Cousin Cecilia Read Online Free PDF Page B

for driving.”
    Lord Wickham! Cecilia was shocked to the marrow of her bones that this fine buck was none other than the cause of all the marital problems, her Napoleon. She had expected an older, more dissipated gentleman. And after hearing his views on ladies, she had certainly not expected to be favored with any flirtation. Yet her face showed no trace of her astonishment. She even held her ground, to see if she could discover anything more of him.
    “I am happy to hear you will be at the assembly. I hope you will save me a dance,” Lord Wickham said, as he flexed his hand within the glove.
    “I look forward to it.” Cecilia smiled.
    Then he turned to the clerk. “These are fine. Just put them on my account.” The clerk left; there was really nothing more to keep Lord Wickham in the shop, but still he lingered. “If you have been listening at all, you now know my name. Will you not buy a few buttons so that Mr. Taylor can reveal yours?” he asked. Definitely the man was flirting with her and doing it very well, too, for a gentleman who had the reputation of disliking proper ladies.
    “Why it is no secret, milord. I am Miss Cummings.”
    “Miss Cummings.” He bowed formally. “It has been a great pleasure to make your acquaintance. I look forward to renewing it in the near future.”
    As he had bowed, Cecilia curtsied and smiled, but did not make any verbal reply. Lord Wickham left, and she was immediately joined by the entire Meacham family.
    “That was him!” Mrs. Meacham exclaimed, in a voice loud enough to turn heads two aisles away. “He bowed on his way out, and said, ‘How do you do, ma’am.’ Fancy!” As it was the greatest recognition he had bestowed on her since his return, she was much taken with it. Cecilia thought the lady was easily pleased, if this scanty recognition was to undo the harm of a year’s neglect and mischief to her daughters’ suitors.
    “Pray, lower your voice, Cousin,” Cecilia urged.
    The whole group thronged to the window, hoping for a glimpse of either black stallion or blue phaeton. Lord Wickham retired on foot, robbing them of the pleasure. “Upon my word, that was very civil of him,” Mrs. Meacham continued. “And he smiled, too. He cannot be as bad as everyone says.”
    “We shall soon know. He plans to attend the next assembly and has asked me to give him a dance.”
    Such a marvelous piece of news could not be digested in silence. “Cecilia! You never mean it! Did you hear that, girls? He has his eye on your cousin, you may lay your life on it. Here we have been racking our useless brains all night trying to scheme how to meet him—”
    Cecilia took her arm and bustled her into an empty aisle, but still she rattled on. “The very first day you are here, not in the village twenty-four hours till you have met him. Did you get his measure?”
    “Only his hand,” Cecilia laughed. “It looked like a size nine glove, but as to the rest of it, it must wait till the assembly. And now, if you are finished shopping, we must have these materials taken home and call in the dressmaker.”
    “Lord Wickham never attends the assemblies,” Martha said.
    “He’ll attend this one,” Cecilia replied, and laughed an exultant little laugh.
     

Chapter Four
     
    Such a magnificent conquest as Cecilia’s getting Lord Wickham to speak to her kept her in high aroma at Meacham’s, and a discussion of it helped pass the time till the spring assembly on Friday evening. The week passed pleasantly in preparation for the dance, with gowns to have made up, new hairdos to perfect, and some little coaching in deportment.
    Martha would persist in chewing her nails to the quick, and Alice had a sad tendency to swagger like a gentleman when she walked, instead of swaying like a lady. To correct the former, Martha had her finger soaked in pine spirits, and to improve the latter, Alice was required to walk back and forth in the Gold Saloon with Guthrie’s Geography balanced on her