‘No real harm done, young man,’ he said lightly. ‘Not all experiments work, you know—but I have to say that perhaps the public highway is not the best place to run your trials.’
Rupert heaved a sigh of relief and attempted a smile. ‘Thank you, sir—I shall remember that.’
Latimer, looking over the boy’s head to Georgina, saw that her eyes were now warmly signalling her own thanks to him and he experienced a jolt of elation at her approval. Now that he had a better chance to study her, he was struck by her fine, clear complexion and healthy energetic glow. There was something about her that was beyond mere beauty; a lack of self-consciousness, perhaps, quite different from the uninspiring gaggle of pale-faced and insipid débutantes he had left behind in London. What was more, he noted with approval, her hair was not cropped in the latest fashion, but hung about her shoulders in a riot of tumbling curls. His heart seemed to contract and it took a supreme effort to remind himself of his recent conversation with Radley.
He had observed, along with the signs of mourning, the well-worn conditions of his surroundings, which prompted him to be wary in furnishing a great deal of information about himself but, as a sop to stave off any possible curiosity, he explained briefly that he was staying in the vicinity and hoping to do a little sketching.
‘I can see that you are an artist, Mr Latimer,’ said Georgina, who was examining his now restored folder of work. ‘These are very good. May I ask how you come to be in Compton Lacey? I would not have thought it an especially interesting choice for a sketching holiday.’
‘I hardly know myself,’ admitted Latimer. ‘The name just seemed to appeal to me, somehow—and it is a very pretty little village, as I’m sure you will agree?’
‘Well, I love it, of course, having lived here all my life. But I scarcely imagine that you will find anything of note to sketch—especially if you are intent upon making your living with your pictures.’
He raised his eyebrows, feigning astonishment. ‘Oh, come now, Miss Cunningham,’ he protested, with a wide grin on his face. ‘The church? The village green with its delightful duck pond? The blacksmith’s forge? All excellent subjects for a rural masterpiece, surely?’
Georgina looked at him doubtfully. ‘I have the distinct feeling that you are bamming me, Mr Latimer,’ she said. ‘None of those views in Compton Lacey are particularly picturesque, as I suspect you have already ascertained, but I shall certainly be interested to see your attempts to make them appear so.’
He laughed and, as their eyes met once again, the same ripple of awareness passed between them. Georgina flushed and continued to busy herself tidying his pens and pencils, wondering why on earth she should be feeling so fumble-fisted.
‘I trust you will find everything in order.’ Head bent, she prayed that Latimer had not seen her rosy cheeks for, above all, she did not wish him to think her a silly schoolgirl, blushing because a handsome stranger deigned to bestow a smile upon her. Then, admonishing herself for such mawkish behaviour, she closed his pencil-case with a snap and placed it on a side table with the rest of his things. Her irritation increased as she then decided that the man was, in all likelihood, employed by some wealthy family as an art tutor and was probably only too accustomed to schoolroom misses swooning over his dashing good looks—and she certainly had no intention of joining their number!
A smiling Latimer had observed the blush and his spirits rose. He took it to mean that she had registered the attraction between them and, if he had interpreted the signals correctly, she did not seem to be averse to his attentions. His true status was unknown and, if he were clever enough to keep up his charade, unlikely to be discovered in this little backwoods of a village. He began to look forward to his sojourn in the countryside.
Relaxing, for he had become aware that the pain in his ankle was gradually subsiding, he leant back against the cushions of the sofa and surveyed with interest the scene before him.
Mrs Cunningham was busying herself pouring lemonade into glasses with the boy, Rupert, in attendance. Radley and the younger Miss Cunningham had left the room and could be seen, through the open door, strolling hand-in-hand in the garden. Georgina, having restored his possessions to their rightful order, had taken a seat on the opposite side of the room, as far away from him as she could possibly be, he realised with a grin and, in spite of several attempts on his part to engage her attention, seemed bent upon ignoring his presence which, if she had but known, merely had the effect of increasing his fascination.
