Free The Quiet Gentleman by Georgette Heyer Page B

with him. He decided that he liked both her and Sir Thomas. He was made to feel at home, and although both, in their several degrees, were grateful to him for the service he had rendered Marianne, neither showed the least disposition to toad-eat him. As for Marianne, he could not suppose that a lovelier or a sunnier-tempered girl existed. She bore all her father’s roasting with laughter, and coaxing pleas to be forgiven for having caused him anxiety; and when she saw that he had finished his wine, she jumped up to set down his glass for him.
    ‘I hope that now we have been so unceremoniously introduced, you will visit us again, Lord St Erth. We do not pretend to entertain in any formal style while we are in the country, for Marianne cannot be considered to be out, you know, until we remove to London next month; but if you don’t disdain a game of lottery-tickets, or to stand up to dance in a room with only perhaps half a dozen couples, I shall be very happy to welcome you whenever you should care to come.’
    ‘That’s right!’ said Sir Thomas, overhearing. ‘No state or flummery! We reserve all that for Grosvenor Square. If I had my way – but, there! this little puss of mine is determined to drag me to all manner of routs and soirées and balls, aren’t you, my pretty?’
    She was seated on the arm of his chair, and at once bent to lay her cheek against his, and to say caressingly: ‘Dear Papa! Now, confess! You would not forgo any of it for the world!’
    ‘Ay, I know you! You are a rogue, miss, and think you may twist me round your finger! Come and eat your mutton at Whissenhurst when you feel so inclined, my lord! You know your way, and if you did not, young Martin would show it to you fast enough. No offence, but I’ve a pretty good notion of the way things are at Stanyon, and although I’m sure her ladyship is a very good sort of a woman, I’ll go bail you are yawning till your jaws crack six days out of the seven!’
    The Earl laughed, thanked him, and rose to take his leave. As he shook hands with Marianne, she smiled up at him in her innocent way, and said: ‘Do come again! We sometimes have the merriest parties – everyone comes to them!’
    ‘I shall most certainly come,’ Gervase said. ‘And you, I hope –’ his glance embraced them all – ‘will honour Stanyon with a visit. My mother-in-law is planning one or two entertainments: I believe you must shortly be receiving cards from her.’
    ‘Oh, famous!’ Marianne cried, clapping her hands. ‘Will you give a ball at Stanyon? Do say you will! It is the very place for one!’
    ‘Miss Bolderwood has only to give her commands! A ball it shall be!’
    ‘My love, it is time and more that you ceased to be such a sad romp!’ said Lady Bolderwood, with a reproving look. ‘Pray do not heed her, Lord St Erth!’
    She gave him her hand, charged him to deliver her compliments to the Dowager, and Sir Thomas escorted him to the front-door, and stayed chatting to him on the steps, while his horse was brought round from the stables.
    ‘There is no need for you to be giving a ball unless you choose,’ he said bluntly. ‘Puss will have enough of them in another month, and I daresay her Mama don’t care for her to appear at any bang-up affair until after our own ball in Grosvenor Square. We’ll send you a card. But come and visit us in a friendly way when you choose! I like to see young people round me, enjoying themselves, and I remember my old Indian ways enough still to be glad to keep open house.’ He chuckled. ‘No fear of our being dull in the country! If there’s any young spark for twenty-five miles round us whom you won’t find at Whissenhurst, one day or another, I wish I may meet him! But what I say to Mama is, there’s safety in numbers, and I can tell you this, my lord, we ain’t anxious to see our girl married too young! Sometimes I wonder what will become of us, when she sets up her own establishment! There were plenty of people