Victoria Holt by The Time of the Hunter's Moon

Author:The Time of the Hunter's Moon [Moon, The Time of the Hunter's]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Part Two

The Ruby Earring

The moment I stepped off the train I was aware of him. Emmet was there to take us back to the school but as we came into the station yard, I saw the Verringer carriage with him beside it.

He came forward, hat in hand.

“Miss Grant, what a pleasure to see you. It has been so long.”

I was taken aback, not expecting to see him so soon, but I confess I had been wondering whether he would have returned by the time we got back to school.

“So…you have come back,” I said, and thought how foolish such a statement of the obvious must seem to him, and it would of course expose my embarrassment.

“I have my carriage here,” he said. “Give me the pleasure of taking you back to the Academy.”

“That is kind of you,” I replied. “But Emmet has the school carriage here to take us.”

“It is something of an old rattler, isn’t it? You’ll be more comfortable in mine.”

“We’ll be quite all right with Emmet, thank you.”

“I shall not allow it. Emmet, you can take the baggage and perhaps Miss er…”

He was looking at Teresa who returned his gaze defiantly.

“I was going to say perhaps you would do me the honor of riding in my carriage,” he went on with a faint hint of mockery.

“I shall ride with Miss Grant,” said Teresa.

“That’s an excellent idea. Emmet, I’m taking both the ladies.”

“Very good, Sir Jason,” said Emmet.

I felt angry but it would have looked ridiculous to make a fuss, like making an issue about something which was not really very important. But I had a feeling that everything which brought me into touch with him was important. I felt furious with myself for not refusing in a way which would have been polite and coolly conventional and at the same time conveying to him that I had no wish to be under an obligation to him.

“This is pleasant,” he said. “You can both sit beside me. There’s plenty of room, and it’s the best way to enjoy the scenery. I shall enjoy showing you how my bays perform. I am really rather proud of them.”

And there we were seated beside him, turning out of the station yard into the lanes.

I said: “I trust you had a pleasant tour.”

“Well, one gets a little tired of being away from home. Homesick, I suppose. One broods on what one has left behind. Did you and Miss er…”

“Hurst,” I said.

“Miss Teresa, yes, I remember. Did you enjoy your holiday?”

“Very much, didn’t we, Teresa?”

“The last bit,” answered Teresa.

“Oh…not until the end?”

Teresa said: “The last bit was with Miss Grant, the first with my cousins. That was the bit I didn’t like at all.”

“I can understand how enjoyable it must have been to be with Miss Grant. I envy you.”

I looked straight ahead. “It is to be hoped we don’t meet another carriage in this lane,” I said.

“Ah, memories return. If we do…”

“You will insist on their going back.”

“But of course. I hope I shall see something of you this term.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.