He became aware that Rupert was standing by his side enquiring whether he would care for a drink and, as he smilingly accepted the glass that the boy was offering him, he asked, ‘You are not at school? Surely the summer term has not yet ended?’
Rupert shot an anxious glance towards his mother, who intervened on his behalf.
‘My son was recalled from Rugby upon the death of his father,’ she supplied. ‘He hopes to return to his studies in the autumn.’
Latimer nodded. ‘I am sorry to hear of your loss, ma’am,’ he said gently. ‘And I am more than sorry to be an added inconvenience to you at this time and would take my leave but, unfortunately, I doubt that I can trust my ankle to get me down the lane to my cottage.’ He observed, to his satisfaction, that this reference to his injury had at least gained Georgina’s attention, for she had turned her head to cast a startled glance in his direction. With an inward grin, he continued, ‘In addition, I fear that there is little likelihood of my being able to get back into my boot. Have you, by any chance, some suitable means of conveyance that I could borrow?’
‘My dear sir!’ Mrs Cunningham raised her hands in protest. ‘You must not think of leaving until you are fully recovered. Please feel welcome to remain as long as you consider necessary. Fortunately, we do have our own trap—Rupert shall run and tell Daniel to bring it round on your command.’
‘You are very kind, ma’am,’ replied Latimer, ‘but I feel I have already taken up too much of your time. If Mr Radley might be persuaded to assist me, I will take myself off your hands.’
Mrs Cunningham was about to make further disclaimers, but Georgina had already risen from her seat, glad of an excuse to leave the room. ‘I’ll fetch Radley at once,’ she offered swiftly, as she made for the doorway, ‘for I’m sure Mr Latimer would prefer to be back in his own cottage.’
What she had taken to be Latimer’s amusement at her blushing countenance had left her feeling gauche and unsettled, quite unlike her normal level-headed self. She seemed to have grown witless and totally without conversation in his presence, all of which made her very cross indeed and she now desired nothing more than the provoking man’s speedy departure.
At her call Radley came on the instance and immediately volunteered to drive Latimer back to his cottage, the trap was brought round and, almost before she knew it, Georgina found that her wish had been granted.
Positioning herself at the rear of the family group as farewells were exchanged, she felt somewhat piqued that Latimer who, upon taking his leave, seemed not to notice any reticence on her part. After a casual smile in her direction, he had briskly turned away to assure Rupert that he was totally forgiven, which, upon reflection, she conceded ruefully, was a fine thing to have done.
Still somewhat at a loss, she remained at the doorway until the carriage disappeared around the bend. What is it about him that has affected me so? she wondered angrily. Surely she must have imagined that audacious challenge in his eyes?
Shaking her head, she entered the house, determined to put him out of her mind, only to find, of course, that he was the one topic of conversation that occupied the others, with Rupert excitedly relating his part in the proceedings to Sophie who, as usual, had been too engrossed in her reading to venture out of her father’s study. Mrs Cunningham, however, gently pointed out that the outcome of his foolish prank could have been far more serious and that he must hope that poor Mr Latimer had suffered no lasting damage.
‘He did seem an awfully n
ice gentleman,’ said Katharine, ‘and he really was most good-natured about it all. For if he has to make his living by selling his sketches, it would be most inconvenient if he were to be laid up—why, the poor man could starve!’
Which remark immediately reminded Georgina that there still remained the unpleasant task of relaying to her mother Mrs Radley’s generous offer to supply the family with provisions and, with that uppermost on her mind, she suppressed any further thoughts of Latimer.
He, on the other hand, was bent on extracting from Radley as much information about the Cunninghams as he could without appearing overly curious. In the event, he found that this was a relatively simple matter, once he had hit on the idea of commiserating with the younger man on having to postpone his nuptials, a subject upon which Radley was prepared to wax full and long; at the end of his soliloquy, Latimer was in possession of much of the family’s background.
‘And Miss Georgina Cunningham?’ he enquired pleasantly. ‘A pretty girl like that won’t be lacking beaux, I imagine?’
