Read Online The Aim of a Lady by Laura Matthews - Free Book Online Page A

out of the stable yard. Walter proved to be as capable as Miss Savile had predicted; there was no overconfidence in his handling of the powerful Crusader, but a healthy respect for the strength of the mount. When the three were out of sight Alma returned to his room and flung himself on his bed, exhausted.
    While riding, Diana had the beginnings of an idea for keeping Lord Alma occupied during his stay. It was evident that the enforced disassociation from horses while he recuperated was the largest of his burdens. She had been appalled to see him mount the wild black that morning and wished for no further recurrence of such folly. Obviously he had not wished to pass up the perfect moment to mount the horse, but he had not aided the progress of his recovery by doing so.
    When the three returned from their ride Diana took some time to speak with Jenkins, who was astonished by her idea but grudgingly admitted that it could probably be carried out. She instructed him to do so and inform her when he was finished. Although Alma joined her and the Dodges and Mrs. Lewis for tea somewhat refreshed by the nap he had inadvertently succumbed to, he disappeared again after the Dodges left, not to be seen for the rest of the day.
     

Chapter Seven
     
    Diana took the precaution the next day of sending a message to Frank Edwards, Sir Lowell’s son, inviting him to spend the afternoon at the Park if he was free. Frank was the best fencer in the area. It did not particularly please her to have to invite him because he was another of her local suitors and he was aggressively persistent in his importunings. Walter considered him negligible as a rival for Diana’s hand—a frippery fellow carousing about the countryside when he was not living high in London. There was none of the solid, hard-working virtue Walter himself had to bring to Miss Savile. Frank led a life of pleasure, always dressed to the nines and ready for a lark. It must be admitted, of course, that he was exceedingly handsome, perhaps even intriguing, with his brooding air which gave place to laughing animation at the drop of a hat. Walter thought him loose in the haft; Diana found him annoying.
    Mrs. Lewis shared a companionable breakfast with Diana after which she adjourned to the small parlor to work on her embroidery. The old woman considered it strange that Diana’s guest kept so much to his room and she took to forgetting his presence at the Park at all, except when she remembered that he was her reason for being there. Diana sat with her for a while before sending a message to Alma that she planned to walk to the deer park if he would like to accompany her.
    Now this was an invitation Alma could easily refuse, but it arrived when he was intolerably bored. He had spent the previous evening playing piquet with his valet and then reading a book he had sought from the library. When he had been in the library he had heard the sound of the harpsichord and Miss Savile’s voice in song in the next room. Although he was tempted to join Mrs. Lewis and her there, he was determined that he would not be cajoled out of his black humor. He could have been in London at that very moment enjoying himself!
    His hand crept to his right buttock, which he had caused to bleed again that morning by his foolish action of riding the black horse. It exacerbated his temper rather than soothed it that Miss Savile had made no comment on his rashness. He chose a book at random and returned to his room to find that if he wished to read he might learn of the native plants of Cambridgeshire.
    So Alma joined Diana for her walk to the deer park. He was resolved to appear pleasant this morning, ashamed of his churlishness. When the opportunity presented itself, he pointed out the plants he had read of the night before, being possessed of a wonderful memory for drawings. After he had identified several obscure plants correctly Diana turned to him in amazement.
    “I had no idea you were so well-informed on