Read Online 06.The Penniless Peer (The Eternal Collection) by Cartland Barbara - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cartland Barbara
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to entertaining you.”
Sir Nicolas’s eyes were on her lovely face before he answered slowly,
“I hope you too have been looking forward to my visit.”
“I have indeed,” Hetty smiled, “and I have many plans of ways of amusing ourselves. Come, we must go home.”
She turned as she spoke, and then as if she saw Fenella for the first time she said with a sharp note in her voice,
“Really, Fenella, you look a sad romp, and surely it is time you had a new gown. The one you have on has certainly done its duty through the years.”
There was a look in Hetty’s beautiful blue eyes which told Fenella that the reason for her attack lay in the fact that she and Sir Nicolas had appeared quite at home together when Hetty had first come into the room.
She was wondering how she could answer when Lord Corbury said almost roughly,
“You know as well as I do, Hetty, my Cousin Lionel spends all his money on books and there is none to spare for Fenella. New gowns, although you may not be aware of it, cost money.”
Fenella knew from a note in his voice that he was not really defending her but hating Sir Nicolas because he was rich and because Hetty had been so warm in her greeting of him.
“Poor Fenella, I had forgotten! “ Hetty said in a somewhat affected tone.
She held out her hand to Lord Corbury.
“Goodbye, Periquine, it is delightful to find you home again and so unexpectedly. I know Mama and Papa will want to ask you over to dinner one evening. Papa was saying only yesterday he wondered when you would return.”
She turned her head towards Sir Nicolas and added,
“Periquine and I were brought up together as children, but since he left the Army he has been having a gay time in London and the country now has little fascination for him.”
“That is where you are mistaken,” Lord Corbury corrected. “When you are in Sussex I find it the most fascinating place in the world.”
Fenella drew in her breath. She knew that Periquine was deliberately asserting himself to show Sir Nicolas that he too was a suitor for Hetty’s hand, and she was afraid that Hetty would not be pleased at his being so outspoken.
But Hetty was used to having every man who looked into her lovely face a slave to her beauty.
“Dear Periquine, you were always so flattering,” she simpered.
Then slipping her arm through Sir Nicolas’s she looked up into his eyes and said confidingly,
“Take me away, Sir Nicolas, or Periquine will turn my head with his compliments. I swear he has a touch of the Irish in him, for he expends his blarney on every pretty girl he meets.”
Lord Corbury’s lips were pressed tightly together and his chin squared. Fenella saw the flash of anger in his eyes, and fearing that he would make things worse for himself, she said hastily,
“Goodbye, Hetty, you look lovely, simply lovely! I am sure that not only Periquine but every man in Sussex would vote you the most beautiful girl in the world, if they had the opportunity to do so.”
As she finished speaking she realised that Sir Nicolas was smiling at her. Not a very broad smile it was true, little more than a stiff stretching of his lips, but nevertheless a smile of understanding.
‘Perhaps he is more perceptive than he appears,’ she thought to herself.
Then with a flutter of her blue skirts Hetty led the way from the Salon into the Hall, chattering to Sir Nicolas and leaning on his arm as they walked towards the front door.
Because there was nothing else for them to do, Lord Corbury and Fenella followed behind.
‘It is almost like a wedding procession,’ Fenella thought to herself and realised how infuriated Periquine would be if she said the words aloud.
Outside in the drive there were two vehicles, both drawn by magnificent horse-flesh.
Hetty’s chaise, which she often drove herself, had only one horse but Sir Nicolas, having come from London, had a Phaeton drawn by four.
It was clear that he had changed horses on the way,
Sir Nicolas’s eyes were on her lovely face before he answered slowly,
“I hope you too have been looking forward to my visit.”
“I have indeed,” Hetty smiled, “and I have many plans of ways of amusing ourselves. Come, we must go home.”
She turned as she spoke, and then as if she saw Fenella for the first time she said with a sharp note in her voice,
“Really, Fenella, you look a sad romp, and surely it is time you had a new gown. The one you have on has certainly done its duty through the years.”
There was a look in Hetty’s beautiful blue eyes which told Fenella that the reason for her attack lay in the fact that she and Sir Nicolas had appeared quite at home together when Hetty had first come into the room.
She was wondering how she could answer when Lord Corbury said almost roughly,
“You know as well as I do, Hetty, my Cousin Lionel spends all his money on books and there is none to spare for Fenella. New gowns, although you may not be aware of it, cost money.”
Fenella knew from a note in his voice that he was not really defending her but hating Sir Nicolas because he was rich and because Hetty had been so warm in her greeting of him.
“Poor Fenella, I had forgotten! “ Hetty said in a somewhat affected tone.
She held out her hand to Lord Corbury.
“Goodbye, Periquine, it is delightful to find you home again and so unexpectedly. I know Mama and Papa will want to ask you over to dinner one evening. Papa was saying only yesterday he wondered when you would return.”
She turned her head towards Sir Nicolas and added,
“Periquine and I were brought up together as children, but since he left the Army he has been having a gay time in London and the country now has little fascination for him.”
“That is where you are mistaken,” Lord Corbury corrected. “When you are in Sussex I find it the most fascinating place in the world.”
Fenella drew in her breath. She knew that Periquine was deliberately asserting himself to show Sir Nicolas that he too was a suitor for Hetty’s hand, and she was afraid that Hetty would not be pleased at his being so outspoken.
But Hetty was used to having every man who looked into her lovely face a slave to her beauty.
“Dear Periquine, you were always so flattering,” she simpered.
Then slipping her arm through Sir Nicolas’s she looked up into his eyes and said confidingly,
“Take me away, Sir Nicolas, or Periquine will turn my head with his compliments. I swear he has a touch of the Irish in him, for he expends his blarney on every pretty girl he meets.”
Lord Corbury’s lips were pressed tightly together and his chin squared. Fenella saw the flash of anger in his eyes, and fearing that he would make things worse for himself, she said hastily,
“Goodbye, Hetty, you look lovely, simply lovely! I am sure that not only Periquine but every man in Sussex would vote you the most beautiful girl in the world, if they had the opportunity to do so.”
As she finished speaking she realised that Sir Nicolas was smiling at her. Not a very broad smile it was true, little more than a stiff stretching of his lips, but nevertheless a smile of understanding.
‘Perhaps he is more perceptive than he appears,’ she thought to herself.
Then with a flutter of her blue skirts Hetty led the way from the Salon into the Hall, chattering to Sir Nicolas and leaning on his arm as they walked towards the front door.
Because there was nothing else for them to do, Lord Corbury and Fenella followed behind.
‘It is almost like a wedding procession,’ Fenella thought to herself and realised how infuriated Periquine would be if she said the words aloud.
Outside in the drive there were two vehicles, both drawn by magnificent horse-flesh.
Hetty’s chaise, which she often drove herself, had only one horse but Sir Nicolas, having come from London, had a Phaeton drawn by four.
It was clear that he had changed horses on the way,
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