Rose McQuinn 02 - Dangerous Pursuits by Knight Alanna

Author:Knight, Alanna [Knight, Alanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-07-26T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

The Carthew carriage rolled up to the front door early that morning and Nancy emerged with the two children looking almost too angelic to be real.

Perhaps she hoped that arriving so early she might meet Jack, and I did not mention that she had missed him by ten minutes.

There was still tea in the pot kept warm on the hob and she drank it gratefully after settling Tessa and Torquil with their picture books and instructions to be patient and keep quiet. I supplied reinforcements of bread and jam to brace them for such unnatural requirements while Nancy explained the reason for this morning call.

'The General has decided that the children must have winter coats and hats and sturdy new boots and as they are always up and about by eight o'clock, I decided the sooner we set off the better.' She shook her head. 'Their poor uncle wouldn't know where to begin to make such purchases especially as Lady Carthew is not well enough to undertake such an exhausting shopping expedition. They both felt it was a more appropriate assignment for their nanny, although the General was full of apologies for inflicting-' She laughed. 'That is the very word he used. Rose - inflicting such an imposition on me. Little does he know that in most households this falls to the nanny whether the mother is fit or not. And little does he realize that the chance of shopping in Edinburgh is a great privilege, whatever the excuse.'

I still didn't know why I was being told all this when she said, 'The reason I'm here, Rose, is that I have a great favour to ask. Could you possibly come with me?'

'Why, of course I could, Nancy, and I'd be delighted. Although I'd better warn you I haven't much idea about the needs of young children.'

'I can't believe you would be baffled by such a prospect as buying them suitable clothes,' she said firmly. 'You have such excellent taste, and you will know at once exactly what is right for them,’ she added as if I had some second sight in the matter of choosing bargains where children's outfits were concerned.

'Your confidence is touching, Nancy, but I'm not sure I can live up to your high ideals.'

'Oh yes, you can,' she said. 'And I'm not the only one who has absolute confidence in your abilities.' Looking round in case the children were listening, she added, 'Desmond is sure you'll find Nora for him. He is so grateful to you for promising to do so.'

I was somewhat taken aback if this was what he had told Nancy. 'I didn't promise him anything, only that I would try my best to find out where she had disappeared to. I didn't promise that I would restore her to him.'

Nancy looked disappointed as I went upstairs to change and I had the distinct impression that she felt let down that I did not have some magic formula for finding lost wives. She would

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