Free Venetia by Georgette Heyer Page B

protests?”
    “No, but she is being strongly moved by the spirit, and the chances are it would have moved her to say something impolite to you, which would have covered me with mortification.”
    “Oh, don‟t let that trouble you!” he said, laughing. „Only tell me how I should address her!”
    “Well,   we   have always called her Nurse.”
    “No doubt! But it won‟t do for  me to copy you. What is her name?”
    “Priddy. The underservants call her   Mrs.   Priddy, though I can‟t think why, for she has
    never been married.”
    “Mrs. Priddy she shall be. You won‟t tell me I rank above the underservants in her
    esteem!” An irrepressible chuckle made him glance down at her; he saw the brimming merriment
    in her eyes, and demanded: “Now what? Do I rank above them?”
    “I don‟t   think   so ” she answered cautiously. “At least, I never heard her say, even of the ,

    laundrymaid, that she would be eaten by frogs!”
    He gave a shout of laughter. “Good God, does that fate await me?”
    Encouraged by the discovery that he shared her enjoyment of the absurd she laughed  back at him, saying: “Yes, and also that your increase will be delivered to the caterpillar.”
    “Oh, I‟ve no objection to that! The caterpillar is welcome to my increase!”
    “No, how can you be so unnatural? Increase   must   mean your children!”
    “Undoubtedly! Any side-slips of mine the caterpillar may have with my good-will,” he  retorted.
    “Poor little  things!” she said, adding thoughtfully, after a moment: “Not that it is at all  easy to perceive what harm one caterpillar could do them.”
    “Do you know that you are a very strange girl?” he asked abruptly.
    “Why? Have I said something I ought not?” she said rather anxiously.
    “On the contrary: I‟m afraid it was I who did that.”
    “Did you?” She wrinkled her brow. “Side-slips? Well, that was quite my fault for  mentioning your children at all, when I know you are not married.   Have   you  — No.”
    His lips twitched, but he said gravely: “Not to my knowledge.”
    That drew a responsive twinkle from her. “Yes, I   was   going to ask you that,” she  admitted. “I beg your pardon! The thing is, you see, that I so seldom talk to anyone but Aubrey  that I forget to take care what  I say when I go into company.”
    “Don‟t set a guard on your tongue on my account!” he said, ushering her into the diningroom. “I like your frankness—and detest damsels who blush and bridle!”
    She took the chair Imber was holding for her. “Well, I don‟t think I did that, even in my  salad days.”
    “A long time ago!” he said, quizzing her. “Well, it is, for I‟m five-and-twenty, you  know.”
    “I must take your word for that, but do enlighten me! Do you hold my sex in dislike, or  have you taken a vow of celibacy?”
    “I wish you won‟t make me laugh just as I am drinking soup! You nearly made me
    choke! Of course not!”
    “What a set of slow-tops the Yorkshire bucks must be! This soup seems to be made  “entirely of onions. I don‟t wonder at your choking. And as far as I can see,” he said, levelling  his quizzing-glass at the various dishes set out on the table, “there is worse to come. What the  devil is   that   mess, Imber?”
    “Veal, my lord, with a sauce Bechermell—Mrs. Imber not being prepared for company,”  replied Imber apologetically. “But there is the raised mutton pie, and a brace of partridges for the  second course, with French beans and mushrooms, and—and a dish of fruit, which Mrs. Imber  hopes you will pardon, miss, for his lordship not being partial to sweetmeats she hadn‟t a cream  nor a jelly ready to serve, and, as you know, miss, such things take time.”
    “I am astonished poor Mrs. Imber should have been able to dress   half as many dishes,”  instantly responded Venetia. “With such an upset in the house she can‟t have had a moment to  spare!