Lady Polly by Nicola Cornick

Author:Nicola Cornick [Cornick, Nicola]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9781408954140
Publisher: MIRA
Published: 1998-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Polly was mortified when Lord Henry chose to escort his mother and sister to Dillingham the following day. She had spent a restless night tossing and turning, reproaching herself for her hasty words to him and for giving him the opportunity to humiliate her further. It was only when she had become calmer that Polly had wondered what Lord Henry had meant by saying that his reason for arranging to meet Lady Bolt had perhaps not been what people might think. Though she puzzled over it, Polly could think of no explanation other than the obvious. It was another mystery to add to all the other riddles surrounding Henry Marchnight.

Fortunately Polly was not required to sit in the drawing-room and make polite conversation with him. Nick Seagrave offered to show Henry the stables and the two of them went off, leaving the ladies alone.

The Duchess and the Dowager Countess Seagrave had never been close friends, but they quickly found common ground in mutual acquaintances and experiences, and when they were comfortably established, Laura turned to Polly with a shy smile and asked if she might see the orangery.

“I have heard that it dates from the seventeenth century and is very fine,” she confided, as they strolled along the covered colonnade that connected the main part of the house to the conservatories. “Mr Farrant, who was telling me something of the history of the house and the village, said that lemons were grown here as early as 1690 and that your family had wanted to carry on the tradition! Only fancy! He is a very agreeable gentleman, is he not?”

Polly, who had allowed her thoughts to drift in the inevitable direction of Lord Henry, was amused and a little surprised at the determined manner in which Laura had already steered the conversation on to what interested her. She smiled.

“Indeed, he is! We have known Charles Farrant for an age and always found him a most pleasant and congenial man.”

“I was surprised,” Laura said a little hesitantly, avoiding Polly’s gaze, “that such an amiable man was as yet unmarried. But perhaps he has some understanding with…that is, perhaps there is a lady…” Her voice trailed away and she fixed Polly with a hopeful look from her grey eyes.

Polly pushed open the orangery doors and they entered the humid interior, heavy with the scent of citrus.

“Oh, no, I think it is simply that Mr Farrant has not yet met a lady who made him wish to give up his bachelor state! He was a great admirer of Lucille—Lady Seagrave—before her marriage, but I believe he has never sought to enter the state of marriage himself!”

Laura was listening with attention. Polly was diverted by the concentration the younger girl was devoting to the topic. Clearly it mattered to her a great deal.

“And his family?” Lady Laura pursued, pretending to admire the orange trees in their ornamental tubs. “It is perfectly respectable, is it not?”

Polly’s lips twitched. “Oh, entirely unexceptionable! But…” she hesitated, thinking

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