An Indelicate Situation (The Weymouth Trilogy) by Church Lizzie

Author:Church, Lizzie [Church, Lizzie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-10-20T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Whereas the music room stood at the rear of the drawing room at Grosvenor Place, a further room which Mr Wright laughingly referred to as his study, but which served as a general area for any activity which could not reasonably be accommodated anywhere else within the household, was similarly to be found at the rear of the dining room across the hall. The study was a little larger than the music room by dint of extending slightly over the outbuildings in the rear yard and it was of an ideal shape to house the somewhat limited selection of books which constituted the Wright family library. Mr Wright had kindly offered Maggie free access to this library whenever she liked and she had contributed her own small but interesting collection to its shelves there in return.

That evening, feeling a little low but disinclined to walk out due to the inclemency of the weather, Maggie determined on visiting the study to establish the extent of the books it had to offer. As a girl she had generally enjoyed browsing for an hour or so, although her taste could hardly be described as superior, but what with one thing and another – her establishment with the Wrights, their removal to Weymouth, the extent of her duties with Augusta and Will – she had not, until now, ventured to indulge her interest very much for the past six months or more.

The study door was open and, not realising that anyone was at home, Maggie walked straight in without so much as a knock. It was therefore a bit of a surprise to her to be confronted by the sight of Mr Wright, who was seated at a slightly battered Sheraton writing desk which was covered in what looked to be papers and books of accounts.

‘Oh,’ she said, stopping in her tracks and blushing furiously. William looked up at her and his face broke into a smile. ‘I am so sorry, Mr Wright. I should have knocked. I had no notion of your being at home at all.’

Mr Wright crinkled his eyes.

‘And why should you be sorry, my dear?’ he asked, rising from his seat and moving towards her with some intent. ‘You should know by now that there is nothing I like better than to have you nearby. You are most welcome to visit me whenever you wish to – as long as my own dear wife is not around, of course. And indeed – perhaps you secretly intended to find me on my own? After all, how can I be sure that you really thought me safely out of the way?’

Maggie felt somewhat taken aback. It was somehow a little disconcerting to find that Mr Wright was apparently so assured of her interest in him that he could actually suggest that she had purposely sought him out.

‘Well, I can only assure you that I did not, sir,’ she countered. ‘I came to browse your selection of books. I had not intended to disturb your solitude at all.

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