Mr Forster's Fortune Read Online Free PDF Page A

fair amount of time: Lord Barnham, looking stiff and worn and surprisingly out-dated against the easy style of his eldest son; a sprightly, elderly lady in a remarkably fancy lace cap referred to as ‘Aunt Forster’ who turned out to be his lordship’s sister; a Mr Churchman and his relative Mrs Blackman, passing through Bath on their way across to Ireland; young Mr Springfield, whom she found to be a somewhat unpromising-looking youth sporting a rather odd-looking outfit apparently of military influence; Mr and Mrs Bairstow, en route to York; one or two others. Lord Barnham was all politeness, though perhaps a little forbidding in his formal evening clothes. He was quick to ensure that the servant pandered to her every need, and severe on every imagined inattention.
    It was quite some time before she was fully at liberty to be sought out by his son . But, whether the greyness of the gown or the torment of the hairstyle had anything to do with it or not, she was then able to detect sufficient admiration in his steadfast gaze to satisfy even more-inflated hopes than her own had been. Cecily felt quite small as she finally bobbed him a demure little curtsey. She hadn’t realised just how tall he was.
    ‘You were in quite some haste to reach Bath the other morning, Mr Forster?’ she suggested, allowing herself to be drawn by him to a two-seater settee in a quiet corner of the room. Mr Churchman and Mr Springfield were in the opposite corner, demolishing a game of chess. Well, Mr Churchman was demolishing the game, that is. His hapless opponent had captured hardly any pieces at all and was pondering the situation with a good deal of astonished disbelief. Miss Forster was sitting, watching, with her elderly aunt. ‘I must confess I was really most intrigued.’
    Mr Forster looked mystified.
    ‘How so, Lady Cecily?’ he asked her, eventually . His speaking voice was as arresting as she had remembered it – deep, clear and with impeccable articulation. ‘I must admit that I was keen to reach the city as soon as I could. It was my birthday on the third and I knew that my parents would be anxious to see me – they had set up a most amusing entertainment for me, as it happened. But – but, tell me, do - how ever did you know about that?’
    Cecily allowed herself a secret little smile.
    ‘Well,’ she said , coyly. ‘Well, I wonder, indeed.’
    Now it was the gentleman’s turn to smile. He had a most becoming open smile which quite lit up his face.
    ‘Ha,’ he said. ‘Now you mock me. It is most unkind in you - though I must warn you that you tease yourself as much as me, for I shall harass you for ever for keeping me in suspense.’
    ‘ Oh dear. I do not think that I should like to be harassed for ever. It sounds like torture of the first degree.’
    ‘Oh it is, I can assure you, my lady. You had much better tell me straight away. It would save us both a very great deal of pain.’
    ‘I am not quite persuaded as to why it should pain me , although I can see that it would cause you a great deal of bother - for to harass someone for ever is a capital offence, I hear.’
    ‘Is it indeed? But there, I fear you mock me once again. Show me the statute in which it is written. I will not believe it else.’
    ‘Oh, it is not a written statute at all. I understand it to be more in – shall we say? - the oral tradition.’
    ‘ Ha, well despite your assurances I think it not a capital offence. A judge would find it devilishly difficult to resolve on one’s guilt in so esoteric an affair. But I am not at all a cruel gentleman, you understand. It would be difficult to say whether you or I should suffer the most pain from the experience. You had better capitulate now, my lady. It is much the better thing for you to do.’
    Cecily allowed herself to catch his eye. It was as dark as his lashes , despite its twinkle.
    ‘Very well,’ she acceded graciously. ‘I see that you will give me no rest until I tell you. But you will