Free Tea and Scandal by Joan Smith

the lake. Fenwick noticed that the grass was nearly all gone.
    “ You had two dozen swans last year, did you say? ” he asked Scawen.
    “ Aye, and now I ’ m down to four, along with the chicks. First they moved to the far end of the lake, then they disappeared entirely. ”
    “ Two dozen is a large flock for this small area, ” Fenwick said, glancing around. “ I wonder if they didn ’ t clear out the food supply. You should put out some grain for them. Birds won ’ t stay where they can ’ t feed. ”
    “ I shall speak to the gardener at once. He looks after the swans, ” Scawen said, frowning at the frazzled remains of grass. “ And while we ’ re at the Hall, I shall get Miss Lonsdale a glass of wine. She is pale as paper. Let us go along. Mama looks forward to meeting you, Miss Lonsdale. ”
    With a thought of Lady Sykes, Jane preferred to return to Wildercliffe.
    “ I look a fright, Mr. Swann. I wore my oldest gown and these old shoes. My shoes are wet and now my skirt is muddied from Wilkie. Another time. ”
    “ Mama won ’ t mind. She always looks a fright. ” He looked at his swans, and decided they were starving to death.
    “ I would really rather not, ” Jane said again.
    “ Then we must get you home at once. ” Again he looked at the hungry swans and frowned. Their topaz eyes seemed to be demanding nourishment.
    “ I can take Miss Lonsdale home, if you ’ re in a hurry to speak to Jenkins, ” Fenwick offered.
    “ If you ’ re sure you don ’ t mind, ” Swann said.
    “ It would be a pleasure, ” Fenwick assured him.
    Swann hurried off to speak to Jenkins, and Fenwick offered Jane his arm for the return trip. She felt a little shy, with Fenwick ’ s hand holding her elbow.
    “ It was an interesting outing, even if I did dirty my gown, ” she said. “ I ’ ve never had close contact with swans before. They looked so harmless and beautiful, floating on the Avon in Bath. I shall never look at them in quite the same way again. It was foolish of me to try to pick up the cygnet. ”
    Fenwick stopped walking and looked down at her. “ You are a wonder, Miss Lonsdale. Most ladies would be fainting and carping and complaining. I see you ’ re going to be easy to entertain. ”
    She looked quite shocked at the notion of Lord Fenwick entertaining her. “ I am accustomed to entertaining myself. ”
    This statement also struck him as a wonder. Young ladies did not usually dismiss his offers of friendship so cavalierly. “ And how does Miss Lonsdale usually entertain Miss Lonsdale? ” he inquired, with growing interest.
    They resumed their stroll through the meadow. “ Miss Lonsdale finds herself easy to entertain. Reading novels, looking at the shop windows, visiting with her friends. ”
    It was the words “ looking at shop windows ” that called up a pathetic image of Miss Lonsdale with her pretty nose pressed against the pane, ogling all the elegant trifles she couldn ’ t afford. He sensed, however, that she would disdain pity.
    “ And here I have been pitying schoolmistresses, ” he said jokingly. “ Why, your life is a virtual round of gaiety. It seems you have come to the right place to continue it. Do you ride, Miss Lonsdale? ”
    “ I had an old cob when I was younger. An equine cob, ” she added, with a smile.
    “ So I gathered. You ’ ve already mentioned your lack of familiarity with swans. I brought my hacker with me. Scawen has a couple of mounts in his stable. Perhaps the three of us can go riding one day. ” He did not particularly want to include Swann in their ride. He wanted to become better acquainted with this quaint little lady, but he felt it would be underhanded to cut Scawen out.
    “ That would be lovely. Such a lot to do, and here I thought it would be lonesome at Wildercliffe. ”
    Again Fenwick felt that wince of pity. “ And there is still church on Sunday to add to the merriment. You will be hard-pressed to fit Lady Sykes ’ s dinner party into