Read Online The India Fan by Victoria Holt - Free Book Online Page A

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    Once Fabian came to the rectory with him. They sat in the garden and took wine with my father. Dougal and my father were soon deep in conversation and that left me to talk to Fabian.
    I saw that he was studying me with a certain interest and I said, o you remember when you kidnapped me?
    He smiled. es, I remember. I thought if I wanted a baby all I had to do was find one.
    We laughed.
    nd you found me,I said.
    think you must have been a very tolerant baby,he went on.
    don remember anything of it. I was rather flattered when I heard of it. Flattered to have been chosen, I mean. But I suppose any baby would have done.
    ou seemed to me a suitable subject for adoption.
    believe there was a great fuss.
    eople always make fusses if something unconventional happens.
    ell, you wouldn have expected my family to let me go without a word, would you?
    o. But I kept you for two weeks.
    have heard the story often. I wish I had been aware at the time.
    ou would probably have protested if you had known what it was all about. As it was you took it very calmly.
    I was very pleased, because it seemed that in talking of the matter, we had broken through some barrier. I imagined that he felt the same and that our relationship would be easier from now on.
    We suddenly became involved in the general conversation and after a while Dougal and he left. Dougal was leaving Framling the next day and at the end of the week Fabian would be gone, too.
    I could not resist telling Lavinia that they had called.
    ell, they didn come to see you, was her comment.
    know that, but they came and I was there to talk to them both.
    ougal is lovely, but he only interested in old things.She grimaced. I imagined she had flaunted her flaming hair before him and had expected him to be overcome by admiration. I was rather pleased that, presumably, he had not been.
    I said, abian talked about that time he abducted me.
    h, that,she said. hat all rather boring.
    But I could see that my meeting with Dougal rankled. She was quite annoyed when we rode out that afternoon.
    Jos was with us. I think he contrived to be our guardian whenever he could; and the fact that he accompanied us rather than Reuben usually put Lavinia in a good mood.
    She was very wayward that afternoon. She was both haughty and familiar with Jos; he said little and just smirked at her.
    We came to a field across which we always galloped, and it was a competition between Lavinia and me to see who reached the other side first.
    I set off and was well ahead. When I came to the edge of the field I pulled up and looked round. I was alone.
    Amazed, I called out, avinia, where are you?
    There was no answer. I cantered back to the other side of the field. When I had started off on my gallop they could not have accompanied me.
    I rode around looking for them, but after half an hour I went back to the stables. There was no sign of them. I did not want to go back to the House alone, for there might be a fuss. We were not supposed to ride without a groom. It was at least half an hour before they returned.
    Lavinia looked flushed and excited. She assumed an annoyed expression.
    herever did you get to?she demanded. ee been looking for you everywhere.
    thought you were galloping across the field after me.
    hat field?
    ou know, where we always gallop.
    can think what happened,said Lavinia. She smirked and I was quick enough to see the exchanged glances between her and Jos.
    I suppose, had I been wiser and more experienced in the ways of the world, I should have guessed what was going on. It would have been obvious to an older person. But I really believed there had been a misunderstanding and that they had not realized I had broken into a gallop.
    Polly was in close conversation with Mrs. Janson and Mrs. Janson was saying, e warned her time and time again. But does she take any notice? That Holly was always a flighty piece and now I believe she taken leave of her senses.
    ou know what girls are,soothed Polly.
    ell, that