A Perilous Secret by Jane Wetherby

Author:Jane Wetherby
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2020-12-30T18:00:00+00:00

9

I returned to number eleven feeling far more refreshed than when I had left. Whether that was because of my time beside the river painting or because of my chance encounter with Colonel Strickland, I could not be sure. All I knew was that no matter what I did, I could not get him, or his words, from my mind.

Even before he had run into me beside the river, it seemed he had been hoping to see me again. It seemed that our short conversation that we had at Lord Voss’s dinner party had left as much of an impact on him as it had on me.

We dressed for dinner, Aunt Patience gushing over the new dress that I had received from the seamstress Mrs. Crauford. It really was something lovely to behold, made of soft crepe in a soft white with small pearls adorning the sleeves. It was rather snug, and it took Mrs. Bower a few moments to strap me into the corset that came with it. I told myself I would not wish to sit down, lest I tear the delicate fabric.

We took two carriages to Sir Yate’s home where the dinner party was to be held. Aunt Patience was all abuzz with excitement, listing off the guests to Sir Hayward as we went.

“And, if we are quite lucky, Sir Hayward, perhaps Colonel Strickland will be there and will be entertaining our dear niece,” she said, giving me a broad grin.

My heart skipped. I had not had the chance to tell her that I had seen him earlier that day in the garden near the park, as Lady Voss had been around for the rest of the day. I took a moment to tell her and Uncle Charles what had transpired down by the river.

“And he sat with you?” Aunt Patience asked, her eyes wide.

“Yes,” I said. “Right beside me on the grass.”

“And he said that he wished to see you once he returns from Bristol?” Aunt Patience asked.

“He did,” I said.

Aunt Patience lay a hand on Uncle Charles’s arm, her eyes growing wider. “My dear Sir Hayward. Could it be true? Has our dear Amelia already found a potential suitor?”

“Let us not get ahead of ourselves, my darling,” Uncle Charles said, patting her hand affectionately. “We still have some ground to cover. As you said, he is to be going to Bristol. We shall have to wait until his return.”

“Unless he is delaying his trip to tomorrow so he may attend the dinner party this evening?” she said excitedly, grinning. “Oh, dear Amelia. How happy we are for you.”

I wished to be as excited as she was, but part of me still feared his aunt’s interference. I did not dare raise my suspicions to Aunt Patience, as Lady Voss was a dear friend of hers, and if she had thought that perhaps Lady Voss was intervening, surely, she would have said as much.

The house where Sir Yates and his family were staying was somewhat larger than number eleven, though it was not as centrally located.

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