Springtime Pleasures Read Online Free PDF Page B

she appears to be right.”
    Rosy colour shone on Lady Isabella’s cheeks. “Oh, please don’t overfret on my account. You see, it is my chair. I am… ah…” Her colour deepened. “I am bound to it. I can’t walk. Not properly, that is.”
    “Oh.” Charlie felt her own cheeks heat. How stupid of her not to have seen that this was a wheeling chair! “But…” She cleared her throat. “But hasn’t it got wheels?”
    “Of course it has.”
    “So you can roll about in it?”
    “Only if somebody pushes me.”
    By now, both their faces must be scarlet with mortification. “Oh. How very vexing for you!” Charlie exclaimed. “But I could, you know, push you to the refreshments room, if you would like.”
    Lady Isabella studied her hands, which she held clasped in her lap. “I thank you most sincerely, but I am afraid I must decline.”
    Frowning, Charlie stared at her and tried to figure out what she had missed. She must have missed something, that much was clear. “I am afraid I don’t understand,” she said finally. Was the other girl weary of her company, perhaps?
    Lady Isabella looked up and caught Charlie’s puzzled, slightly hurt gaze. She sighed. “The ladies’ withdrawing room is on the first floor. Upstairs .”
    Understanding dawned. “And with your chair… you can’t…”
    The girl shook her head. “I hate stairs!” she burst out. “I hate them most dreadfully!” Becoming aware of her violent outburst, she clapped her hand over her mouth. Her startled gaze flew up to Charlie’s. For a moment she stared at her, dismay written on her face, but then, suddenly, she giggled. She let her hand fall into her lap again. “I have never told anybody about this before.” Another giggle. “But it’s so… so… refreshing !” She beamed at Charlie and held out her hand. “ You are refreshing.”
    Charlie laid her hand in the girl’s cool palm and let her squeeze her fingers. She felt absurdly glad that even if she was a failure where polite conversation was concerned, she had nevertheless managed to make her new friend happy.
    “You must accompany me on my drive one day. Please say you will!”
    “Certainly,” Charlie readily agreed.
    “Tomorrow? Or perhaps the day after? The day after will be better, won’t it? When tomorrow we will probably be most terribly fatigued from the ball.” A shadow crossed over Lady Isabella’s face and she dropped Charlie’s hand. “You must want to continue dancing. I am keeping you from finding a partner.”
    “No, you’re not. You—”
    “Oh, but I am. I know it. See, there’s Mr Daicles and Lord Archibald.” Lady Isabella’s voice dropped to a whisper as she discreetly pointed out two young gentlemen who were strolling towards them, punch glasses in hand. “Shall I introduce you? I am sure one of them would want to dance with you.”
    “No, no, please do not trouble yourself,” Charlie whispered back. She had already danced with one of the gentleman, and while this had not been an unpleasant experience, she found she would rather remain where she was and continue chatting with her new friend.
    Fortunately the two gentlemen didn’t show any inclination to dance and instead stopped almost in front of the two girls, sipping their punch and looking idly at the couples that went through the motions of a country dance.
    “Beastly drink, this,” one of them muttered, none too quietly.
    The two girls exchanged a glance.
    “Indeed. Too much lemon, I say.” Though this didn’t keep him from taking another deep gulp from his glass.
    “All-round beastly affair, this ball.” The first speaker shook his head, making his carefully combed curls bounce. “The Featheringham keeps pressing chits on a fellow in a most dreadful fashion. This year’s crop is shockingly disappointing if you ask me.”
    Isabella’s fingers dug into Charlie’s arm. The girl’s face was suffused with indignation. How dare they! she mouthed noiselessly.
    Charlie shrugged.