The Orphan (Silver Linings Mysteries Book 5) by Kingswood Mary

Author:Kingswood, Mary [Kingswood, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Sutors Publishing
Published: 2020-06-12T16:00:00+00:00

17: A Dowry

The first London engagement brought a surprise to Evie, for who should be there but Edward Folkard’s uncle, the Earl of Lampeter, with his wife, two of the very last people Evie wanted to see. That, she supposed ruefully, was the disadvantage to the more superior society in which she was now moving.

“Evie?” the earl said in astonished tones when they met in Lady Cullingworth’s drawing room. “Is it truly you?”

“You know Miss Parfitt?” their hostess said.

“Her mother was a Folkard,” Lord Lampeter said. “We are cousins.”

“Very distant, my lord,” Evie said, coolly.

Lady Lampeter nodded unsmilingly to Evie and moved swiftly away, but Lord Lampeter drew her to a quiet corner.

“Tell me everything that has happened to you,” he said. “It must be ten years or more since we last saw you, and we quite lost track of you after Mr Parfitt died. You went to an aunt, I believe? In Winchester?”

“I am astonished that you should remember that,” Evie said.

He looked oddly embarrassed. “Naturally we always took an interest in you, for your mother’s sake. Hermione lived at Folkard Hall for many years, and was quite one of the family, you know. But I thought you must have been married long since. Were there no eligible young men in Winchester? There are some very good families there, I am sure.”

That made Evie smile ruefully. “However good the society, my aunt and I were not part of it, my lord. She is the relict of a canon, and still lives in the Cathedral Close. We are very quiet there, our only excitement an occasional dinner at the Bishop’s Palace.”

“But you have friends in town, or I should not have the pleasure of meeting you here.”

Again she smiled. “I am here as the companion and adviser to Miss Violet Barantine, the young lady in the sprig muslin over there. I should not be here otherwise.”

“A companion?” he said, frowning. “And she is not a relation? I do not like to think of you obliged to accept such a position.”

“I am very glad of it, you may be sure, for how else could I enjoy the delights of London?” she said lightly. “Tell me of yourself, my lord, and the children. Walter must be at Eton by now, I expect.”

He took the hint and talked of his own five children and all the doings of Folkard Hall until called away to be introduced to someone else. She had no further opportunity to speak to him, thankfully, but on the carriage ride home, Mrs Bradbrook said, “Goodness, but Lord Lampeter was curious about you, Miss Parfitt. He asked me so many questions! I had no idea the connection between you was at all close.”

“Nor is it. We are very distant cousins, that is all. My mother lived at Folkard Hall as the poor relation until she married my father. After she died, the old countess took an interest in me as I grew up, and I was very friendly with the

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