Free Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind by Heidi Ashworth

with you. We really should write to her and explain our situation.”
    By Jove, the very thing. “Very good, Miss Delacourt. I thought perhaps you had better write it. You would know better than I how to appease her on the subject of her roses.”

    Ginny walked over to the escritoire and drew out some notepaper. “I don’t know about that. I’m afraid nothing will serve short of my laying eyes on them” With a graceful swish of her skirts, she seated herself at the desk and tapped the tip of her nose with the quilled pen. “I suppose I shall just have to tell her the truth.”
    As she dipped her pen in the inkwell and began to write, he studied her profile. He was fascinated by the way her emotions were mirrored in her face. He knew just when she came to the part about their misfortune on the road by the way her eyes flashed and her chin raised a fraction. When she wrote why they must stay on at Rose Arbor, she bit her lip with empathy for Nan. Her little nose wrinkled in consternation, most likely when she wrote her apology for not sending a report on the roses.
    She signed her name with a flourish and sanded the paper. “Do please read this and see if I left out anything important. I want to send a note to Dunsmere and have some of my clothes sent here. I can’t get along with just this one gown”
    Sir Anthony took the paper and perused it. “Naturally, you will want to look your best for Lord Avery”
    Ginny looked at him in some surprise. “My only wish is to not offend my fellow housemates by appearing at dinner in the same soiled and crumpled gown night after night. I should think you of all people would understand”
    To his surprise, he chuckled. “I think I shall never again take good grooming for granted. I would be most grateful if you would ask that my spare wardrobe I keep at Dunsmere be sent along, as well.”

    Ginny stared at him, wide-eyed. “Those clothes must be at least three years old”
    “What of it?”
    “Only that they won’t be bang-up-to-the-mark such as what you have on presently.”
    “Ah, yes, Miss Delacourt, but as you said, they will provide relief for my companions.”
    Ginny scratched out the second note leaving him to read what she had written to Grandmama. It was well written and certainly factual until the end, where she had added a postscript, which read: “Sir Anthony wishes to send his apologies for failing to accomplish his task.”
    Failing to accomplish his task! That was outside of enough! He forced himself to remain calm. “Miss Delacourt, I believe you have made an error here in the postscript.” He leaned over her and pointed to the offending phrase.
    She studied the paper. “No, I don’t think so. I can’t see that I’ve misspelled anything.”
    He felt his back stiffen. “It is the entire postscript that is in error. I’m sure I don’t recall having said anything along those lines.”
    “Oh, that! You know your grandmama. A few wellchosen words and she is much more amiable about things. I hope you aren’t going to make me write it over.”
    That was exactly what he had in mind, but it wouldn’t do to say so at this point. In fact there was very little he could say without revealing how annoyed he felt. He knew it was unjustified. If only he knew what accounted for it. Surely he didn’t care if Ginny called him a failure! Did he?

    Pulling himself together, he said, “Very well, Miss Delacourt. I concede to your wisdom. If you will be needing me in the near future-a circumstance I very much doubt-I will be in the drawing room with the others” He managed a very proper bow and a perfectly correct smile before he got himself out of the room as fast as he could, no mean feat considering his sore ankle and the nonchalant stroll at which he forced himself to proceed.
    Perhaps Miss Delacourt had no need of him, but there was little doubt in his mind he could make himself useful to Lucinda Barrington. He should attempt to save her from the lily-faced