‘Good heavens, no!’ laughed Radley. ‘My Kate tells me that she’s had a fair few offers—turned ’em all down. Takes a dim view of “romantic nonsense”, it seems. My own feeling is that they all had a lucky escape—her being so managing and all. I prefer a more compliant partner myself.’
‘If what you say about Miss Cunningham’s prospects is true, I imagine that none of them was rich enough to suit?’
‘Hardly! Simon Quentin, up at the Manor, is pretty well heeled and so is Frank Turner, Sir Walter’s son. Funnily enough though, Kate tells me that John Mansell has been paying the family a more-than-usual number of visits recently but, even if he does get the living, it’s certain he hasn’t a sou to bless himself with, so I can’t say that I rate his chances very highly.’
‘You seem to be quite certain that Miss Cunningham is set on making a wealthy match.’
Frowning, Radley considered his words. ‘Well, it has to be the most obvious solution in her present situation,’ he said finally. ‘And, as soon as Kate and I are wed, I’ll make it my business to see that both she and young Sophie, when the time comes, are given whatever assistance they require in that direction. Until then Mother and I will do what we can to help the family by other means at our disposal.’
He glanced sideways at Latimer, studying his shabby, casual attire. ‘You’ve not gone and fallen for her, have you? I did try to warn you, old chap. It’s pretty clear that you’ve hardly a penny to your name. Not a lot to be made selling drawings and suchlike, I imagine?’
‘That’s true,’ affirmed Latimer heavily, glad that he’d had the foresight to retrieve some of his recently discarded garments from his bewildered valet. ‘I’d do better to concentrate my mind on earning my crust, I suppose.’
He spent the rest of the short journey in silent contemplation. Yet another daughter waiting to sell herself off to the highest bidder. He cursed, and put aside the sudden flash of anger that came with the thought. Shrugging, he then decided that this shouldn’t prevent him from enjoying a harmless little dalliance for a few weeks. Certainly, the lady did not seem entirely averse to him and, as for himself, he was willing to concede that there was something of a challenge involved in setting up a flirtation with one who was said to scorn ‘romantic notions’, especially one as attractive as Miss Georgina Cunningham.
He had already made a mental note of her sisterly concern, having witnessed her anger at Rupert’s slight facial injury, in addition to her obvious anxiety as to how her brother’s apology would be received; hence Latimer’s calculated decision to address his parting words to the boy. Clearly, the way to the lady’s heart was by way of being accepted as a family friend since, if Radley’s words were to be believed, he would hardly be regarded as any sort of suitor which, for the time being, would suit his purpose admirably. He then spent the remainder of the short journey pondering on the best way to further his acquaintance with the family and, through them, Georgina herself.
The following morning, however, on responding to a knock at the door of his rented cottage, he was surprised to see the young lady in question accompanied by not only her brother, but also a much younger version of the flaxen-haired Miss Katharine, as well as the two large dogs involved in the previous day’s mishap.
Georgina had been most reluctant to pay this call and, had her refusal not seemed odd in the circumstances, she would have given a good deal to get out of it. In the event, her normal level-headedness persuaded her that here was the ideal opportunity to show the arrogant Mr Latimer that she was in no way the simpering ingénue that he very likely took her for.
The visit had come about because Mrs Cunningham, after an initial show of indignation, had come to the conclusion that she had no option but to accept Mrs Radley’s generous help in the spirit in which it had been offered. Then, on reception of a very handsome hamper of produce, she had hit upon the notion of inviting the clearly straitened Latimer to partake of a decent meal with them—it being, as she put it, the very least they could do after Rupert’s foolish behaviour.
Ushering his unexpected visitors into his rather untidy sitting room, Latimer found himself apologising for the disorder and made a half-hearted attempt to clear up the papers that lay about but, as his movements were now dependent upon a walking stick, his efforts were to little avail.
Georgina insisted that he sit down immediately. ‘For we are not come to cause you even more discomfort, Mr Latimer, but to issue an invitation to dine with us,’ she said briskly and, assisted by the two children, bustled about the room picking up the unfinished sketches and stacking them in a neat pile on a side table. This mundane activity having helped to restore her self-confidence, and now feeling in complete command of the situation, she sat herself down opposite him and continued, with perfect composure, ‘If it is convenient, Mr Radley will be happy to pick you up at four o’clock—we dine at five. Mama will be so pleased if you would agree to join us.’
