Holiday in Bath by Laura Matthews Read Free Book Online

spent several hours in the study going over travel books and guidebooks, as well as any of the antiquarian literature that might suit her purpose. She was browsing through the latter when there was a knock at the door. “Yes?”
    A footman entered. “Mr. Ashwicke has called, Miss Storwood. He is with Mrs. Storwood in the Blue Drawing Room and your mother asked that you join them.”
    “Thank you, Hodges. I’ll come directly.” Before closing the book she held, Trelenny consigned the information on the page to memory. Drawing a deep, courage-engendering breath, she smoothed her dress and glanced in the glass to be sure that her blonde tresses had not come undone. She moistened a finger to rub away a smudge on her forehead and then, trying to remember all the lessons her mother had given her on deportment, walked as gracefully as she could to the drawing room. Her habit was to enter any room with more enthusiasm than poise, but today she forced herself to slip quietly through the door and wait until she was noticed.
    “Ah, Trelenny, there you are. Look who has come to call,” her mother said needlessly, a faint twitch of alarm stirring in her at the beatific smile her daughter wore.
    “How kind of you to visit us, Cranford,” Trelenny murmured as she extended her hand to him. A shadow of disappointment crossed her features when he merely shook it, but she persevered. “I hope you have not stayed away because I was cross the other day. Your visits are a bright spot on my horizons.” There, that should do it, she thought, but she added the flutter of her eyelashes for good measure.
    The corner of his mouth twitched but she did not see it, having demurely lowered her eyes. “Were you cross? I didn’t notice, I assure you. A project I was working on took a great deal of my time. I had hoped you might come out riding with me this afternoon.”
    “Would that be all right, Mama?” When her mother nodded she said, “I won’t be a moment changing, Cranford. Perhaps you would like a comfit? Mama brought me a box from Shap this morning."
    Offering me treats, too, Cranford thought with amusement. What’s the little devil up to now? “Thank you, no, Trelenny. I’ll just talk with your mother while I wait.”
    The moment Trelenny was out the door she raced up the stairs calling frantically for her maid, who fortunately happened to be nearby. “Alice, could you do something with my hair? Right now? Something that would make me look older and more ladylike, perhaps?”
    “It takes time to curl it, Miss Trelenny, and you seem in a powerful rush.”
    “Well, I can’t keep him waiting long. Drat! Is there nothing you can do?”
    Alice surveyed her critically. “We could take out the braids; they’ve probably left a little wave in it.” Her fingers darted about, suiting the action to her words. “Hmm, not enough to dangle a curl here and there. If you want it different, it will have to be a bun at the back. Will that do?”
    ‘‘I suppose so.”
    In her scarlet riding habit with the hat tilted slightly forward to accommodate the new bun, Trelenny presented herself breathless in the drawing room. Mrs. Storwood was saying, “We expect Cousin Filkins to make a good, long stay with us. I’m sure you will want to meet him. Perhaps we could have you and your father to dine. T-Trelenny?”
    “Yes, Mama. Forgive me for taking so long, Cranford. We couldn’t find the hat,” she explained ingenuously to her mother.
    “I ... I see, dear.”
    “You look charming,” Cranford assured her, “and well worth waiting for.”
    Trelenny bestowed another beatific smile on him. “I had hoped you would like it. The hat won’t fit over my braids, you know, so I had put it in another closet, and just wore the black beaver. It seemed a shame, though, for I saw one very like it in Le Beau Monde , so it must be the height of fashion.”
    “It’s delightful.” He tucked her arm through his and said with suspicious gravity, “I do