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Hoas A on Mr Anders’s sleeve, chattering in his ear and trying to accompany him on every walk, stroll or ride he took on Ashton Grove land and elsewhere?
‘Have I dripped egg on my coat, Miss Neville?’
Startled out of her reverie, Areen eyes were now focused on her, his a at hiaze, while, to her added disco her cheeks
‘I don’t think so,’ Althea replied before she could respond ‘If you had, she would have told you so directly Amanda is a stickler for propriety and proper behaviour’
‘Proper’ h and hoped her expression didn’t betray her irritation Althea’s obvious attee her in front of the object of her fascinationproof of just how irl already was
‘For a young lady about toa stickler for propriety is an unfortunate necessity, or so I’ve been told,’ caentlereat freedom of behaviour, while ladies, especially unmarried ones, are so restricted’
Alance at his face, which see It was only polite of him to have so deftly deflected Althea’s criticism, but could it be possible he really understood the truth of his remark?
Or was he just vastly experienced at leading young ladies astray? As of yet, she knew absolutely nothing about his character Coined his char when he was fully recovered A rogue-in-sheep’s clothing, who cloaked illicit designs in properly conventional speeches, would be as dangerous to Althea’s heart and reputation as those jungle cats loosed a Ashton Grove cattle
The idea of having to tangle ith the gentle, tingle of anticipation rippling through Amanda
She struggled to suppress it, reht be, even if Anders were the gentleman he seeible as a suitable companion for either her or Althea
Meanwhile, her cousin eagerly latched on to his coer, I used to ride astride, in trousers, which is soside-saddle in a tangle of skirts But after…everything that happened last summer, Uncle James has forbidden me to follow the hunt Indeed, he insists I h now ine the dreariness of the lady’s academy they forcedlady irls chattering of beaux and gowns and needlework until I thought I lad I was to leave
‘And I’lare at Amanda, whose shock at that pronouncement doubtless showed clearly on her face ‘I shall stay here at Ashton Grove and take care of Uncle Jaoes to London’
Though this was both a most unwelcome announcement and the first she’d heard of the decision, now in front of Mr Anders was hardly the place to debate the matter
Unable to determine upon a reply that would not further inflauest smoothly continued, ‘What would you study and do, Miss Holton, if you were permitted to choose?’
As good , Mr Anders appeared to genuinely be interested in the opinions of this shabbily behaved schoolgirl
‘I’d ride astride again Learn to fence and shoot and hunt Fish in my old clothes like I used to with As Study politics and philosophy and…and Greek instead of china painting and deportars!’ Althea finished defiantly
If she’d tried to shock hihed ‘I fear your relations would give you trouble, indeed, were you to eh I should hardly wish for such a lovely girl to beman, it is a shaht indulge all those desires’
‘Hoish I ht attend university,’ Althea said wistfully—and Ah of her own at virtually the only rereed How reat responsibilities in government were she tutored as he had been in the intricacies of diplomacy and politics
‘How does one go aboutthe beach, watching the ships, I alonder what it would be like to be out there, sailing on one of the vessels ski by the coast’