Radley had the right of it, thought Latimer, somewhat disconcerted. She is managing but, by Heaven, she’s even lovelier than I recall. He leaned forward in admiration, eager to begin his planned strategy.
‘The pleasure will be entirely mine, Miss Cunningham,’ he replied, giving her the benefit of one of his disarming smiles. ‘And my heartfelt thanks for your good offices here.’ He indicated the orderly heap at his elbow. ‘A high honour indeed to be attended by such an attractive housemaid.’
Georgina steeled herself to regard him with an impassive stare. ‘That has to be one of the silliest remarks I ever heard,’ she said evenly, ‘and, if you are to be our friend, I wish you will refrain from such absurd piffle.’
‘Am I to be your friend, Miss Cunningham?’ he returned instantly, his eyes alight with laughter. Dished at the first manoeuvre, by God, he thought, and grinned in appreciative acknowledgement.
‘We will be pleased to have your company this evening, Mr Latimer,’ she said carefully. The man did have the most devilishly charming manner, she conceded to herself, and, if one were not very careful, one might easily find oneself quite overset by his outrageous smile. ‘As to myself, I tend to view all new acquaintances as friends until they prove otherwise. I should warn you, however, that I have a very poor opinion of flirts.’
At these words, Latimer was somewhat taken aback but, quickly recovering his sense of humour, he pressed her. ‘Why so, Miss Cunningham? Surely flirtation is simply regarded as a light-hearted exchange between two equally matched contenders.’
‘That may very well be true, sir,’ replied Georgina, carefully suppressing a smile, ‘but I did say “flirts” and not “flirtation”. I have no quarrel with anyone who chooses to indulge in such sport. I am merely pointing out that I do not. I have been singularly unimpressed with any previous attempts to which I have been subjected, including, if I may say so, Mr Latimer, your own rather clumsy effort.’
Latimer was silent for a moment. Then, ‘You are quite right, Miss Cunningham,’ he said
, in mock gravity. ‘It was clumsy. I shall do better next time, I promise.’
To his delight, Georgina burst out laughing. ‘Oh, but you are incorrigible, Mr Latimer,’ she declared, her violet eyes dancing. ‘Clearly I shall have to be on my guard. Just promise me that you will not compose ditties to my “moon-like face” or “jewelled lips”, I beg of you!’
‘Good God!’ he said in astonishment. ‘You have surely never received such drivel? A schoolboy, I suspect?’
Still smiling, she shook her head. ‘Not at all. The gentleman in question was nearer to your own age, I fear, and it merely reinforced my opinion that all such nonsense is flummery. If there is one thing I really detest, it is insincerity.’
Latimer swallowed uneasily. ‘Perhaps the poor chap was merely an abysmal poet,’ he offered, struggling to overcome his dismay. ‘Although, I have to say,’ he added thoughtfully, ‘I do have an inkling of what he was aiming for.’
‘So did I,’ nodded Georgina, her eyes twinkling. ‘But he could hardly expect to be taken seriously after that, could he?’
‘So if I swear never to besiege you with inferior verse, I may count myself your friend?’
‘You may, Mr Latimer, although the gift of my friendship seems hardly an adequate return for the debt we owe you for saving Rupert from injury, especially considering the way he repaid you.’
‘All that is forgotten,’ he said cheerfully. ‘I assure you that I mend very quickly.’
‘I’m very pleased to hear it.’ She gave him a broad smile before gesturing to the pile of sketches now neatly stacked on the table. ‘You have clearly travelled very extensively. You have lived abroad?’
‘I was with the military until recently,’ Latimer offered reluctantly, instantly on his guard. ‘I have always made a point of jotting down sketches whenever I can. As I mentioned yesterday, I believe that one can always find something worthy of recording, no matter where one finds oneself.’
Dorothy Elbury Page 4