The Dutiful Daughter by Vanessa Gray

Author:Vanessa Gray [Gray, Vanessa]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Published: 2015-04-08T07:00:00+00:00

15

“The ruins of the abbey are accounted to be most picturesque,” said their lecturer, Thaddeus Invers. He was a well-read man, skimming all the new books, paying heed to the intellectual talk in various salons to which he had entry. He considered himself, therefore, an authority, instead of the reflecting surface that he was.

“The picturesque is becoming fashionable,” he said. “There are many novels with this emphasis now being published. A writer would be most fortunate could he come upon a ruin like this.”

Lydia proclaimed, “They are such romantic stories. Wicked noblemen peering around the rocks, maidens in dungeons. I don’t doubt there is a secret chamber in that abbey.”

She looked with great care at the ruin ahead of them, and cried, in a voice choked with excitement, “I think I see something moving!”

Sophy said, with scorn, “You think it’s a wicked nobleman?”

Stoddard sneered, “It’s more likely bats.”

Stoddard was out of charity with them all. He was essentially an urban man, and the country required too much walking. Unfortunately, Stoddard believed himself the soul of wit. For this day, in retaliation for Invers’ insistence upon a country outing, Stoddard became clever.

Lydia chastised Stoddard openly. “How bad of you to scoff at such a clearly romantic site!”

Edward, audibly but less noticeably, said, “Lydia, mind your manners.”

Thus encouraged by Lord Rothwell himself, Stoddard eyed Chloe. “Never mind, Rothwell. Ladies always notice a man for his wit.”

Edward, having little wit himself, objected heavily. “The women in my family are full of common sense, thank God, and listen to those worthy of respect.” Edward’s eyes turned toward Invers, still lecturing on the subject of the novels that were pouring out of the Minerva Press. Meanwhile, Richard was wondering what family he could mean, for Lydia and Sophy gave no evidence of being full of sense.

Edward continued defending his family. “The novels of which Invers was speaking,” he said heavily, “are unknown at Rothwell Manor. For you must know that I censor all the reading of my family. It is too bad that the world has allowed such trash to sully the minds of our young people. My bookman insists on sending me copies, from time to time, even though I expressly inform him not to. His excuse for doing so is a flimsy one, at best. They are popular, he tells me,” Edward ended with a sneer. “Popular! All that means is the abandonment of all morals and elevated thought.”

Invers, tacking in mid-course as he became aware of a breeze from a different quarter, changed direction to match Lord Rothwell’s district bias. Richard, while amused at Invers’ transparent toadying, was disquieted.

Feeling sorry for Invers, unarmed in any battle of wits, Chloe gave him her attention. “I have no knowledge of the subject for I have not seen these novels. Lady Rothwell’s preference, and you must know that I read to her, lies more along historical lines.”

Edward agreed, “Yes, indeed. My mother has become much interested in Dean Milner’s Ecclesiastical History.”

Richard all but shuddered. Fortunately

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