Page 15 of The Book of Lost Stories
She was looking forward eagerly to the excursion, for this was one day when she could enjoy herself without fear of Lord Rayven’s sardonic presence or his deep voice in her ear, drawling the sort of near-insolent remarks the responses to which she had not been taught by Miss Grimshaw.
Nell and Alys, under the indulgent eyes of their elders, were merry as grigs all the way to Knaresborough.
7
Taking the Waters
Raymundo fixed his burning, dark blue orbs on Malvina’s white and anguished countenance.
‘Be mine, or this chamber will be your tomb, for there is but one way out, and that will be sealed if you do not give me the answer I desire by the morrow.’
The Travails of Lady MalvinabyORLANDO BROWNE
Mr Pullen stayed in the carriage when they reached Knaresborough, warmly wrapped in a travelling rug and with the newspaper to amuse him, while the rest of the party went to view the Dropping Well.
They were fascinated by the strange array of objects hung there to petrify in the water and, in exchange for a few coins, an elderly man told them the history of the well, and pointed out some of the more interesting items.
‘Were my cousin James here, I expect he could have lecturedus at great length on the scientific explanation of the phenomenon,’ Alys commented to Nell. ‘I am so glad he is not.’
‘Is Mr Basset of a scientific turn of mind?’
‘He thinks he is, but in reality his understanding is no more than moderate.’
‘Have you seen enough, girls?’ Lady Basset enquired. ‘Shall we take a turn along the riverbank before returning to the carriage? There seems to be quite a pretty walk there and I believe the rain will hold off a while yet.’
Alys was surprised, since her aunt did not in general care for exercise, but she and Nell were very happy to accompany her even at Lady Basset’s dawdling pace.
They were enjoying the lovely prospect and the fresh air until Nell, happening to look round, espied a tall figure dressed for riding in breeches, top boots and a blue cutaway coat, striding rapidly towards them.
‘Alys, look. It is Lord Rayven!’ she exclaimed, clutching her friend’s arm. ‘What canhebe doing here?’
‘Whatindeed?’ Alys said drily, for it could be no mere coincidence that brought him to this exact spot. Glancing suspiciously at her aunt, Alys espied a momentary gleam of complacency on her face, before she greeted his lordship with expressions of surprised pleasure, which he met with a raised eyebrow and a sardonic bow.
Nell made a frightened schoolgirl’s bob and Alys dropped him the slightest of curtsies before turning to Lady Basset and saying, ‘Aunt, it looks increasingly like rain. Perhaps we should be making our way back to the carriage. I am sure Mr Pullen will be wondering what has become of us.’
Nell, who always seemed to be struck dumb with terror in the vicinity of his lordship, squeezed her arm gratefully, butLady Basset appeared to be about to disagree. Then one or two large drops of rain darkened the dusty path and she changed her mind, especially when she recalled that she was wearing her best bonnet. ‘Perhaps we had better turn back, girls, after all,’ she agreed reluctantly.
‘In that case, perhaps I may be permitted to escort you to your carriage?’ Lord Rayven suggested, clearly not a man to recognize a snub, and Lady Basset agreed with unbecoming alacrity. Somehow, she manoeuvred it so that she walked on ahead with Nell, whose pace she declared suited her own, so that Alys had perforce to take his lordship’s arm and follow on behind.
‘Let us admire this vista for a moment or two,’ he said, restraining her when she would have set off immediately after the others. ‘Or rather, let me admire you, for I had not believed until today that grey could be so becoming. Your spencer and ribbons are the exact clear shade as your very beautiful eyes. Besides, this is the first opportunity I have had to speak to you entirely alone and uninterrupted. Let us not waste it.’
To her annoyance Alys felt herself blush at the compliment and looked about nervously, but other than the slowly receding figures of her aunt and Miss Pullen, could see no other visitors, even though there had been several earlier at the well. They were all alone under a leaden and threatening sky.
She looked up doubtfully at Lord Rayven and for just one moment the incredulous idea that he might be about to propose to her crossed her mind. Then it was as quickly dismissed: he had been attentive enough since their first meeting, it was true, but not in any loverlike way.
‘Sir, there is nothing you need say to me that cannot be said before others,’ she said firmly. ‘Besides, the sky grows darker every minute and I am sure we are in for a downpour. I would prefer to return to the carriageimmediately.’
‘Demure as a nun’s hen to the last!’ he said, with a curl of his lip. ‘But come, Miss Weston, you do not need to pretend to me to be anything other than what you are, and I think you and I could get on very well without the excellentLadyBasset.’
Alys tried – and failed – to remove her hand from his arm, for he put his other hand over it and held it firmly. ‘I do not know why you always refer to my aunt in that sneering way.’
‘Come, you know she is no more a lady than that mallard over there! That she has been an actress is writ plain all over her.’
‘She was an actress before her marriage, but I am sure that is not a criminal offence,’ Alys said tartly.
He looked down at her and smiled, a glint of admiration in his dark blue eyes. ‘You play the part of reluctant innocent so admirably that, were it not for your companion, I would perhaps have been entirely taken in.’
Finally managing to pull her arm from his grasp with a great wrench, Alys turned, backing away a little and stared at him, or rather, up at him, since he was of commanding build and towered over her, even though she was above the average height.
