Mr. Malcolm's List Read Free

“I will explain all to you shortly, but I am waiting for my cousin, Lord
Cassidy, to arrive.”  
    Selina nodded, although still at a loss, and Julia began
chattering excitedly.   “Please come and
sit down so we can renew our acquaintance.   Tell me, what have you been doing this—has it really been four
years?”
    Selina assured her that it had been four years since they
had last seen each other, and explained about her tenure as Mrs. Ossory’s
companion.
    “How very boring for you,” Julia said.
    “No, it was actually quite nice.   She was a genteel, kindly lady, and she
treated me very well.”
    “Yes, but I am sure you found little in the way of
entertainment.   You will be treated much
better here in London .”
    Selina, beginning to remember how selfish Julia used to be,
rather doubted the truth of her statement, but nodded her agreement just the
same.   She was then treated to a recital
of the delights that awaited her, but as Julia’s conversation mostly consisted
of the names of people Selina was destined to meet, but currently held no
meaning for her, she was hard-pressed to appear interested.   So she was quite relieved when Lord Cassidy
finally arrived.
    Julia made the introductions and Selina eyed Lord Cassidy
with interest, thinking that she had not been in London for two hours and already she had made the acquaintance of a young
gentleman.   The interest eventually faded
to amusement, however, as she decided that Cassie, as he insisted upon being
called, could have been torn from one of Cruikshank’s cartoons.  
    His features, while pleasant, seemed to be exaggerated, so
that his eyes, ears, and nose all appeared slightly too big for his face.   His arms and legs were long and skinny; his
clothing, while fashionable and expensive, was creased and rumpled.   And though he smiled genially at Selina, his
expressive face took on a scowl whenever he glanced in the direction of his
cousin Julia.
    “So, now that my cousin is here, I thought I would explain
to you the reason I invited you to London ,”
Julia said, once everyone was seated.   Sensing Selina’s surprise at this statement, as Julia had said in her
letter she had invited Selina to visit because she wished the pleasure of her
company, she hurried to explain. “Of course, you know I’ve always enjoyed your
company, dear Selina, which was the reason I even conceived of inviting you,
but I also felt that while you were residing in town you might undertake to
help me with a little project.”
    “A project?” Selina prompted, as Julia hesitated at that
point and seemed loath to go on.  
    Julia glanced at her cousin, who only scowled more
ferociously at her.   Julia continued
undaunted, although she appeared to be having difficult meeting Selina’s
gaze.   “Perhaps ‘project’ is not the
right word,” she said.   “It’s really more
of a lark.”
    “Humph,” Cassie snorted, and rolled his eyes.
    His cousin ignored him and continued, “You see, there is a
young gentleman, a Mr. Malcolm, who is widely known for his arrogance.   He distinguished me by paying me some very
pointed attentions, but then humiliated me by withdrawing his suit.”
    “How dreadful for you.   I am so sorry.”
    Julia waved away Selina’s expressions of sympathy with an
impatient gesture.   “Yes, it was quite
unpleasant, particularly when I discovered that he has a list that he judged me
against, and found me wanting.”
    “He has a list?   What
sort of list?”
    “It is a list of the qualifications he is looking for in a
bride.   But he believes himself to be so
superior to the rest of us mere mortals that the qualifications are quite
unreachable.   I would love to see Mr.
Malcolm receive the comeuppance he deserves by playing a small prank on
him.   And I remembered how in school you
were up for any sort of lark.”   Selina
was given no opportunity to object to this reading of her character, but she
thought that Julia must have