Free Lady Susan Plays the Game by Janet Todd

second son was about to have a commission in the army and his thoughts ran more on the uniform than on the possible battlefields in France, but he seemed red-blooded enough. The general eagerness of the Pallisers to please argued insufficient wealth, however.
    Having contemplated these guests, and turned each one over in her mind as she ate and talked, Lady Susan felt there was no doubt, no doubt at all, that, despite his endless chirruping and foolishness, Sir James was the best bet in sight in this part of Hampshire. A few remarks from Mrs Manwaring, who was delighted with her daughter’s catch, had clarified the nature of his acres. ‘His estates are in mid-Lincolnshire near Grantham and include good flat land. I believe Sir James has an advanced sort of agent who is enclosing much of it for crops and developing livestock. Whatever is done, it is unencumbered and to the north has some fine timber.’
    Lady Susan agreed that the estates sounded admirable. ‘Mary is much to be envied. But the young man is even luckier since he is obtaining such a handsome and accomplished wife.’
    Mrs Manwaring smiled. She still had her sweet smile.
    Mary, who was talkative herself but had little chance against Sir James and his violent laughter, told Frederica of the clothes she was to have when they were next in London and the fashions in furniture and hangings she was plotting when they opened a town house. ‘We are to have a place exactly where I want, near Grosvenor Square. We shall lease it at first to see if it suits, then have somewhere of our own. At least, I don’t know, I said that, but sometimes you know Sir James doesn’t listen and chatters about his horses and carriages and that. But it’s no matter.’ She giggled, then went on, ‘I think there should be matching colours throughout, don’t you? I am fond of lilac. Mama says it suits my colouring. With pale green, you know, it gives off a glow. Silk is best. The Pallisers have the most vulgar set of hangings in the world, not at all in silk. Mrs Palliser always looks such a fright.’
    Frederica was bemused but since Mary wanted only an open ear there was no need of a reply. With this kind of intercourse the two girls got on tolerably well.
    Lady Susan noted the accord, together with the slight improvement in Frederica’s public manner. Indelibly a country miss, she had perked up a little among the green fields and dripping trees Yet Lady Susan was annoyed to find her still sometimes sitting by the window in her chamber, streaking her face with tears for a father now dead these many weeks. Surely that was too long for such grief.
    She would have remonstrated had she not seen that Frederica’s quiet grieving manner was not unappealing. In her plump unformed way she had a mournful prettiness that was more obvious here than in town, and Sir James, Lady Susan had discovered, when she stopped him babbling of horses, was sentimental.

Chapter 5
    A few nights later the family and their guests, Sir James, Lady Susan and Frederica, were assembled in the Chinese drawing room. Sir James had taken a liking to Lady Susan and she seemed to appreciate him. Mrs Manwaring was pleased. Her husband failed to understand what a fine thing the young man was for their daughter and paid him little attention.
    In fact, Manwaring had once tried to oblige his wife by admiring Sir James’s phaeton: the attempt had not been repeated.
    â€˜Yes,’ Sir James had replied, ‘you see the perch is here nine feet and the king bolt that little bit longer than usual. If you look below, you will see that the linchpin cannot easily become loose as so often happens, you know, and on a steep hill the iron skid shoe comes into place – see here – not that in Lincolnshire we have many steep hills.’ He’d laughed immoderately at the notion of flat fields until spittle collected round his mouth; then he’d stopped abruptly and