armbands to signify their bereavement, for they had no mourning garments. ‘Two pretty butterflies should not be covered in ugly black, and wearing only an armband will not cause any disrespect to your mother,’ Sir James had said.
Both couples scrutinized Miranda without seeming to. Their glances flitted from her dress to her hair, and to places in between, like curious birds. In the case of the men, they lingered on her breasts, their eyes vaguely predatory. The women’s gazes were more critical and somewhat speculative, as though they were wondering what sort of relationship she had with Sir James.
Sarah Tibbets’s smile faded when she looked at Sir James. ‘I thought you said they were both children, James.’
He gave her an easy smile. ‘At my age it becomes harder and harder to differentiate. Girls seem to change into women overnight.’
‘The younger, the better – aye, Sir James?’ Andrew Patterson said with chuckle.
Miranda blushed, remembering her host’s hands on her exposed flesh.
‘Not a subject fit for the drawing room, Andrew,’ Sir James said firmly, and he held out his arm for her to take. ‘Shall we go in to dinner? We’ve already kept the cook waiting for twenty minutes.’
To which Miranda replied, seeing an opening for her to hit back at him, ‘It was entirely my fault, Sir James. I couldn’t decide between the suitability of two gowns. Then I discovered a huge tear in one and was forced to change into the other. I apologize most profoundly for keeping everyone waiting.’
His eyes narrowed in on her. ‘Apology accepted.’ He beckoned to Lucy, who took his other arm. ‘You look pretty tonight, Miss Lucy. You’ll sit on my left hand and Miss Jarvis on my right. Promise me you won’t grow up as unexpectedly as your sister did?’
Lucy offered him a smile filled with hero worship. ‘I promise.’
Mrs Patterson chuckled. ‘You’re such a wag, James. You’ve only known these lovely girls for a couple of weeks. How much growing up can be done in that short time?’
‘You’d be surprised.’
Sarah asked, in a rather imperious tone for a guest, ‘And where shall I be seated, pray?’
‘Wherever you wish, Sarah. It’s a large table and the dinner is informal, which is why I’ve allowed you the liberty of using my first name on this occasion.’
When they were seated, Sir James rang a little bell before turning to Simon Bailey. ‘What did you think of the funeral and sea burial for Silas?’
‘It was interesting, but I thought there was a little too much romance attached to the demise of such a rogue. Silas was born dishonest and should have been hanged years ago. The world would be a better place without the Silas Ashers of this world littering it, like so much rubbish.’
‘The old families hereabouts tend to follow tradition. Silas’s family came from a long line of Vikings; smuggling was part of his blood.’
‘So was murder, but that doesn’t make it right.’
‘Come, come now, Simon. Silas was a good man in his way. He kept many of the local men in work when they could have starved in the gutter, and he was honest in his dealings with his equals, even when he was being dishonest in the eyes of the law. Sometimes one has to measure a man’s worth to the
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