Place of Confinement by Anna Dean Read Free Book Online

for her companion had come to a standstill and was staring at her in a state of silent shock.
    ‘My dear Dido,’ she cried, keenly searching her face, ‘whatever is wrong? Have I said something amiss?’
    ‘No, no…’ Though in fact the garden with its mists and flowers and beech trees had become for a moment quite indistinct as this new, startling piece of information was borne home. ‘No, it is merely that I had not known the name of the young man concerned until this moment.’
    Mrs Bailey’s lips were smiling – but her eyes were shrewd and sharp. ‘Are you acquainted with Mr Tom Lomax?’
    ‘Oh … yes,’ replied Dido a little unsteadily. Then, strengthened by the realisation that her connection might be explained without betraying a very near interest, ‘He is a friend of my niece and her husband. His father – Mr William Lomax – is their man of business at Belsfield Hall.’
    ‘Is he indeed?’ said Mrs Bailey coolly. She released Dido’s arm. ‘I did not know about that.’ It was clear that the acquaintance did not recommend Dido to her. ‘And what, pray, is your opinion of Tom Lomax?’
    ‘I believe he is a rather thoughtless young man,’ said Dido cautiously. In point of fact her opinion was probably as low even as Mrs Bailey’s own. But affection for the father checked her condemnation of the son. ‘How did Miss Verney become acquainted with him?’ she asked.
    ‘Oh! The damage was done in Worcestershire last autumn when Letitia visited the Hargreaves.’
    Dido, struggling to make sense of this shocking turn of events, recalled that she had herself heard a rumour last autumn of Tom Lomax being in hopes of marrying an heiress. ‘And who are the Hargreaves?’ she asked, her voice still a little unsteady.
    ‘The Hargreaves are very suitable acquaintances, I assure you,’ cried Mrs Bailey as if defending herself from an accusation. ‘For Mr Hargreaves has a cousin that is married to a baronet. And Mrs Hargreaves was a Miss Jennings before she married – from a very respectable family … Though they have no titles that I know of…’ Mrs Bailey pondered for a moment, but seemed unable to produce even a noble great uncle or a knight-by-marriage with which to dignify the Jennings race. ‘I assure you, I have never had any cause to regret Letitia’s friendship with Amelia Jennings – unlike some other unfortunate connections…’ She broke off with a significant raising up of the eyes.
    But it was not Dido’s business to settle for half-spoken opinions – she wished to know everything about everybody at Charcombe Manor, and caught at this hint immediately. ‘Dear me,’ she said with a look of concern, ‘I hope that you have no reason to disapprove Miss Gibbs as a companion for your ward. She seems a very good-natured girl.’
    ‘Well! Her father cannot give her more than a thousand pounds, I believe. And,’ the rosebud lips pursed themselves again, the voice became a whisper, ‘the family resides in Birmingham, you know.’
    ‘I know nothing of Birmingham. I have never been there.’
    ‘Neither have I, I assure you!’ declared Mrs Bailey triumphantly and, having thus disproved any claim the place might have to gentility, she walked on and resumed her tale – determined to tell it in such a way as would prove herself to be entirely innocent and only imposed upon by others.
    ‘Letitia, Miss Jennings and Martha Gibbs all became friends while they were at school together in Taunton,’ she explained. ‘And so, when she married, Amelia Jennings entreated Letitia and Martha to pay her a long visit. For, entre nous, I rather fancy she did not expect to find much pleasure in the society of Mr Hargreaves.’
    ‘And it was at this lady’s house that Miss Verney met Mr Tom Lomax?’
    ‘Yes. Perhaps I should not have let her go, but…’ Mrs Bailey shot Dido another suspicious look ‘… I had no idea of Mr Hargreaves having such very unsuitable acquaintances.’ She sighed