Page 26 of To Catch a Husband
The Roxtons departed a little before Sir Harry, having further to go, and when he had thanked Lady Damerham for a very pleasant evening, Mary took him to one side.
‘I am glad you had a nice evening too, Harry. Er, do you like music?’
‘Music? Well, I did not get to hear much of it in the army beyond fife and drum and the rather unrepeatable songs the soldiers sing. Definitely not material for round the pianoforte.’
‘Madeleine Banham loves music. She told me she spends half an hour a day at the keyboard, and she loves to sing, but simply applauding her will not do. She says she thinks gentlemen praise her because of her looks. I suggest you cultivate an interest in music. Could you discuss some famous composers?’
‘I have heard of Handel, and that Mozart fellow, but I143would not be able to sing you a tune by either.’
‘You used to sing, I remember now, with James.’
‘Yes, but those were just folk songs, not the clever stuff.’
‘Well, I imagine folk songs are perfectly respectable “about the pianoforte”, so brush up a couple and then if you are at a function where she plays, you can ask her if she knows such and such and sing with her. That would please her, I am certain.’
‘You are the best of friends, Mary.’ He leant, impulsively, and kissed her cheek. ‘By the way, I am going to leave my card with Cradley tomorrow. I don’t much like the sound of the fellow, from what you told me, but one has to be civil. I will let you have my opinion of him on my way home, if I actually get to see him.’
‘Um, you might find I am not at home.’ Mary flushed, and he raised an eyebrow. She would not do so if she was going to visit the indigent, or the parson.
‘That look leads me to think you are up to something.’
‘Not at all. I am … I am teaching Sir Rowland Kempsey how to fish for trout.’ It came out in a bit of a rush.
‘Why?’
‘Because he asked me to do so. It seemed churlish not to agree.’
‘Is he not the sporting sort, then?’ Harry sounded disappointed.
‘Oh, I am sure he shoots and hunts, but he said he had little experience with rod and line.’144
‘Then perhaps I had best call first upon Sir Rowland Kempsey, and make sure he is up to your weight. He might need warning.’ Harry grinned.
‘Don’t be vulgar.’ She paused for a moment. ‘I do not frighten men off, do I, Harry?’
‘You never frightened me, but we virtually grew up together. You might frighten Kempsey if you are a strict teacher.’
‘Then best he attend to me well.’ Mary looked prim.
Harry agreed, wholeheartedly.
145
CHAPTER NINE
Mary awoke in the morning, hoping that the day would not be wet and windy, and even slipped out of bed to draw back the curtains before summoning the maid. She saw, with relief, the puffy cloud that was moving lazily across the sky. She took a deep breath. Today she would commence her attempt to catch Sir Rowland Kempsey. She would not, she told herself, be diverted by his friendliness and air of understanding, and she would put into practice the ‘arts’ she had observed Madeleine Banham use so successfully upon poor Harry Penwood. This was despite the fact that when she had tried them before her looking glass before retiring they had, in her opinion, looked both obvious and frankly ridiculous. Since Harry was in most ways a very sensible fellow, it must be that the male of the species was simply146incapable of seeing such ploys in the same light as women. Just for a moment she felt sorry for Sir Rowland, who did not deserve to be caught upon a fly that was no more lifelike than a very short strand of knitting wool on a hook. She liked him, just as she liked Harry. The inner voice that declared her ‘liking’ for the two gentlemen to be very different was firmly muffled. She did concede that had he been fifty, fat and with snuff stains upon his person, she would not be making the attempt at all.
Of course, she did have to wait until the afternoon before giving her fishing lesson, and patience was not a virtue she had in abundance. She was a clock watcher, and the more she watched, the slower the hands appeared to move. She spent a half hour with her box of fishing flies, wondering which she might sacrifice, for Sir Rowland was bound to lose some, and she could not be absolutely certain there would be suitable flies in the old boxes. She then surveyed her straw hat in a critical manner. She loved it, for it was part and parcel of her fishing world, but it was certainly very battered. The ribands were water stained, and there was even a green mark where some slimy weed had managed to adhere to one of the ends. It was not, Mary decided, something that Madeleine Banham would even touch, let alone place upon her lovely hair. However, Madeleine was not going to have Sir Rowland to herself for an hour or so this afternoon. Besides, being dressed in delicate muslin and lace would be perfectly foolish if one wanted to fish. If she turned up at the door dressed like that, he would147be very suspicious. No, she must work this as she would fishing for the wiliest trout, taking her time and with no rushed movements or surprises. She sighed. If only the time would pass more quickly.
When Lady Damerham saw her daughter ready to depart at a little after half past two of the clock, she groaned inwardly. There was no way on earth Sir Rowland Kempsey was going to find Mary irresistible in that hat.
Sir Rowland was not, by nature, a clock watcher at all, which was why his brother grinned and mocked him when he very definitely looked at the face of the clock upon the mantelshelf in the morning room three times in half an hour.
‘You know, I think I might need fishing lessons too, Roly. Do you think Miss Lound might teach me as well? I would also be the perfect chaperone.’
‘No.’ Sir Rowland was blunt, but smiled. ‘Miss Lound does not need a chaperon to oversee my casting.’
‘I was thinking it was you needed chaperoning.’ Tom’s grin spread from ear to ear. ‘You had better be careful, brother mine. As a new single gentleman in the district, you are bound to be courted by the local spinsters.’
