Free A Most Unusual Governess by Amanda Grange Page B
Authors: Amanda Grange
Sarah. Mr Walker might be nonplussed, but she was fully equal to Miss Wilberforce's impertinence.
Mr Walker heaved a huge sigh of relief, and pulled an enormous handkerchief out of his pocket. That is just the way of it,' he blustered, casting a grateful look at Sarah. 'A bachelor! And so necessary to dear mother, or else offering for such an admirable young lady would make me the happiest of men!'
Well!' declared Miss Wilberforce. 1 was only trying to be of service, I am sure.'
'And I thank you for it,' replied Sarah, too amused to be affronted by the ridiculous suggestion. 'But if and when I decide to marry, I am quite capable of choosing my own husband.'
You? Choose?' Miss Wilberforce looked scandalised by Sarah's suggestion that a young lady might have a choice. 'My dear young lady, it is for the gentleman to choose.'
'And is the lady to have no say in the matter?' asked Sarah innocently.
Miss Wilberforce was not used to anyone standing up to her and was so surprised that she could not think of a cutting reply, so that she was reduced to being affronted again. Well, really! I find this conversation most indelicate,' she declared.
Which, as she had introduced the subject of matrimony in the first place, only made Sarah smile and say, 'I agree.'
'I have always thought how pleasant it is to be on the water when it is hot,' said Mr Masterson, changing the subject.
Mr Walker and Sarah were both glad to help him restore harmony in the boat, and fell to talking of other things. But Miss Wilberforce was determined not to let the subject drop until she had the last word.
The lady,' she said forcefully, 'may say "yea" or "nay".'
'Just so,' said Mr Masterson politely.
He found Miss Wilberforce tiresome, but he was too much of a gentleman to show it. Therefore he made her a slight bow, with just an inclination of his head, before turning once again to Sarah. 'You are a good sailor, Miss Davenport,' he commented.
Sarah's eyes danced. 1 hardly think the lake a test.'
'Perhaps not. But 111 warrant you would enjoy the open sea. Have you ever made a crossing?'
Sarah admitted that she had not, but she was interested to hear about his experiences.
'Masterson seems to have a lot to say for himself,' commented Dominic in an aside to James, as there came a lull in the conversation in James's boat. 'He has been talking ever since his boat set off. He's given Miss Wilberforce a set-down, by the look of it, but he and Miss Davenport seem to be getting along famously.'
'Really? I hadn't noticed,' remarked James: wondering, a moment later, why he had told such a bare-faced lie. Because throughout his conversation with Mr Wilberforce — a dithery old gentleman with a mania for collecting butterflies and moths - he had found his attention drifting again and again to Sarah.
She was looking particularly fresh and pretty in her sarsenet gown. The straw hat which completed her outfit suited the delicate oval of her face, and the green ribbon which was tied with a bow beneath her chin brought out the colour of her eyes. Their sea green seemed almost emerald today, and sparkled with a luminescence that roused the sleeping panther in him. It was a good thing he had sent her ahead in the other boat, or else he would have found it impossible to pay attention to anyone else. It was a pity, though, that he had not taken Masterson with him. Dominic could have travelled in the other boat, and would not have monopolised Miss Davenport.
1 dare say he's in love with her,' remarked Peter. He was in high spirits, having been allowed to take the oars for a while.
'People don t fall ion love in an afternoon, Peter, Dominic explained. There s a lot more to it than that.'
'And anyway, it isn't manners for children to talk about a lady and a gentleman being in love,' Lucy informed him. She spoke with immense gravity, her arms folded across her chest, and sounded so comical, giving out advice on manners as though she had been an old lady of sixty
Mr Walker heaved a huge sigh of relief, and pulled an enormous handkerchief out of his pocket. That is just the way of it,' he blustered, casting a grateful look at Sarah. 'A bachelor! And so necessary to dear mother, or else offering for such an admirable young lady would make me the happiest of men!'
Well!' declared Miss Wilberforce. 1 was only trying to be of service, I am sure.'
'And I thank you for it,' replied Sarah, too amused to be affronted by the ridiculous suggestion. 'But if and when I decide to marry, I am quite capable of choosing my own husband.'
You? Choose?' Miss Wilberforce looked scandalised by Sarah's suggestion that a young lady might have a choice. 'My dear young lady, it is for the gentleman to choose.'
'And is the lady to have no say in the matter?' asked Sarah innocently.
Miss Wilberforce was not used to anyone standing up to her and was so surprised that she could not think of a cutting reply, so that she was reduced to being affronted again. Well, really! I find this conversation most indelicate,' she declared.
Which, as she had introduced the subject of matrimony in the first place, only made Sarah smile and say, 'I agree.'
'I have always thought how pleasant it is to be on the water when it is hot,' said Mr Masterson, changing the subject.
Mr Walker and Sarah were both glad to help him restore harmony in the boat, and fell to talking of other things. But Miss Wilberforce was determined not to let the subject drop until she had the last word.
The lady,' she said forcefully, 'may say "yea" or "nay".'
'Just so,' said Mr Masterson politely.
He found Miss Wilberforce tiresome, but he was too much of a gentleman to show it. Therefore he made her a slight bow, with just an inclination of his head, before turning once again to Sarah. 'You are a good sailor, Miss Davenport,' he commented.
Sarah's eyes danced. 1 hardly think the lake a test.'
'Perhaps not. But 111 warrant you would enjoy the open sea. Have you ever made a crossing?'
Sarah admitted that she had not, but she was interested to hear about his experiences.
'Masterson seems to have a lot to say for himself,' commented Dominic in an aside to James, as there came a lull in the conversation in James's boat. 'He has been talking ever since his boat set off. He's given Miss Wilberforce a set-down, by the look of it, but he and Miss Davenport seem to be getting along famously.'
'Really? I hadn't noticed,' remarked James: wondering, a moment later, why he had told such a bare-faced lie. Because throughout his conversation with Mr Wilberforce — a dithery old gentleman with a mania for collecting butterflies and moths - he had found his attention drifting again and again to Sarah.
She was looking particularly fresh and pretty in her sarsenet gown. The straw hat which completed her outfit suited the delicate oval of her face, and the green ribbon which was tied with a bow beneath her chin brought out the colour of her eyes. Their sea green seemed almost emerald today, and sparkled with a luminescence that roused the sleeping panther in him. It was a good thing he had sent her ahead in the other boat, or else he would have found it impossible to pay attention to anyone else. It was a pity, though, that he had not taken Masterson with him. Dominic could have travelled in the other boat, and would not have monopolised Miss Davenport.
1 dare say he's in love with her,' remarked Peter. He was in high spirits, having been allowed to take the oars for a while.
'People don t fall ion love in an afternoon, Peter, Dominic explained. There s a lot more to it than that.'
'And anyway, it isn't manners for children to talk about a lady and a gentleman being in love,' Lucy informed him. She spoke with immense gravity, her arms folded across her chest, and sounded so comical, giving out advice on manners as though she had been an old lady of sixty