Free The Trespass by Barbara Ewing Page A

thinks she is better than us.’
    Alice, too exhausted almost to speak as she lay among the cushions on the chaise longue, said, ‘But she is pretty, isn’t she? I expect she will easily find a husband.’
    ‘As if that is everything,’ said Augusta, who was hunched in the other corner of her mother’s sofa.
    ‘Augusta, do not sit like that, it will spoil your figure.’
    ‘Actually, Augy, you know finding a husband is everything,’ said Alice. ‘You just say things like that because it is me who is getting married and not you.’
    ‘That is ridiculous,’ said Augusta and immediately burst into tears and threw herself against the back of the sofa, spoiling her figure even more.
    ‘I shall go mad,’ cried Lucretia Cooper, ‘if you girls do not stop your endless bickering! As if we did not have enough trouble, and tomorrow her sister the cripple arriving; I am sure cripples are bad luck at weddings. Do you suppose there is some way we can ask Mary not to come?’
    ‘Noooooo!’ Asobel came running in from the porch. ‘I love Mary. She taught me to read. I love her like I love Harriet. Please don’t ask her not to come, Mamma, how can you be so horrible about her and Harriet and so cruel,’ and she burst into tears and threw herself on her mother’s lap.
    ‘I have never heard that cripples are bad luck,’ said Alice and burst into tears also.
    Lucretia Cooper with a supreme effort of will pulled herself upright from the sofa and surveyed her weeping daughters. She gave a loud, large sigh. ‘Girls, girls. We are all far too excited and overwrought. We shall order some wine, even though we are expecting no visitors,’ and she rang the little bell on the table beside her. ‘And some Madeira cake. It is my own fault and only because I am so exhausted. Of course we all love Mary and she is not really a cripple, she has a small limp only. And I do believe that Harriet is only quiet because she is shy. She has been extremely kind.’ Asobel sat up, mollified, and her mother continued: ‘Augusta dear, you must not cry, you want to look your best at the wedding and remember, Lady Kingdom may come and you have only two more days to prepare yourself to look beautiful. As you will, in your elegant new dress. Alice, it is not like you to be so unkind to Augusta, who has been immensely kind and generous and helpful to you in your good fortune and I am sure you regret such unkindness with all your heart.’ And then she gave a little scream. ‘Oh good heavens, Donald, you startled me, I didn’t hear you come in. Where is our wine?’ But the butler handed her first a letter from his tray. She opened it immediately, and gasped.
    ‘Oh my dears, such good news. We must inform dear Harriet the minute she returns, she will be so pleased. A message to say Sir Charles will be accompanying dear Mary.’ And Lucretia Cooper’s demeanour suddenly improved visibly. ‘My dears. It will do a great deal for our side to have the Right Honourable Sir Charles Cooper as one of the family, they must not think all is on their side.’ She positively preened. ‘Now where is Donald with the wine?’
    *   *   *
    Harriet passed the stables. Edward was trying to calm a dog whose leg had obviously been broken; the leg hung, useless, as the dog tried to crawl away. Edward made calming, crooning noises; one of the grooms arrived with some saplings, laid them down on the ground and then knelt beside the dog also, and held its head.
    ‘Oh Edward! What has happened?’
    ‘She got kicked by John’s horse. I’m going to try and mend the leg, I can make a splint from one of these saplings. Keep out of the way Harriet, the dog will try to bite.’ She moved away but saw Edward lift the dog gently, talking to it all the time; then he suddenly grabbed the leg and tried to straighten it; the dog screamed in pain, reared for the groom’s face, its teeth bared. She heard Edward’s calming voice, and the dog’s cries, fainter, as she walked