Free Curricle & Chaise by Lizzie Church

included in such an elegant dinner party as this. Lydia, however, failed to read the message and interested herself in her companion instead.
    As soon as the ladies had reached the drawing room Mrs Abdale was struck with the happy thought that Lydia must make the coffee. With an agility that surprised even herself, she managed to acquire the seat immediately next to the one taken by Mrs Churchman and at the same time indicate to her niece that she should attend to her own duties and leave their guest to herself.
    ‘My dear Mrs Churchman,’ she began, all smiles now that she had put Lydia in her place. ‘What delightful sons we both have. Why, if you are half as proud of your two as I am of dear Charles you will be a happy woman indeed…’ Then, as she received no reply to this: ‘You will be interested, I know, in the new paintings we have had hung here since you were last with us. Some of them are quite magnificent. Mr Abdale had Mr Brownlee paint a full length portrait of me only three months ago – it really is splendid, although not quite as like as I should have hoped, but with a wonderful view of the ruin in the background and in the prettiest frame imaginable. The paintings in this room, as you will see, are now all of Abdale. We have moved all the old portraits into the parlour. Some are very fine indeed, although I could have hoped for a larger canvas for some – but there, Julia, my dear, point out some of the best paintings over there – I feel sure that Mrs Churchman will be interested in what you have to say…’
    Robbed of their conversation yet again, Mrs Churchman and Lydia submitted to the demands of Mrs Abdale with commendable resignation. Poor Julia was in a more uncomfortable situation. She was a little afraid of Edward’s mama and as she had never taken the trouble to give more than a cursory glance at the new masterpieces on the wall she was not over confident that she would point the right things out. It was lucky for her, therefore, that Henry Churchman appeared in the drawing room even before Lydia had made the coffee, for it put Mrs Abdale into such a flutter of spirits that she completely forgot what it was that she had wanted Julia to say.
    ‘Well, Mr Churchman, you are eager for your coffee, I see,’ she said instead, ushering him to the seat close by her daughter. ‘You must be quite partial to it, I must say, to leave the other gentlemen so soon.’
    If she was looking for a compliment she signally failed to elicit it. Instead, he simply bowed gravely and took the seat indicated, but he remarked enough to Julia about the dinner and the unexpected (and disruptive) arrival of her brother to reassure his fond neighbour that all was still well in that direction.
    The other gentlemen appeared within the hour and Mrs Abdale immediately suggested that they might enjoy a little music. Julia was happy to oblige. Indeed, she had prepared her performance in advance, to the extent of having practiced for a full twenty minutes that very afternoon, and took her place at the (rather grand) instrument with only the slightest display of reluctance. Her mama was pleased to note that Henry Churchman immediately took the opportunity of changing his seat to be nearer the pianoforte. Lydia, too, happened to be positioned nearby and was about to make some remark to her new neighbour when Edward C hurchman placed himself next to her and demanded some opinion on the song.
    ‘I am very fond of it,’ she said, surprised.
    ‘As am I,’ was the reply. ‘It has always been a favourite of mine and Miss Abdale plays with such charm and sensitivity it is a double delight to me.’
    ‘And yet you prefer to talk than listen?’
    ‘I prefer to talk and listen to you .’
    ‘You flatter me, Captain Churchman – I’m certain you would rather avoid it, if you could.’
    ‘No, indeed – you put words into my mouth which I should never wish to say.’
    ‘Maybe not aloud – but you may think them all the