Page 107 of A Foolish Flirtation

“I think he’s tired,” Emmeline murmured. “He’s had a long day. Apparently, they traipsed all around the grounds sketching trees this morning.”

“Hmmm,” Jeremy answered noncommittally, his eyes still on his son’s curly head.

“How was your morning at the stables?” she asked. “Any improvement from Atalanta and Ajax?”

“Amyas,” he corrected her absently. “Some progress perhaps,” he said cautiously. “Though neither of them shines as brightly as Bucephalus did at their age.”

“Not all of us show promise in the first flush of youth,” she said lightly. “Bucephalus must have been a diamond of the first water.”

“He was,” he agreed, “but you are right. I shall not give up hope.”

“Perhaps you can still buff them to a shine,” she added. Then before he could answer, she said softly, “Pinky seemed very happy this evening, did she not?”

“She did, quite in her element.”

“I’m glad for her,” Emmeline said decisively. “I rather dreaded her leaving me, but I cannot regret it now. Not when everything has worked out so well for her.”

He answered her smile with one of his own, fighting down the twinge of guilt. Even Emmeline admitted it was for the best. “How was your morning?” he asked to distract himself.

“Oh, it was…fine,” she answered. “The vicar and his wife called on me and then Mrs. Needham and her daughter.” Dull and duller, thought Jeremy. No wonder she could not meet his eye. “Oh, and some good news. You will be pleased to hear that the next meeting of the Good Works committee will be held here at Vance,” she said continued with a valiant attempt at enthusiasm. “Lady Sharpe has been so kind as to confer the honor.”

Jeremy hesitated. “This pleases you?”

“Of course,” she said quickly. “I am achieving the goals you set me, am I not? It was very kind of Mrs. Ryland to propose my nomination.”

“I expect she was more than happy to bring it about. How did you find the Needhams?”

Now it was Emmeline’s turn to hesitate. “They were not really what I was led to expect,” she said at last.

“And what was that?” He tried to remember whatever he had told her about Mrs. Needham with her faded prettiness and her stiff, proud daughter.

“Mrs. Needham talks a lot about herself, doesn’t she?” she said vaguely, then added, “I know that is often the case with those who suffer ill health. By contrast, Miss Halperston barely said anything at all.”

“Ah yes.” Jeremy winced. “The daughter is not thought to have much by way of personality.”

“Really?” Emmeline looked surprised. “That is not what I heard.”

“What had you heard?”

Emmeline cast a quick warning look at Teddy, who was now listening with interest. “Oh, that she, well, that she is rather reserved but not without a certain force of character,” she said awkwardly.

“Miss Halperston is only pretty when you get her alone,” Teddy contributed suddenly.

“Pretty?” Jeremy repeated with surprise. “Miss Halperston?”

“Yes,” Teddy said. “When anyone else is there, she just fades into nothing. It’s because of her mother. I don’t like her mother at all.”

“Teddy…” Jeremy began remonstratively.

“I don’t think I like Mrs. Needham much either,” Emmeline chimed in, her cheeks turning pink. “There’s, well, just something about her that I just can’t warm to. Something not genuine. She, well, she said a couple of things that quite gave me pause…”

“What kind of things?” Jeremy asked, not liking the troubled pucker between her brows.

“Nothing definite,” Emmeline said quickly. “It was more implied.” She lifted her chin. “I don’t think she can be an easy woman to live with. I feel sorry for that girl,” she said defiantly.

“That girl cannot be much younger than you,” he pointed out wryly.

“I know, but I suppose being a married woman I cannot help but think of her that way.”