Maggie MacKeever by Bachelors Fare

Author:Bachelors Fare [Fare, Bachelors]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Lady Davenham would have benefited from a large dose of sunshine; she was sunk in gloom, as became apparent to Sir Malcolm the instant he stepped across the threshold of her bookroom. Situated at the front of the first floor, this small chamber contained tall oak bookcases with rectangular glazed windows, a few chairs with high arched backs, silver sconces on the walls, and a kneehole writing desk. At this latter item was seated Thea, staring glumly at her household accounts. Nimrod was stretched out in a highly unattractive manner, snoozing on the hearth.

“Good morning, Cousin!” Sir Malcolm—resplendent in a loose floor-length banjan, fashioned of expensive silk and belted at the waist, slippers, and a tasseled cap—strolled farther into the room. “You wished to speak with me?”

Lady Davenham looked up from her accounts. “No!” she snapped. “But I think I must, since you are involved in this imbroglio as deeply as I.” She pushed the chair back. “Sometimes, Malcolm, I vow I wish you had not come home.”

Sometimes Sir Malcolm experienced that same wish, due primarily to his cousin’s unsolicited efforts on his behalf. To tell her so was out of the question, naturally. Sir Malcolm seated himself comfortably on one of the bookroom’s several chairs—or as comfortably as was possible due to the chair’s high arched back. “I did not mean that!” Thea broke into his thoughts. “This is a bad business. I am wholly overset.”

Of what business had put Lady Davenham out of temper, Sir Malcolm—among whose virtues was no disinclination to heed gossip—had no doubt. “If you are referring to the recent meeting of the Horticultural Society—”

“The Horticultural Society!” Lady Davenham fairly shrieked. “Malcolm! If you begin boring on about verbena and ageratum, I shall—oh, I don’t know what I shall do, but it will be something very drastic.”

Obviously, his cousin had not yet learned of the disruption of the Society’s recent meeting, and Sir Malcolm did not feel obliged to disclose that disruption’s source. From all accounts the members agreed that never had their august body enjoyed so stimulating an interval. Malcolm thought of the mischievous Miss Bagshot, and smiled. Then he thought of Miss Bagshot’s escort.

What the devil was Vivien about? Duke must know his escapade would eventually be related to his wife. “Verbena and ageratum?” Malcolm repeated. “Am I to assume that Vivien does bore you with such stuff?”

“You know he does. Not that I find it boring, precisely—it is just occasionally I would welcome a discussion of more personal things, or would have welcomed such discussions! Now the opportunity has passed.” Lady Davenham’s energetic perambulations about the small chamber brought her in frequent proximity to the hearth. Each time her skirts brushed by

him, Nimrod snarled. “Never have I been so mistaken in anyone. I mean to say: fleshpots!”

Fleshpots? This simple declaration snagged Sir Malcolm’s attention, which had begun to stray. Not surprisingly, he assumed Lady Davenham had used the term in conjunction with himself. “You’ve been around Vivien too long, my Thea;

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.