Reawakening Miss Calverley. Sylvia Andrew

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СКАЧАТЬ course! Whatever you say, Cully.’ James turned to the girl. ‘Try not to worry. Enjoy that soup if you can.

      I remember it from my childhood. I wasn’t too fond of it then, and I don’t suppose it tastes any better now.’

      ‘It’s good, wholesome food and it didn’t do your lordship any harm,’ said Mrs Culver. ‘Nor your brother, either. Don’t listen to him, miss.’

      After James had gone out, Anne took a sip of the soup. ‘What is his lordship thinking of? This is delicious!’ She finished the plateful eagerly, but refused an offer of more. Mrs Culver removed the tray and told the maid to take it out. Then, after she had tidied up and seen to Anne’s needs, she sat down on the chair by the bed. ‘I’ll just stay till you are ready to sleep, miss,’ she said.

      Resting thankfully against the pillows Anne said, ‘Lord Aldhurst is very kind. Have you known him long, Mrs Culver?’

      ‘Ever since he was a little boy. His lordship and Master John lived here with their grandmother when the boys’ parents were off on their travels.’

      ‘Master John?’

      ‘His lordship’s younger brother.’ Mrs Culver sighed. ‘But he died, and now there are just the two of them left—Lady Aldhurst and his lordship.’

      ‘Lord Aldhurst is not married?’

      ‘Not yet.’ Mrs Culver gave Anne a look. ‘But I understand that he is as good as engaged. Before she left for London Lady Aldhurst was sure it was all settled.’

      ‘So he…he has someone in mind?’

      Mrs Culver nodded and said cheerfully, ‘His lordship could have married any one of a number of young ladies, of course, but he and Lady Barbara have known each other since they were young. It would be a very suitable match.’ She paused. ‘And we’ll all be very pleased when he does marry. It’s time we had a new generation of Aldhursts running about the place.’ She got up from her chair. ‘But I can see it’s time you had a rest. I’ll get one of the maids to call in on you occasionally, but she won’t wake you. Sleep is the best cure for most maladies.’

      But sleep would not come to the girl in the bed. She had found the news that James Aldhurst was about to be married dispiriting. He was her rock, her safe place in the uninhabited wilderness that was her world at the moment, and, however unjustified, the thought that he was about to marry someone else was most unwelcome.

      She lay awake, thinking about her rescuer. He had been gentle enough with her, but she suspected he was not usually a patient man. He was an aristocrat to his fingertips, self-assured, his manner occasionally verging on the autocratic. But the servants seemed to like him. And there had been laughter in those grey eyes. Tall, athletic, dark haired, grey-eyed, with a sense of humour—James Aldhurst was a very attractive man…And, she told herself, he was a man who was about to marry. It was better to stop thinking how attractive he was!

      She looked round the room for something to distract her and her eye was caught by a mirror on the dressing table opposite the bed. With a shock she realised that she had not the slightest idea of what she herself looked like. Was she beautiful? Or was she plain? What was the colour of her hair, her eyes? She pulled a strand of her hair forwards and saw that it was dark brown. But her eyes? Did she have a squint? Was her nose crooked? Were there gaps in her teeth? She stroked her nose. It felt reassuringly straight. And when she ran her tongue over her teeth they all seemed to be there. That left the question of her eyes, and that couldn’t be settled without looking in a mirror.

      But the mirror lay tantalisingly out of reach. She sank back. Perhaps it would be better not to see herself at the moment…She would not be looking her best. A bandage was not an aid to beauty, and it was perfectly possible she had a black eye, too. She lay fretting about this for a full minute before she decided that it was no use—she had to get to that mirror!

      When she first put her feet to the ground she was not so sure, but after a minute or two she managed to stand without too much difficulty. Taking one step at a time, she held on to the chair, the foot of the bed. So far, so good…She stretched out for the table…and suddenly her legs gave way and she lost her balance.

      Rose heard the crash and came running in. When she saw her charge lying on the floor in a heap she ran out in a panic, calling frantically for Mrs Culver.

      James had been out with the agent and had just come in. He was in the hall when he heard the maid’s cries, leapt up the stairs three at a time and was stunned when he got to the bedroom door to see Anne lying in a crumpled heap by the chest of drawers. But before he even reached her she was struggling to get up, uttering a cry of frustration as she collapsed again, her feet tangled in her nightgown. Without a word he swept her up and took her back to the bed. He stood for a moment holding her in his arms, looking into the face so close to his. ‘What happened?’ he asked grimly. ‘Who did this?’

      Chapter Three

      James’s touch was having a strange effect on Anne. She stammered, ‘I d-d-did.’

      ‘What do you mean, you did? Who left you lying on the floor?’

      ‘I fell. All by myself. No one else was here.’ ‘You fell? Why wasn’t someone with you?’ ‘They…they thought I was asleep in bed.’ ‘So you should have been! What on earth were you doing over there?’

      She hesitated, then hung her head and said in a low voice, ‘I…I wanted to see what I looked like.’

      ‘See what you…’ James looked at the chest of drawers. ‘Oh! The mirror!’ He regarded her with astonishment. ‘You wanted to see yourself in the mirror? Do you realise that you’ve just given me the devil of a fright! I thought for a moment you’d been attacked!’ He started to laugh. ‘What does it matter what you look like at the moment? Or did you think your bump on the head had given you a black eye?’

      ‘It isn’t at all funny!’ she said, looking up indignantly. ‘It’s very natural to want to know what one looks like, and I have no idea.’ After a pause, she added, ‘A black eye wouldn’t really matter, it wouldn’t last. But…have I…have I a squint?’

      This produced another laugh, but he quickly became serious and said, ‘I’m sorry—I hadn’t realised…No, there’s no sign of a squint.’ He studied her for a moment, then said slowly, ‘In fact, I think your eyes are the loveliest I have seen in a long time.’

      She was startled. ‘What?’

      He went on, still studying her intently. ‘They are large, the dark blue of lapis lazuli, and they are straight and deep and true. And there’s not even a hint of a black eye. Will that do?’

      A delicate rose coloured her cheeks. ‘I’d say it was more than enough, sir! Thank you.’ She gave him a small smile. But something about the way he was looking at her confused her. She looked away and said nervously, ‘Perhaps you’d better put me down before Mrs Culver comes in. She won’t approve of your being here.’

      Laughing, he said, ‘Don’t you think I deserve something before I do?’ Then, when she looked up again, puzzled, he kissed her. The kiss was deliberately light and fleeting, nothing more than a casual caress, but her eyes widened and she stared at him in surprise. For a moment his grip tightened, but he put her carefully down on the bed almost immediately and said abruptly, ‘I…I’ll get the mirror for СКАЧАТЬ