Read Online Rainbird's Revenge by MC Beaton - Free Book Online Page B

that, Jenny buried her face in her hands and began to cry again.
    She made a pathetic figure. Angus cleared his throat and turned away, Mrs Middleton brushed sympathetic tears from her own eyes, and Dave gave something like a sniff, wiped his nose defiantly on his sleeve, and glared about the group.
    Rainbird handed Jenny a large clean handkerchief. He waited patiently until she had hiccupped and sobbed her way into silence and then said quietly, ‘Did you say you were the prettiest lady there?’
    â€˜Y-yes,’ said Jenny, giving her nose a hard blow.
    â€˜And what gave you that idea, miss?’ asked Rainbird.
    Jenny looked at him in amazement. ‘But one has only to look at me!’ she said.
    â€˜But looks are nothing compared to warmth and animation,’ cried Rainbird. ‘No one is beautiful outside if they are not beautiful inside.’
    â€˜Well!’ breathed Jenny. ‘And after all I did for you, you dare to insult me . . . you, a servant!’
    â€˜You came for help,’ said Rainbird calmly. ‘It appears to me you have relied solely on your beauty and nothing else, and so the development of your character has been stunted. It is very unbecoming in a lady to voice openly that she thinks she is prettier than anyone else. Now, the pug-faced lady may have been full of laughter and warmth and fun.’
    â€˜Yes, she was,’ said Jenny bitterly, ‘as well she might be with all the gentlemen vying for her attentions.’
    â€˜But not vain. Not proud.’
    Jenny hung her head.
    â€˜No,’ she whispered.
    â€˜Well, there you are,’ said Rainbird cheerfully. ‘The next function you attend, you must put thoughts of your own appearance outside your mind. You must appear to be as delighted with unimportant men who dance with you as important. You must, should you find yourself a wallflower, seek the company of another wallflower and try to cheer and comfort her. You must not look in the glass for a month.’
    Despite her shame and misery, Jenny gave a reluctant laugh. ‘But how can I arrange my hair?’
    â€˜Your maid arranges it. You shut your eyes and think of something else.’ He shut his own eyes and went through a comical mime of a lady trying to ignore her appearance, opening his eyes and appearing to stare rapturously at his own expression, and then shutting them firmly and sitting there with a pious look on his face.
    With the mercurial change of spirits that bless the young, Jenny began to feel as ridiculously lighthearted as she had been miserable before.
    â€˜And,’ said Rainbird, ‘seek out Miss Pug-Face and instead of envying her—’
    â€˜I! Envy her?’
    â€˜Yes, instead of envying her, try to copy her manner.’
    â€˜Why should I take your advice?’ demanded Jenny. ‘It is not as if you go about in society.’
    â€˜Oh, but I do,’ said Rainbird, ‘if only in my capacity as servant.’ And he added with deliberate rudeness, ‘And any one of us here has better social manners than you any day, my hoity-toity miss.’
    Jenny bristled like an angry kitten. But Alice continued to sew, and the rest continued to look at her with open sympathy, as if they were her equals and not servants at all.
    â€˜I came here for comfort and all I get is a jaw-me-dead,’ said Jenny.
    â€˜Jaw-me-deads can be very comforting in retrospect,’ said Rainbird seriously. ‘You can try it my way for a little and then, if it does not work, why, you can come and lecture me on the vanity of trying to arrange someone else’s life.’
    â€˜What an odd lot of people you are,’ said Jenny. ‘Are you related to each other?’
    â€˜Only by the chains of servitude,’ said Rainbird solemnly. To Jenny’s amazement, he got to his feet and cartwheeled around the table, to land neatly back in his chair.
    â€˜Mr Rainbird used to perform at the fairs,’ said