Belle (The Daughters of Allamont Hall Book 2) by Mary Kingswood Read Free Book Online Page A

corner, leaving Belle free to ponder her successful venture with a smile of satisfaction on her face.
    When they arrived back at Allamont Hall, she was surprised to hear a raised voice in the drawing room, and, even more astonishingly, it was a man’s voice. Her sisters occasionally squabbled, as sisters were wont to do, and once or twice her father had been angry enough to shout at one of the servants, and they had all crept around the house for days afterwards, keeping out of his way. But visitors, in her experience, did not shout.
    The drawing room door flew open, and Cousin Henry appeared, or rather, his back appeared, for he was still facing into the room, still addressing those within. “I am disappointed in you, Sara, very disappointed,” he said. “You might exert yourself, for once, for the sake of your children. This is not a time to sit still and let matters take their own course.”
    Belle heard her mama’s voice murmuring from within the room, but clearly her answer was not satisfactory for Cousin Henry gave an exclamation of annoyance and spun round, shutting the door behind him with such force that a small watercolour on the wall rattled ominously. He strode towards the door, head down, and Belle had to leap aside to avoid a collision.
    He startled. “Oh, Belle! Goodness, I did not see you there. Well, perhaps you will be able to instill good sense into your mama, for I declare she will not listen to me.”
    “I do not believe she would take advice from me, either,” Belle said with a smile.
    He was still breathing hard, but now he made some effort to calm himself. “I beg your pardon, I should not lose my temper so easily, but to speak truth, Belle, this matter of…”
    He became aware of the footman, holding out his hat and gloves, and the butler waiting to open the door for him, and lowered his voice still further.
    “You know the matter of which I speak, and your mama will do nothing about it. A little effort on her part would see this… this person got rid of and we might all be easy. But it is her affair, and we may all go to the devil, I suppose, while she is…” A sigh escaped him. “Well, no matter. Your mama has always known her own mind, and no amount of persuasion has the slightest effect. She was always stubborn, and that is why… But that is all in the past, and I have long forgiven her. She knows I have her best interests at heart, always.” He stopped, and looked at Belle thoughtfully. “As to this person , we will talk of it again, Belle, for this is your future at stake, as much as anyone’s. Good day to you.”
    And with that he collected his hat and gloves, and was gone, leaving Belle, bemused, still standing in the hall.

5: Accounts
    Belle spent the evening describing her day in Brinchester to her sisters, who wished to know every detail, no matter how insignificant it might be. However, the sisters had little interest in the delights of the circulating library, and none at all in the bank, so in the end the main topic of conversation was Mr Burford.
    “How astonishing that you should happen to meet just at that moment,” Hope said. “I am never so lucky. Why, look how often I walk into the village and yet never see Mr Burford once, although he lives there. And yet you go once to Brinchester, and there he is! And at leisure to spend hours and hours with you.”
    “He had to wait for Sir Matthew and Lady Graham to collect him,” Belle said. “I daresay he would have gone into the church if we had not been there.”
    “Why would he do that?” Hope said.
    “He mentioned that it was his custom to wait in St Clarence’s until the appointed hour,” Belle said. “Besides, he is a clergyman. A church is the natural habitat of such a man, surely.”
    “Well, I do not see why,” Hope said. “I am sure Mr Endercott never goes into his own church except on a Sunday. A clergyman is as much a gentleman as any other, and entitled to do as he pleases.”
    “Hope, it is