The Virgin and the Unicorn by Joan Smith

Author:Joan Smith [Smith, Joan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Regency Romance
Publisher: Belgrave House
Published: 1995-12-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

The trip to Rye proved uneventful, and to make the day even worse, a gray sky and strong wind from the sea threatened a storm. Laurent dropped the comtesse off at the modiste’s and continued on to visit Madame Lafleur for half an hour. At the end of that time, he had the carriage return to Mademoiselle Chine’s to pick up Louise and the modiste.

The latter brought with her a bandbox, holding a nightgown and a change of linen, and a wicker basket, well known to the local ladies to hold the accoutrements of her profession—pattern books, ribbons, laces, buttons, and such things. The conversation between Pavel and Miranda all had to do with Rotham and the black trunk.

Pavel had rethought his position. “If Papa supports Rotham, then Rotham ain’t doing anything wrong,” he announced. “We have got hold of the wrong end of the stick somehow.”

She was happy to hear his opinion, but was not convinced. “If he is not doing anything wrong, why will he not tell us what he is doing?” she countered.

“Because it is a secret, ninnyhammer.”

“He has done something horrid, or your papa would not have given him that scolding the day he arrived.”

“It was more shock than anything else. The two of them were laughing before the meeting was over, and they have been meeting regularly in Papa’s office without arguing as well. When Papa disapproves, he gives one gigantic rant, treats you as if you did not exist for three days, and then it is over. He don’t behave the way he is behaving with Rotham now.”

They followed Louise’s carriage back to Ashmead at a discreet distance. The remainder of the day was a dead bore. Louise spent the better part of the afternoon in her room with the modiste, while Laurent scowled over the journals in the Blue Saloon. Of Berthier they saw nothing except at dinner, which he took with the family while Slack guarded the room.

The evening consisted of a quiet game of cards, without Berthier. He had returned abovestairs after taking port with the other men. Miranda began thinking it was time to return home. Rotham had not said when he would be back. He might stay in London for weeks or slip off to Brighton to visit Louise.

The next morning Miranda offered to continue repairs to the old tapestry in the Tapestry Room, while Lady Hersham worked at her high-warp loom. The warp threads were drawn tightly around rollers at the top and bottom of the loom to form a background on which threads of the woof would create the pattern.

Lady Hersham checked the cartoon taken from the wedding portrait as she worked at the back of the loom, with a mirror before the tapestry to show her how it looked in front. They were interrupted only once. Louise came to announce she would be leaving for Brighton the next day if that suited Lady Hersham.

“Ma’m’selle is making good time with your gown, eh? That is excellent, Louise.

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