The Hermit's Daughter Read Online Free PDF Page B

brilliant glitter in her eyes, and on her lips a small smile of triumph. She curtsied and said primly, “We are honored that we should be second choice for your visit, milord. Do come in. You will think us uncivil, but you must not think we are unhappy to see Derwent’s uncle. Pray, be seated.”
    “Thank you,”he replied, and followed her to a chair at the edge of the erstwhile happy group, throwing a measured look to his nephew. Derwent flinched visibly and fell silent.
    The new arrival was punctiliously offered a glass of wine and a biscuit by Miss Hermitage. He accepted both with a coolly polite “thank you.”After this effort at civility, an appalling silence fell over the group.
    Monstuart, after finishing his biscuit, broke the silence. “You didn’t mention you were coming here this evening, Derwent. I am happy you’re here, however. No doubt you have come, like me, to take your leave of the ladies.”
    Derwent looked to Melanie and smiled a smile as  reassuring as he dared to make under his uncle’s awful stare. He answered not a word.
    It was Miss Hermitage who was pushed into speech by an appealing glance from her allies. “It is not Lord Derwent’s intention to leave us quite so soon, milord. We have some considerable matters to discuss.”
    “Indeed?”Monstuart had come to conciliate and was not to be goaded to more savagery by this taunting beauty. He turned deliberately to Mrs. Hermitage. “I was not aware, when we spoke this morning, ma’am, that your late husband was the Hermit, if I may use his nickname.”
    “Certainly you may. Everyone called him that,”the widow said, happy to see no immediate ruffling of the waters. “Because of the name, you know, and not because of any unsocial qualities. Quite the contrary, Herbie was very sociable. We used to know everyone in London.”
    “You must miss the pleasures of the city.”
    “We did at first, but we are settling down to country life. Well, town life, which seems like the deep country to us.”
    “Pity.”But if, as he assumed, this retirement was for the purpose of saving money, it must be inefficacious. Everywhere around him, in both decor and dress, there were signs of lavish spending. The family were either fools or schemers; he set himself to the task of discovering which.
    “You have managed to create quite an urban nook here in the country,”Monstuart said, glancing at the painted walls, the fine pictures and velvet draperies.
    “It wasn’t easy—or cheap,”Mrs. Hermitage replied. “The walls were a hideous mustard color when we hired the places. Made us all look bran-faced.”
    His dark eyes flickered over the ladies’glowing complexions and he replied, “That must have taken some doing.”
    “I daresay the dirty windows helped. We have fixed the place up a little, for we were not accustomed to living in squalor. It was very dear,”she repined while her elder daughter shot her a quelling frown.
    Sally saw that her mother was about to enter on one of her diatribes on the dearness of everything. This had been one of her pet themes since Papa’s death. She sincerely wished her mother had gone on to tell her just how ill they could afford all the dear acquisitions.
    “Everything is expensive nowadays,”he said leadingly.
    “Expensive? It’s shocking! Why, to have that very chair you are sitting in covered cost me five guineas, and Melanie worked the embroidered covering with her own fingers.”
    “Melanie is an excellent needlewoman,”Derwent tossed in, happy for any detail that enhanced her value.
    Monstuart’s unenthusiastic “Very nice”could hardly be construed as a compliment, especially as his body covered her handiwork completely and he made no motion of rising to admire it.
    The group chatted on for a while, long enough for the marquess to ascertain that the mother was a fool. He acquitted her of conniving to entrap Derwent, but not of being a ninny, and certainly not of promising to be a very poor