Free Miss Landon and Aubranael (Tales of Aylfenhame Book 1) by Charlotte E. English Page A

gratifying, or so she told herself, and she really tried to feel it. But it was wearisome to be treated as an invalid when her health had suffered no ill effects whatsoever.
    And so, when news came—news of a sort to divert all attention and speculation away from Miss Landon—Sophy was considerably relieved. The news regarded an arrival. Tilby was a small town, its society usually unvarying; as such, any visitor at all could command a great deal of attention. How much the better when it proved to be a double arrival! Two visitors at once, actually taking a house, and meaning to stay for some weeks at least! When it was discovered that the two visitors were gentlemen, and wealthy, and to all appearances unmarried, Tilby went into raptures—and no one more enthusiastically than Anne.
    ‘Sophy! I have never seen such handsome gentlemen!’ she announced, sailing into the parsonage one morning with her bonnet askew and her reticule in a tangle about her wrist. ‘I saw them both at church yesterday—how strange, by-the-by, that you did not attend! Were you not well? Are you recovered now? Your father could hardly remember the words of his sermon for worry over you, I am sure of it. Well, but their names are Mr. Stanton and Mr. Green, and they are marvellously fashionable, and quite rich besides! They have taken Hyde Place, which no one thought anybody would ever do. They came out of Nottinghamshire, so Miss Gladwin says; though I cannot find out quite where, or why they should want to come here of all places.’
    She paused for breath. Sophy, suffering pangs of guilt over Anne’s description of Mr. Landon’s sufferings, had hardly attended to the rest of this speech. Searching for a passable response, she managed: ‘I daresay they are very agreeable.’
    ‘Oh, to be sure! At least, Mr. Green must be, for I never saw anyone smile so much. I am wild to find out more, so please, do come with me into town!’
    ‘I am not sure how a walk into town will further this praiseworthy ambition,’ Sophy said, amused in spite of herself. ‘I hardly think young men are to be found peering into shop windows on such a fine day as this. They will be out riding.’
    ‘Perhaps they may, or perhaps not! We will never find out, unless we go, so do please say you will come.’
    Sophy agreed to it—not because she entertained any expectation (or any particular desire) of encountering the newcomers, but because she had an errand to perform in the town, and to be seen walking may settle some of her friends’ disquiet about her.
    ‘I will come with you, if we may go to Miss Sargent’s,’ Sophy offered. ‘I am in sorry need of new ribbons.’
    ‘Oh! Yes, for your summer bonnet I suppose. Very well, we shall go there directly.’ In half a minute she was out the door and hurrying away; Sophy had to hurry to catch up.
    After the glorious ribbons Sophy had seen in the Grenlowe market, she could muster little real enthusiasm for the wares of Tilby’s milliner, but the process must be gone through; and Anne, at least, would take some pleasure in the business. She walked along beside Anne, listening with only half her attention to her friend’s chatter, the rest of her thoughts wandering in Aylfenhame. They reached Tilby’s principle street before she was aware; and then, to her surprise, she saw two unfamiliar young men walking towards them.
    ‘Ah!’ cried Anne in delight. ‘There! I told you we should see them.’
    Sophy had felt so completely secure in her belief that they would not meet the two newcomers that she felt a degree of chagrin, as well as surprise, on beholding them. Her errand must now wait while Anne performed whatever ritual of rapture she deemed necessary. Sophy, of course, would stand by, safely unregarded.
    ‘Indeed,’ answered Sophy. ‘You have shown yourself very clever. But what shall we do with them, now that we have found them? Are you acquainted with them? For I am not, and otherwise we shall not be able to