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Authors: Lizzie Church
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that his eyes were resting entirely upon herself.
‘Well, perhaps your brother’s taste is as inferior as our own,’ she suggested, smiling. ‘Though we shall not find out until this evening whether it is catholic as well.’
‘Do I hear you talking about me, Rachel?’ demanded Mr Forster, stepping a little nearer. ‘ It will not be anything good, I know.’
‘We were discussing your taste in music, Robert. Lady Cecily was wondering how superior it is.’
‘Oh, it is execrable, as a rule, though I know I should not admit to it. I am prepared to put up with something more refined occasionally, however, if only to have the pleasure of feeling superior to most of my friends.’
Cecily had to admire his honesty.
‘ Well, even if not in music I expect your taste is superior in many other things, Mr Forster,’ she suggested, finding herself accepting his arm and being drawn a little away from the rest of their party towards a vacant bench in a corner of the room. ‘In architecture, for example, art, or furnishing, or possibly landscape design?’
‘I hardly know it, to be honest, Lady Cecily. My father has never involve d me in his decisions on the houses – we have a house in London as well as Brandrigg, you know - though I regret that they remain very much unmodernised, and the estate is similarly unimproved. I would welcome an opportunity of becoming more involved in their running. I might be able to do some good.’
‘ It is certainly something to be recommended, Mr Forster. My father was most interested in his. He spent many a long hour in conference with his steward. He used to allow me to sit with him sometimes, as long as I was quiet. They used to discuss all kinds of things – breeds of sheep, the wool market, winter feed, rotation. My mother used to despair of ever getting him in to his dinner on time. I daresay that you would enjoy it. Perhaps your father is simply waiting for you to ask?’
Mr Forster looked quite startled. He had obviously never thought of this before.
‘Perhaps he is,’ he conceded, ‘though he has never been terribly inviting. Maybe I should seek a way of subtly finding out?’
Chapter 12
Mr Forster and Lord Barnham rarely saw each other in town. Their habits were quite dissimilar and Mr Forster, for one, was more than happy to see as little of his father as possible. They did spot each other accidentally outside the pump room th at morning, as Mr Forster was attending Lady Cecily and her aunt gallantly to the door. They acknowledged each other via stiff little bows. His lordship spotted the rather warmer appraisal with which the young lady was honouring his son, and allowed himself a somewhat appreciative little smile. Things appeared to be going along quite nicely there, at least. He, for one, would be delighted to think of Lady Cecily as a future daughter-in-law.
But it was once they had parted – Mr Forster to his debating club, his lordship to his baths – that the most important meeting of the day was destined to take place. For as his lordship stepped gingerly into the steaming pea-green water he suddenly found himself a neighbour of Mr King, who was similarly taking his dip. Knowing, as they both did, of the amount of time that Cecily and Robert were spending in each other’s company it was a matter of only a very few moments before their respective charges formed the chief topic of the gentlemen’s conversation.
‘I am most fond of your niece already, Mr King,’ asserted Lord Barnham. ‘Such a prettily behaved young lady – no airs and graces at all. She has quickly become a favourite with my daughter. She has livened her up no end.’
‘I thank your lordship,’ responded Mr King. He shifted a little on the stone seat. ‘I am most happy with their acquaintance. I find your lordship’s daughter quite delightful.’
‘And she is an heiress, I understand, Mr King?’ – suggested a little shiftily. ‘Her father is recently passed on.’
‘Not
‘Well, perhaps your brother’s taste is as inferior as our own,’ she suggested, smiling. ‘Though we shall not find out until this evening whether it is catholic as well.’
‘Do I hear you talking about me, Rachel?’ demanded Mr Forster, stepping a little nearer. ‘ It will not be anything good, I know.’
‘We were discussing your taste in music, Robert. Lady Cecily was wondering how superior it is.’
‘Oh, it is execrable, as a rule, though I know I should not admit to it. I am prepared to put up with something more refined occasionally, however, if only to have the pleasure of feeling superior to most of my friends.’
Cecily had to admire his honesty.
‘ Well, even if not in music I expect your taste is superior in many other things, Mr Forster,’ she suggested, finding herself accepting his arm and being drawn a little away from the rest of their party towards a vacant bench in a corner of the room. ‘In architecture, for example, art, or furnishing, or possibly landscape design?’
‘I hardly know it, to be honest, Lady Cecily. My father has never involve d me in his decisions on the houses – we have a house in London as well as Brandrigg, you know - though I regret that they remain very much unmodernised, and the estate is similarly unimproved. I would welcome an opportunity of becoming more involved in their running. I might be able to do some good.’
‘ It is certainly something to be recommended, Mr Forster. My father was most interested in his. He spent many a long hour in conference with his steward. He used to allow me to sit with him sometimes, as long as I was quiet. They used to discuss all kinds of things – breeds of sheep, the wool market, winter feed, rotation. My mother used to despair of ever getting him in to his dinner on time. I daresay that you would enjoy it. Perhaps your father is simply waiting for you to ask?’
Mr Forster looked quite startled. He had obviously never thought of this before.
‘Perhaps he is,’ he conceded, ‘though he has never been terribly inviting. Maybe I should seek a way of subtly finding out?’
Chapter 12
Mr Forster and Lord Barnham rarely saw each other in town. Their habits were quite dissimilar and Mr Forster, for one, was more than happy to see as little of his father as possible. They did spot each other accidentally outside the pump room th at morning, as Mr Forster was attending Lady Cecily and her aunt gallantly to the door. They acknowledged each other via stiff little bows. His lordship spotted the rather warmer appraisal with which the young lady was honouring his son, and allowed himself a somewhat appreciative little smile. Things appeared to be going along quite nicely there, at least. He, for one, would be delighted to think of Lady Cecily as a future daughter-in-law.
But it was once they had parted – Mr Forster to his debating club, his lordship to his baths – that the most important meeting of the day was destined to take place. For as his lordship stepped gingerly into the steaming pea-green water he suddenly found himself a neighbour of Mr King, who was similarly taking his dip. Knowing, as they both did, of the amount of time that Cecily and Robert were spending in each other’s company it was a matter of only a very few moments before their respective charges formed the chief topic of the gentlemen’s conversation.
‘I am most fond of your niece already, Mr King,’ asserted Lord Barnham. ‘Such a prettily behaved young lady – no airs and graces at all. She has quickly become a favourite with my daughter. She has livened her up no end.’
‘I thank your lordship,’ responded Mr King. He shifted a little on the stone seat. ‘I am most happy with their acquaintance. I find your lordship’s daughter quite delightful.’
‘And she is an heiress, I understand, Mr King?’ – suggested a little shiftily. ‘Her father is recently passed on.’
‘Not
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