handkerchief. ‘Now what do we do?’
‘I’ll go down to the Court to chivvy a couple of barrowloads of ice out of old Furnival,’ Jem declared, implementing what was becoming quite a well-rehearsed system. ‘I know he’ll say the icehouse is getting low, but the poorer quality stuff that the cook would turn her nose up at will do to preserve our new friend.’
‘Excellent. I would certainly rather continue my examination at table height. Neither my knees nor my back will tolerate this position for long. Dear me, my winter rheumatism already!’ Wiping his hands on the greensward, he pushed himself upright. ‘We will meet back at Langley Park, Jem.’
* * *
Unlike Jem, I could not bear to act as my friend’s acolyte as he performed his examination of the poor stranger. Mrs Hansard, apprised of her husband’s latest occupation, offered me wine, but I felt honour bound to refuse it. Moreton Hall must by now be abuzz with rumour, and Lady Chase ought to receive the news from me in person.
Mrs Hansard nodded. ‘And so she shall. But not until you have drunk some of my special punch. Heavens, Tobias, you have been chilled to the bone, and even now your hands are like ice. When you are warm, I will accompany you to the Court. Her ladyship, not knowing whether to hope or despair, may want a little female companionship that a poor honey like Lady Bramhall cannot supply.’
‘Miss Southey, too, may need attention,’ I added.
‘I already have some of Edmund’s best composing drops for the poor girl,’ she said.
Possibly not entirely to my surprise, Mrs Hansard had even insisted that we were provided with hot bricks for our short journey in their gig down to the Court. George, their groom, knew better than to remark on it, but I was shamefully relieved when she told him that she feared she was starting a putrid throat and that Dr Hansard had warned her against taking cold.
Though it must have been the hour when her ladyship and the rest of the family were dressing for dinner, we were shown directly up to Lady Chase’s boudoir. She appeared a few moments later, saying something over her shoulder to her no doubt anxious abigail.
She was pale, and far from composed. ‘I have been expecting you this hour. The body in the stream—?’
‘Was not that of your son, your Ladyship. Dr Hansard iscertain of that. The front tooth was not chipped.’
‘Of course. Dr Hansard attended him after his hunting accident. Thank God!’
‘Amen.’ I should have told her that the situation she was in was neither better nor worse than before, but she had swung from agony of mind to blessed relief in a heart beat.
Mrs Hansard produced some drops from her reticule. ‘My husband thought you might need these, your Ladyship.’
Lady Chase shook her head emphatically. ‘I do not need physicking – though, pray, thank Dr Hansard for his kind thoughts. Where is he, by the way, that you, however welcome, are his representative?’
‘He is examining the poor man’s body. He has sent for a learned colleague, Dr Toone, to assist him. In the meantime, he relies on Tobias’s groom Jem. As you know, Jem is a most unusual young man, and very capable.’
‘Of course. One wonders what might have become of him had he been a gentleman.’
Bowing, I said firmly, ‘There is no greater gentleman in nature than Jem.’
‘Forgive me. I expressed myself ill. I should have said, had he been born a gentleman, with all the advantages of education that that would have brought.’
‘Indeed you are right. He took to reading and writing like a duck to water, your Ladyship – it is my constant regret that he did not have the benefit of my masters at Eton,’ I added. ‘But I must turn to the next object of Dr Hansard’s care, poor Miss Southey. She has had a most terrible experience.’
‘And may well be in need of Dr Hansard’s excellent drops,’ her ladyship said with her charming smile, ringing for a maid to conduct us into the
‘I’ll go down to the Court to chivvy a couple of barrowloads of ice out of old Furnival,’ Jem declared, implementing what was becoming quite a well-rehearsed system. ‘I know he’ll say the icehouse is getting low, but the poorer quality stuff that the cook would turn her nose up at will do to preserve our new friend.’
‘Excellent. I would certainly rather continue my examination at table height. Neither my knees nor my back will tolerate this position for long. Dear me, my winter rheumatism already!’ Wiping his hands on the greensward, he pushed himself upright. ‘We will meet back at Langley Park, Jem.’
* * *
Unlike Jem, I could not bear to act as my friend’s acolyte as he performed his examination of the poor stranger. Mrs Hansard, apprised of her husband’s latest occupation, offered me wine, but I felt honour bound to refuse it. Moreton Hall must by now be abuzz with rumour, and Lady Chase ought to receive the news from me in person.
Mrs Hansard nodded. ‘And so she shall. But not until you have drunk some of my special punch. Heavens, Tobias, you have been chilled to the bone, and even now your hands are like ice. When you are warm, I will accompany you to the Court. Her ladyship, not knowing whether to hope or despair, may want a little female companionship that a poor honey like Lady Bramhall cannot supply.’
‘Miss Southey, too, may need attention,’ I added.
‘I already have some of Edmund’s best composing drops for the poor girl,’ she said.
Possibly not entirely to my surprise, Mrs Hansard had even insisted that we were provided with hot bricks for our short journey in their gig down to the Court. George, their groom, knew better than to remark on it, but I was shamefully relieved when she told him that she feared she was starting a putrid throat and that Dr Hansard had warned her against taking cold.
Though it must have been the hour when her ladyship and the rest of the family were dressing for dinner, we were shown directly up to Lady Chase’s boudoir. She appeared a few moments later, saying something over her shoulder to her no doubt anxious abigail.
She was pale, and far from composed. ‘I have been expecting you this hour. The body in the stream—?’
‘Was not that of your son, your Ladyship. Dr Hansard iscertain of that. The front tooth was not chipped.’
‘Of course. Dr Hansard attended him after his hunting accident. Thank God!’
‘Amen.’ I should have told her that the situation she was in was neither better nor worse than before, but she had swung from agony of mind to blessed relief in a heart beat.
Mrs Hansard produced some drops from her reticule. ‘My husband thought you might need these, your Ladyship.’
Lady Chase shook her head emphatically. ‘I do not need physicking – though, pray, thank Dr Hansard for his kind thoughts. Where is he, by the way, that you, however welcome, are his representative?’
‘He is examining the poor man’s body. He has sent for a learned colleague, Dr Toone, to assist him. In the meantime, he relies on Tobias’s groom Jem. As you know, Jem is a most unusual young man, and very capable.’
‘Of course. One wonders what might have become of him had he been a gentleman.’
Bowing, I said firmly, ‘There is no greater gentleman in nature than Jem.’
‘Forgive me. I expressed myself ill. I should have said, had he been born a gentleman, with all the advantages of education that that would have brought.’
‘Indeed you are right. He took to reading and writing like a duck to water, your Ladyship – it is my constant regret that he did not have the benefit of my masters at Eton,’ I added. ‘But I must turn to the next object of Dr Hansard’s care, poor Miss Southey. She has had a most terrible experience.’
‘And may well be in need of Dr Hansard’s excellent drops,’ her ladyship said with her charming smile, ringing for a maid to conduct us into the
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