The Captain's Daughter by Minnie Simpson Read Free Book Online Page A

like
overkill, but her mother as usual paid no heed to the excess of her remark. On
the other hand, old Hubert didn’t seem to care for her remark given the grimace
on his face. Amy realized his apprehension and apologized.
    “Well, I suppose,” her mother
replied.
    Lady Sibbridge was visibly
reluctant. Then Mattie entered the hall from the dining room. Their father was
still at the table chewing his breakfast and Amy rather supposed that Mattie
had been regaling him, the last survivor at breakfast table, with her
infatuation with the drooly youth. Whatever shortcomings their father had
nowadays, he was definitely a good listener.
    Their mother grabbed Mattie by the
arm.
    “Take Mattie with you. She will
enjoy your trip to Hillfield House.”
    That was not Mattie’s opinion.
    “Mother,” she wailed, “Mr.
Throckmorton, Lazarus’s father, is coming by sometime today. It would not be
polite if your daughter was not here to greet him.”
    Amy might have marveled at Mattie’s
strained logic, but much of Mattie’s logic was strained. Mattie was anxious to
remain home in the hope that the drooly youth would accompany his father. Amy
was fine with that, but she would have to take someone with her. Her mother
would never countenance her going by herself.
    “Perhaps Emma could accompany me.”
    She quickly excused herself from
her mother’s presence before her mother thought it over. Even her mother
realized that Emma’s usefulness as a chaperone was in question. In fact, Emma
was more likely to be an accomplice.
     
    Amy found Emma in her study room.
    “Come with me, Emma. You must go
with me to Hillfield House to deliver a picnic invitation to Ben... Sir
Benjamin.”
    “I thought you wanted me to
concentrate on my studies,” said Emma as she quickly turned over the paper she
had been examining before Amy could see what was written on it.
    “This is an emergency,” Amy told
her as she looked suspiciously at the paper Emma was stuffing into the middle
of a stack of other papers. How easy it was to fool Mrs. Parkhurst, although in
truth the poor governess had never faced an enemy like Emma in her entire and
varied career.
    “Well, if I must for my beloved
sister, I must go to her aid,” said Emma with painfully faked reluctance.
     
    At Hillfield House the butler
invited them into the foyer.
    “I have an invitation I wish to
give to Sir Benjamin,” Amy told the butler.
    “If you will place it on the tray,”
said the butler lifting a silver tray from a nearby table and holding out to
her, “I will take it to Sir Benjamin.”
    She reluctantly placed it on the
tray, and the butler started to leave.
    “I would like to talk to Sir
Benjamin,” Amy called after the butler as he left on his errand.
    Amy had in truth snooped around
Hillfield House when it was not occupied although she was disinclined to admit
it, but this was the first time she had been inside and it being Ben’s
residence added a little thrill to seeing it.
    The butler regally returned very
shortly and Amy looked at him expectantly. She had expected Ben and wondered
why he hadn’t come to see her.
    “I am sorry, milady, but Sir
Benjamin is unable to see you at this time. He sends his regrets, and he asked
me to convey his deepest apologies. He does not want you to feel he is being
rude but it is impossible for him to come at this time.”
    “We can wait until he is
available,” she proffered.
    “It will be a long time until he is
finished with his task. You may wish to return at another time milady.”
    Amy interpreted the butler’s words
as meaning go away , which annoyed her. She felt like she was being
snubbed. What could Ben possibly be doing that he couldn’t set it aside for a
few minutes as any gentleman would do if a lady requested to see him?
    “Very well,” she said with an
unaccustomed snippiness. And added coldly, “Thank you. Please give our
greetings to Sir Benjamin. We will not bother him further.”
    Outside Emma climbed