Portrait of Jonathan Read Online Free PDF

considerable time.’
    However, when Lady Melmoth awoke her protégé with a prettily-laid breakfast tray, she found the girl much improved. Lavinia was certainly quiet and most painfully shy which was evidenced by the slight stutter in her speech from time to time, but all trace of the hysteria and fear she had suffered the previous evening was gone. She merely seemed overcome with gratitude towards her rescuers and to the kind Lady Melmoth. The only cloud on Lavinia’s immediate horizon appeared to be her impending return home, but when Lady Melmoth imparted her proposed plan to her, the girl actually smiled and the brown eyes lost their haunted look—though only for a fleeting moment.
    Lady Melmoth found she enjoyed the entire day. She sent for her dressmaker who promised several dresses for Lavinia as soon as was humanly possible and, once Lavinia’s protests were brushed aside. Lady Melmoth and the dressmaker took complete charge and Lavinia was not consulted at all as to style or material. Indeed, there would have been little point, for the child, though well-spoken and well-mannered, was sadly lacking in knowledge of such matters. Lady Melmoth supposed.
    When Lady Melmoth found herself alone with Giles for a few moments she told him, ‘Giles, I have had a reply from the Kelvins—they are delighted to have their daughter stay with us for a time and thank us most kindly for our hospitality.’
    â€˜Thought they would,’ Giles grinned.
    Lady Evelina wrinkled her smooth brow.
    â€˜The only thing which worries me is that it may provoke them to think we want to strike up a closer liaison with the family, which, of course, we do not.’
    Giles groaned.
    â€˜However,’ his mother continued briskly, ‘we’ll leave that side of it to your father and Jonathan. We must concern ourselves with Lavinia herself.’
    Lord Melmoth and Viscount Eldon were not expected to return for four days, but perhaps it was as well. Lady Melmoth thought, for Lavinia was so nervous and solemn. Even the ebullient Giles could only manage to raise a smile from her once or twice—a thing unknown amongst the fair sex when in his company.
    Lady Melmoth said little but watched the two young people with an indulgent eye. Giles and Lord Rowan’s grand-daughter, she mused, now I wonder? Here her brow creased as she was reminded of the fact that should Lord Rowan—though she could scarcely contemplate such a thing—refuse to take his grand-daughter into his care the Melmoths would be thrown into a proper dilemma. But never one to dwell upon gloomy thoughts. Lady Melmoth contented herself that her husband and elder son would not fail in their mission—they could not.
    The next day brought bewilderment and unexpected pleasure for Lavinia. The dresses arrived for her—the dressmaker must have been stitching through the night to have completed them in such a short time. There was a morning dress of green and white stripes, crinoline in style but not so voluminous as those worn by Lady Melmoth herself. She could see that Lavinia had no idea of present fashion nor knew how to handle tie wide, sweeping skirts, having been kept in child’s dress by her mother. The blue afternoon dress was trimmed with white lace on the sleeves and a lace collar, and the evening dress which Lavinia would be expected to wear at dinner was pale pink silk with short puffed sleeves, the crinoline skirts being decorated with bows of darker pink ribbon.
    â€˜For me, for me,’ Lavinia whispered, her brown eyes searching Lady Melmoth’s face, incredulously, as each parcel revealed such treasures as the girl had scarcely seen before and certainly never possessed.
    â€˜Of course, my dear. Come, try them on. Oh, how I love new dresses, don’t you?’
    â€˜I—I’ve never had any—not Hike these,’ Lavinia murmured, though in complete honesty and with no trace of sympathy-seeking