Observations on the Danger of Female Curiosity: Including an account of the unnatural tendencies arising on the over-stimulation of the mind of a lady by Suzanne Moss

Author:Suzanne Moss [Moss, Suzanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aesculus Books
Published: 2022-11-18T22:00:00+00:00

A day with Cecily was scouring. Despite her best efforts, at dinner that night Thea couldn’t keep from challenging Martha on the new introduction. ‘Did you have a nice time with Mrs Simmons today?’ she asked blandly, straining to keep her voice light.

Martha met her gaze, unwavering. ‘I did. She is an interesting lady.’

‘I am surprised she interests you, you seem to have little in common?’

‘It is diverting to hear about the north – they come from Skipton. There is more society here than I expected.’

Thea pressed her fork purposefully into an artichoke and rested it on the side of her plate, tired of the charade. ‘Not a subject which usually diverts you, Lady Foxmore. I wonder that you found her any more interesting than I did her daughter. And I would like to know why you seem to have undergone such a sudden change of heart on my collecting endeavours.’ This, at least, seemed to give Martha pause.

‘I never said I agreed with your mother on the subject,’ she said, her eyes flicking to her plate, ‘but I will not be pressed on it,’

Thea felt her brows raise involuntarily but knew there was little point pursuing Martha’s reasoning. She chose instead to return to the subject of their companions. ‘And yet you felt the need to replace our only intellectual company with that of Miss Simmonds?’

They fixed each other with a steady stare. It continued too long to be comfortable and didn’t break as Martha spoke again. ‘You didn’t find Cecily diverting?’

‘I think you know that I could not.’ After another uncomfortably long silence, Martha simply shrugged and speared a piece of curried chicken. Thea was not satisfied. ‘I do, however, find the Calverts extremely interesting. As, I think, do you?’ Martha shrugged again and didn’t respond, so Thea went on. ‘I shall be glad to have their company at the assembly tomorrow, at least we shall have some established conversation with reasonable people.’ She had been delighted when the Calverts had pressed them to attend the assembly, and Martha had struggled to find a reason to decline.

She watched closely as Martha slowly chewed the next mouthful, and then the next. Finally she spoke, without raising her head. ‘I wonder that you bother to cultivate the acquaintance so ardently, they are not the most well-bred family here.’

Martha never worried about breeding. ‘What objection could you possibly have? All the family are perfectly charming.’

Martha acknowledged only with the flick of an eyebrow. ‘However charming they are the point is moot; their house is north of here, it is not as if you will be able to keep up the society after we return to Thornbury.’

‘There are always letters, and we have plenty of time left in Scarborough.’

‘I am afraid not,’ said Martha, rising from the table as she wiped her mouth on a napkin. ‘I have had word from Mr Constable that he is now at home, we are to journey there sooner than expected.’

‘How soon?’ asked Thea, stunned.

‘Saturday.’

‘That’s the day after tomorrow.

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