Bradford’s three children, but I hope to God it is not just a family party. From what Reeve tells me, he does not get on with his cousin Robert very well.”
The chaise hit a rock on the road and bounced. Mama grabbed the strap next to her, and I braced my foot against the seat that faced me.
“Lord Bradford told me that he would invite some friends of his from Hampshire,” Mama said a little breathlessly. ”A Mr. and Mrs. Norton, I believe. They have a son and a daughter about your age, dear.”
I looked at her with surprise. “Is there anything else that Lord Bradford saw fit to impart to you and not to us?”
Mama smiled. “No, dearest, that is all.”
I sighed and once more looked out the window at Reeve. “I wish I could ride,” I said wistfully.
“You will be able to ride while we are staying with Lord Bradford,” Mama said. Her voice became more sober. ”I must confess, this whole scheme of Reeve’s is making me more and more uneasy. How are you going to call off this engagement after you have been introduced to all of his family, Deborah?”
“We’ll just say that we do not suit,” I said.
Mama gave me an extremely doubtful look.
I turned my back on Reeve and gave my mother my full attention. “The important thing is for Reeve to get control of his money, Mama. I’m afraid that if he has to wait another two years, he might not be alive to inherit at all.”
Mama’s sky-blue eyes looked shocked. “Surely you cannot be serious, Deborah?”
“I might be,” I said gravely. ”There has been a feeling of… desperation… about him lately that I do not like at all.”
Mama was silent, and I turned to look back out the window. We were driving through a forest of beech trees at the moment, and the sun shone in dappled patches through the branches of the trees that overhung the road. Reeve rode in and out of the sunshine, too, now in shadow, now in light. I felt a tightness in my chest.
Please God
, I found myself praying,
make Lord Bradford give Reeve his money
.
“Do you think the accident still haunts him, dear?’ I heard Mama’s voice ask.
For a moment I pressed my forehead against the glass of the window. I felt as if I had a headache coming on, which was ridiculous. I never had headaches.
“Of course it does,” I answered. ”In some ways, it probably always will. But if he has some kind of purpose in his life, something to think about besides himself and his own guilt, I’m convinced that it will help enormously.”
Mama said in a voice that sounded oddly worried, “You care for him a great deal, don’t you, Deborah?”
I turned to give her a warm smile. “Of course I do. Reeve has always been my best friend in the world.” The ache in my head was growing more pronounced. “Will you mind if I lower this window a little so we can get some air, Mama? I feel as if I might be getting a headache from being cooped up for so long.”
“No, of course not, dear,” Mama said. ”Open it as much as you like.”
Fifteen minutes later Reeve shouted something to me and pointed ahead. I rolled the window all the way down and stuck my head out to see what it was he was gesturing at.
We were still driving through the beech woods of the South Downs, but now the chaise was climbing up a long, steep hill. In a few minutes time, we came out of the woods and there, at the end of a tree-enclosed drive, was a welcoming old two-storied house built of a silvery pink brick that was a particularly lovely color. Dormer windows peered out of the hipped roof, and there was a pediment crown over the front. Two single-story outbuilding blocks jutted on either side.
“Don’t hang out the window like that, Deborah,” Mama said. ”It is not good manners.”
She was smoothing her skirts and putting her bonnet and gloves back on, and I did the same. By the time the chaise pulled up in front of Wakefield Manor, we were ready to be handed down gallantly by Reeve.
Lord Bradford was waiting to greet
The chaise hit a rock on the road and bounced. Mama grabbed the strap next to her, and I braced my foot against the seat that faced me.
“Lord Bradford told me that he would invite some friends of his from Hampshire,” Mama said a little breathlessly. ”A Mr. and Mrs. Norton, I believe. They have a son and a daughter about your age, dear.”
I looked at her with surprise. “Is there anything else that Lord Bradford saw fit to impart to you and not to us?”
Mama smiled. “No, dearest, that is all.”
I sighed and once more looked out the window at Reeve. “I wish I could ride,” I said wistfully.
“You will be able to ride while we are staying with Lord Bradford,” Mama said. Her voice became more sober. ”I must confess, this whole scheme of Reeve’s is making me more and more uneasy. How are you going to call off this engagement after you have been introduced to all of his family, Deborah?”
“We’ll just say that we do not suit,” I said.
Mama gave me an extremely doubtful look.
I turned my back on Reeve and gave my mother my full attention. “The important thing is for Reeve to get control of his money, Mama. I’m afraid that if he has to wait another two years, he might not be alive to inherit at all.”
Mama’s sky-blue eyes looked shocked. “Surely you cannot be serious, Deborah?”
“I might be,” I said gravely. ”There has been a feeling of… desperation… about him lately that I do not like at all.”
Mama was silent, and I turned to look back out the window. We were driving through a forest of beech trees at the moment, and the sun shone in dappled patches through the branches of the trees that overhung the road. Reeve rode in and out of the sunshine, too, now in shadow, now in light. I felt a tightness in my chest.
Please God
, I found myself praying,
make Lord Bradford give Reeve his money
.
“Do you think the accident still haunts him, dear?’ I heard Mama’s voice ask.
For a moment I pressed my forehead against the glass of the window. I felt as if I had a headache coming on, which was ridiculous. I never had headaches.
“Of course it does,” I answered. ”In some ways, it probably always will. But if he has some kind of purpose in his life, something to think about besides himself and his own guilt, I’m convinced that it will help enormously.”
Mama said in a voice that sounded oddly worried, “You care for him a great deal, don’t you, Deborah?”
I turned to give her a warm smile. “Of course I do. Reeve has always been my best friend in the world.” The ache in my head was growing more pronounced. “Will you mind if I lower this window a little so we can get some air, Mama? I feel as if I might be getting a headache from being cooped up for so long.”
“No, of course not, dear,” Mama said. ”Open it as much as you like.”
Fifteen minutes later Reeve shouted something to me and pointed ahead. I rolled the window all the way down and stuck my head out to see what it was he was gesturing at.
We were still driving through the beech woods of the South Downs, but now the chaise was climbing up a long, steep hill. In a few minutes time, we came out of the woods and there, at the end of a tree-enclosed drive, was a welcoming old two-storied house built of a silvery pink brick that was a particularly lovely color. Dormer windows peered out of the hipped roof, and there was a pediment crown over the front. Two single-story outbuilding blocks jutted on either side.
“Don’t hang out the window like that, Deborah,” Mama said. ”It is not good manners.”
She was smoothing her skirts and putting her bonnet and gloves back on, and I did the same. By the time the chaise pulled up in front of Wakefield Manor, we were ready to be handed down gallantly by Reeve.
Lord Bradford was waiting to greet
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