Sally James Read Free Page B

he’s all the crack, you know. A devilish fine whip and one of the best amateurs I’ve seen with his fives. I can’t offend him, or I’d be cold shouldered by half the men in town! Be the laughing stock of the clubs if it got out!’
    ‘More so than if they had come to find this wretched state of affairs?’ Susannah asked dryly, but Julian was deep in thought and paid no heed to her.
    ‘I’m afraid his lordship is very difficult to dissuade once he is determined on some course,’ Carter said in an aside to Susannah and she gave him a quick look of appreciation.
    Suddenly Julian looked up at them in triumph.
    ‘Mrs Skinner!’ he announced.
    ‘Who?’ Susannah asked.
    ‘The lodge keeper’s wife, Miss Susannah. I was hoping his lordship would not think of her,’ Carter said quietly, then turned to Julian. ‘She cannot manage entirely on her own, my lord,’ he remonstrated, but Julian, pleased with himself, stubbornly insisted he had found the solution to their problems, and nothing they could say would make him change his mind. Carter looked despairingly at Susannah.
    ‘It won’t do, Miss.’
    She had been thinking hard.
    ‘Can you sober him up in time?’
    ‘Oh, yes, Miss Susannah, no trouble with that.’
    ‘Then that’s the first thing. I’ll see to the rest. Julian, if you’ll go with Carter now, you shall have your dinner. I’ll send for Mrs Skinner.’
    Carter still shook his head in disagreement, but she ignored him, telling Julian sharply that his servants were as unreliable as their master and if he found bread and cheese on the table for his dinner he might consider himself fortunate.
    ‘And, as for Amanda, it’s my opinion she would be well rid of a bad bargain without you! What in the world she sees in you I cannot tell. You’re nothing but a drunken, gambling-mad fool and it’s only because I’m unfortunate enough to be your sister that I propose to help you. Now get out of my way. I shall be occupied by quite sufficient problems for the next few hours without having to take any account of you.’
    And with these words she gave Julian a final disgusted look, smiled encouragingly at Carter and swept out of the room and back towards the stables.
     
    Chapter Two
     
    Susannah found two younger men in the stables besides the ancient who had received her and they all came running at the unexpected sound of her voice asking whether there was anyone alive in such a benighted spot. She gave them rapid instructions and soon, bemused, the quicker-witted of the two was saddling a horse ready to take a message to The Hall to say that Susannah would be staying the night at Horder Grange, while the other was sent off at a run to the lodge a few hundred yards away to beg Mrs Skinner to leave everything and come to give Susannah assistance in the kitchens. The ancient was despatched to find the head gardener, who was said to be in the vegetable gardens, and send him to the kitchen.
    By the time Susannah returned to the kitchen she found Carter there collecting the ingredients for a draught that he said could be relied upon to sober his lordship.
    ‘Let us hope so. With Mrs Skinner’s help I can contrive a meal. Is Peg fit for anything? Can she serve at table?’
    Carter pursed his lips doubtfully.
    ‘She’d manage it if Swale were there to tell her what to do, Miss,’ he said slowly, ‘but she’s a silly wench and bound to forget instructions and drop things, and most like end by becoming hysterical again.’
    ‘Well, I’ll go up and see if I can force her into helping me. Is there no footman? I recall two the last time I was here. Have they both been sent to London?’
    ‘Only one, Miss. I am afraid that Fellowes has disappeared. He is a most unreliable man and, as his family live a few miles off, he no doubt thought it a good opportunity to steal off to visit them.’
    ‘Altogether a miserable crew, apart from you, Carter! We’ll contrive, never fear. Take that noxious-looking stuff up