Dulcie (The Daughters of Allamont Hall Book 4) by Kingswood Mary

Author:Kingswood, Mary [Kingswood, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sutors Publishing
Published: 2016-11-16T08:00:00+00:00

13: To Shropshire

Dulcie returned with her basket full of blackberries, and her stomach was rather full, too, for they were too deliciously sweet and juicy for her to resist. Polly’s basket was overflowing with green things that Dulcie could not identify. Some were just leaves, but some were pretty little flowers with delicate colouring that adorned the hedgerows and woodland fringes in abundance at this time of year. Polly had found some wild garlic, and a couple of strange mushrooms, too, which she said were good eating.

When they entered the cottage, Jess burst out laughing. “Oh, Dulcie, your own mama would not recognise you, for you look like the veriest hoyden.”

“I am a little torn about from the brambles, that is all,” Dulcie said indignantly.

“Torn about? Is that how you would describe your state? Your arms are scratched to pieces, your hair has half a bush trapped in it and your face is all over blackberry juice. Were they tasty?”

“Wonderful!” Dulcie said, laughing too. “I shall try to bring some semblance of tidiness to my appearance, and then I must start for home. But I shall come again tomorrow — if I may?” she finished uncertainly, turning to Mr Drummond.

“It would be a great kindness,” he said at once. “You cannot imagine my gratitude to you for lightening the ordeal of washing day. There is no favour I can extend to you of comparable magnitude, but I shall not let you walk home by yourself. I shall accompany you as far as the lodge.”

For some reason, this made Jess giggle.

“You are very kind, sir, but there is not the least need.”

“I should not be easy to think of you walking alone. Who knows what you might encounter? There could be any sort of danger… wild boar, for instance.”

Then it was Dulcie’s turn to giggle. “I do not believe there are any wild boar hereabout, Mr Drummond. Indeed, I am tolerably certain there are none to be found anywhere in England.”

“It is just as well to be prepared for any eventuality, however. I shall take my cane, so that I may defend you against… well, anything that leaps from the undergrowth.”

In the event, nothing leapt from the undergrowth, neither wild boar nor any other kind of creature. They walked placidly through the woods engaged in calm conversation. He asked after Mary, but Dulcie could give no better report than to say that she was low in spirits.

“Mr Drummond, may I ask your opinion on a matter? For you are familiar with horses, as I am not.”

“You may ask me anything you wish.”

“I have never seen Mary so despondent, but, having never owned a horse of my own, I cannot quite comprehend the attachment that must form between horse and rider. Is it indeed so deep? And is it quite usual for a person to be so unhappy at the death of an animal? I ask only so that I may treat with Mary in the most appropriate way.”

“How thoughtful in you

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.