Free Sprig Muslin by Georgette Heyer Page B

devotion to her mistress's interests caused her to view Amanda with suspicion and dislike. The news that Sir Gareth Ludlow had arrived at Brancaster with a regular out-and-outer on his arm had rapidly spread through the house; and Miss Povey knew just what to think of beauties who possessed no other luggage than a couple of bandboxes, and travelled unattended by their abigails or governesses. She informed Lady Hester that the Blue bedchamber had been prepared for the Young Person: an announcement that brought Lady Hester's eyes to her face, a tiny frown in them: "What did you say, Povey?" she asked.
    The tone was as gentle as ever, but Miss Povey, permitting herself only the indulgence of a sniff, lost no time in altering her phraseology. "For the young lady, I should say, my lady."
    "Oh, yes! The Blue bedchamber will be just the one. Thank you: I shan't need you any longer."
    This dismissal by no means pleased the handmaiden. On the one hand, she was extremely reluctant to wait upon Amanda, and would, indeed, have bitterly resented a command to do so; but, on the other, she was agog with curiosity. After a brief struggle with her feelings, she said: "I thought, my lady, being as how Miss hasn't brought her own abigail, she would like me to dress her hair, and that." "Yes, presently," said Hester. "And perhaps, since Miss Smith's trunk has gone to Oundle, you could bring that pink gown of mine to her room." She smiled diffidently at Amanda, adding: "Should you object to wearing one of my dresses? I think it would become you, for it is too young for me, and I have not worn it more than once."
    "No, not at all. In fact, I shall be excessively obliged to you," replied Amanda warmly. "For the only other gown I have with me is another morning one, and I daresay it will be odiously crumpled. And this one is very dirty, through my having walked a great distance in it, besides being in the carrier's cart, though I took the greatest care to wrap my cloak round me."
    "Muslin seems to pick up the dirt so easily!" agreed Hester, accepting the carrier's cart as the merest commonplace. "But Povey will wash and iron it for you to wear again in the morning."
    With these calmly uttered words, she led Amanda into her allotted bedchamber, firmly closing the door on her scandalised abigail.
    The bandboxes had been unpacked, and Amanda's few possessions disposed in the appropriate places. That damsel, after a comprehensive survey of the apartment, awarded it her approval, adding candidly: "And Sir Gareth was quite right: I do like you very much, ma'am, though I quite thought I should not!"
    "I am so glad," murmured Hester. "Do let me untie the strings of your hat!"
    "Yes," said Amanda, submitting to this, "but I must warn you, because I never tell lies to people I like, that I do not at all wish to visit an Earl!"
    "I expect you have been brought up on revolutionary principles," said Hester wisely. "I do not, myself, know very much about it, but I believe that many people nowadays—"
    "Oh, no! But the thing is that I particularly wish to establish myself in the sort of situation from which one's relations are bound to rescue one. And if it had not been for Sir Gareth I daresay I might have done it. I was never so taken-in! He said he would take me to Huntingdon, where I had every expectation of being hired as a chambermaid at the George,—at least, that is what I thought he said he would do, only I soon discovered that it was all a hoax—and then, when he had lured me into his curricle, he brought me here instead!"
    Lady Hester, quite bewildered by this recital, sat down a little weakly, and said: "I don't think I perfectly understand, Amanda. I expect it is because I am being stupid, but if you could tell it all to me from the start I am persuaded I shall. But not, of course, if you don't wish! I don't care to ask you questions, for there is nothing more disagreeable than to be obliged to listen to questions, and scoldings, and good advice."