The Swynden Necklace by Mira Stables

Author:Mira Stables [Stables, Mira]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Endeavour Media
Published: 2018-05-03T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Aunt Thomasine was mildly disgruntled over the increase in the household. There were rooms a-plenty and Mrs. Goodborn had raised no objections to cooking for three extra people, even going so far as to say that it would be quite a treat to cook for a hungry schoolboy. Poor Tamsin, presumably, was expected to have a more lady-like attitude towards food. So there was no particular domestic difficulty. But she and Honor had been going along very comfortably and now the girl would have to spend much of her time in entertaining the twins, while she herself must give up the quiet card parties that she so much enjoyed so that she might bear her cousin company. Though she still chaperoned Honor to most of the functions at the Assembly Rooms, she had lately fallen into the way of allowing her to join Mrs. Charnley’s party for such concerts and lectures as she wished to attend. Even a chaperone was entitled to an occasional evening off, thought Aunt Thomasine, and since Honor did not care for cards the arrangement suited both of them. It was not that she was not genuinely fond of her cousin and the children, rather that she felt that she saw quite enough of them at home. Nor would it improve Honor’s chances in the marriage mart to have a brother and sister for ever tagging at her heels.

Honor, for her part, welcomed her family with a warm upsurge of affection. Not since her school-days had they been so long parted, and it was delightful to spend a long cosy evening hearing all the news of home. But by the end of the first week she was almost ready to admit that Aunt Thomasine had been in the right of it. Mama was deeply interested in her daughter’s social progress. Also in every detail as regards the birth, fortune and expectations of every gentleman who had paid her any attention. The list was a long one, and by the end of the inquisition Honor was brought to feel that she was sadly lacking in both filial duty and feminine cunning that, with so much opportunity, she had not yet brought one of these promising fish safely to grass. However, all was not yet lost, said Mama with kindly encouragement Aunt Thomasine had told her that Sir Ralph Rampton was greatly épris. He would be a prize well worth winning. But fortune and rank were superior and, if her cousin was to be believed, his person and his manners were as distinguished as his birth. But there must be no more of this foolish dilly-dallying. Honor would know just how to drop a hint that an offer would meet with her Mama’s approval. No doubt that was all he was waiting for. Gentlemen were ever wary of a refusal that might injure their self-esteem.

It was useless for Honor to protest that she did not wish to marry Sir Ralph. Mama smiled indulgently and commended the propriety of her attitude.

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