The Lady Next Door by Laura Matthews

Author:Laura Matthews [Matthews, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Georgian Romance
Publisher: Belgrave House
Published: 1981-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Mr. Geddes was delighted to receive permission to place one bellpull in each of the three lodging units, provided he could obtain Mr. Oldham’s permission regarding his rooms (which would obviously be disrupted by the installation). Mr. Oldham thought to ingratiate himself with his landlady by agreeing, and the work was begun, but he found that Roberts had instructions to prevent his routine evening visit to Miss Findlay and her aunt, by insisting that the ladies were not receiving. At this point, he would have enjoyed rescinding his permission, but there was a hole in his wall and he could not very well call a halt to the work. So he sulked and awaited an opportunity to approach Miss Findlay for a second time.

When Dr. Thorne called to take Marianne riding, there were two men working on the installation of a pull in her drawing room under Aunt Effie's fierce eyes. He pursed his lips and regarded the old lady wryly. “Do I detect the hand of Mr. Geddes in the current upheaval?”

“Very clever of you, Doctor.” If her niece refused to use the proper tactics, Miss Effington was quite willing to make up for this oversight. “Marianne would be impressed by your shrewd guess. We are to have a system of bellpulls to call the servants. A simple brass bell on the table is not good enough for Mr. Geddes. Nor would a silver one be, presumably. No, no, one has to have a System. Daily we become a more Efficient household owing to that young man’s persistent inventive genius."

Her sarcasm amused the doctor, and he laughed as she waved him to a seat. “Is Miss Findlay at home?”

“She has not forgotten that you are to take her riding and will be with you in a moment. What sort of horses are they?”

“Spirited but well-trained. Does your niece require a particularly gentle mount?”

Aunt Effie regarded him as though he had lost the small ground he had made with her. “Does she appear to you the sort of girl who needs a hobby horse, Dr. Thorne?”

"Not at all,” he protested, his eyes dancing. Before he could attempt to reclaim ground, Marianne entered in an old blue habit hopefully adorned with a new fall of lace at the cuffs which she had, at her aunt’s insistence, just completed attaching.

“I’ve kept you waiting, Dr. Thorne. Forgive me.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of a little chat with Miss Effington,” he replied with a grin, “and other than your own companionship, what more could a fellow ask?”

“Obviously nothing.” Marianne bent to kiss her aunt’s cheek. “We shan’t be long, I imagine. If you need anything, Roberts and Beth are both here.”

Miss Effington nodded her satisfaction. "I told you the lace would help. Don’t hurry back on my account.”

Knowing that Aunt Effie believed that the longer she spent with Dr. Thorne, the more likely he was to take an interest in her, Marianne laughed. “Very well, dear, but I shall be back to dine.”

Satisfied, the

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