Sir Philip's Folly (The Poor Relation Series Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

hand.
    Miserably conscious of her girlish appearance, Arabella tried to be as stately as possible. She curtsied low. He smiled and held the ball out to her. She took it and thanked him. She was about to try to start up a conversation when he said, “The pleasure is mine,” and ruffled her hair. She turned and scrambled back up the stairs like the child he obviously thought her to be, her face flaming with mortification. She gave the ball to the child and returned to the apartment to brood.
    To her infinite relief, at precisely a quarter to three her mother sallied forth to make calls after many agonizing complaints that this fan would not do and these gloves were the wrong colour.
    When she entered the “staff” sitting-room at precisely three o’clock, Lady Fortescue was saying, “That woman never put in an appearance. Really, it is too bad.” She looked up and saw Arabella. “Welcome,” she said. “We have not introduced ourselves formally. I am Lady Fortescue, to your left is Colonel Sandhurst, and Miss Tonks you already know. Tea will be served shortly.”
    Arabella curtsied and sat down. “You must excuse us, Miss Carruthers,” said Lady Fortescue, “but we have a certain domestic problem we are anxious to discuss, particularly as Sir Philip Sommerville is absent.”
    “The problem of Mrs. Budge? I have been considering that,” said Arabella.
    The colonel looked at her indulgently, his eyes twinkling. “My dear, I do not think you have met such as Mrs. Budge in all your life.”
    “But I have a
plan
,” said Arabella eagerly. “I was awake quite a bit of the night thinking it out.”
    “Very well,” said Lady Fortescue, although she cast a fulminating look at Miss Tonks. What had that lady been about, enlisting the help of a young miss?
    “It’s this,” said Arabella. “Sir Philip is very old.” Three pairs of eyes glared at her. “I m-mean,” she faltered, “I do not think Mrs. Budge can be in love with him.”
    “Granted,” said Lady Fortescue. “The woman is a leech. Go on. Ah, tea.”
    Arabella waited impatiently until Jack, the footman, had deposited the tea-things on the table, and retired.
    “It is like this,” she said eagerly. “You must offer this Mrs. Budge a richer victim.”
    “Who?” Lady Fortescue was obviously becoming increasingly impatient.
    “You could pay some actor to masquerade as a rich merchant and to court her. That would dislodge her from Sir Philip.”
    There was a long, considering silence, broken at last by Miss Tonks. “My dear Arabella,” she said, “I do believe it might work.”
    Arabella turned bright eyes on Lady Fortescue.
    “It just
might
work,” said that lady consideringly. “What do you think, Colonel?”
    “The trouble is that we usually leave that sort of organization to Sir Philip. He would find a suitable actor.”
    “I have been thinking,” said Miss Tonks, “that it is time I developed bottom. Perhaps if there were some way I could go to the theatre with Miss Carruthers, then we could survey the cast and pick out someone suitable and approach that gentleman in the Green Room after the performance.”
    “Perhaps,” ventured Arabella, “it might be better to find some actor who is not in employ and would do anything for some money. I read an article in the newspapers last year about the coffee-houses of London and it said that the players met in John’s Coffee-House in Drury Lane.
    “I shall go there directly,” said the colonel and then they all looked at each other in surprise, surprise that Arabella had hit on a solution to their problem, surprise that the retiring colonel of all people had accepted the idea so readily.
    “Two ladies visiting an actor in the Green Room would occasion comment,” added the colonel.
    Lady Fortescue dispensed tea and then turned to Arabella. “Now to your problem, Miss Carruthers. Perhaps we must find a way to alter your appearance. I think, were you allowed to look your age, then perhaps