A Curious Courting Read Online Free Page A

“Oh, Mr. Rushton, it is the loveliest day! We must certainly walk in the park, for every bird on the estate is singing the sweetest song.’ And he would grunt at her, ‘My dear Mrs. Rushton, can you not see that the day is fine for shooting? Birds! Yes, of course, there are birds. I shall bag any number of them in two or three hours.’”
    “You are absurd, Selina,” the boy chuckled. “Did Sir Penrith tell him you would consider selling the land?”
    “No, I don’t think so. Actually, I think it was rather a joke of Pen’s. Mr. Rushton arrived obviously believing that Miss Easterly-Cummings was an aged lady.”
    “And so you are, my dear cousin,” he retorted, flipping the cap off her head. “Who would believe you were three and twenty when you insist on wearing that hideous item. You know, Selina, you cannot hide your light under that bushel. You are an extremely handsome girl,” he remarked gallantly.
    “Silly child!” she returned as she reached down to retrieve the ugly cap. “What does a sixteen-year-old know of feminine beauty? You can hardly brush your own hair!”
    “Now that’s doing it a bit too brown, Selina.” He grimaced as she carefully restored the cap to her brown curls. “Do you have any special reason for not selling the land?”
    A flicker of caution passed over her eyes but he did not notice. “I have no need to sell it, and it’s rather a charming spot, don’t you think? Where else would we go for our picnics?”
    “Dozens of places, I dare say, but it is nice. Did this fellow wish to build a house there?”
    “A hunting-box. He’s been riding with the Quorn, I take it, and thought to provide himself with a small residence in the area. That may all have been a diddle, of course. Perhaps he simply wishes to offer Cassandra a house not so far away from Oak Park. He mentioned that his home was in Suffolk.” She glanced at the case-clock in the corner and lifted a brow inquisitively. “Have you finished the Homer already?”
    “Well, no. The thing is, I feel a little restless this morning, Selina. Thought I might ride out for a bit. Would you like to come?”
    “The snow...” she began hesitantly and then smiled at him. “Yes, Henry, of all things, I would like a ride.”
     
    Mr. Rushton left Shalbrook in rather a dudgeon. Of course, the young lady had every right not to sell her land if she did not want to, but she could at least have been pleasant about it. Perhaps explained why she wished to retain it, or at least excused her abruptness. Instead of following the road straight around to Oak Park, Rushton turned at the gates so that he could once more pass the vale. He halted the curricle and sat for some time gazing into the small valley between its two rounded hills. Right there in the clearing would be the ideal spot for his retreat. Surely that was a stream meandering through the property, partially hidden with snow-covered bushes as it now was. He could perfectly envision how the land would look in spring, the bare branches disappearing under the new growth of luscious green leaves, the meadows beyond as richly colored. But even now, under its cloak of snow, it was one of the most delightful spots he had laid eyes on. Drat the girl! What use had she for it, with all of her land on the other side of the road?
    In summer the heat would shimmer around the hills on either side and flowers would decorate the borders of the woods. And surely in fall the maples would be aglow with color from that special sharpness in the air. Damn! It was all too real to picture a house in such a setting. He dropped his hands and allowed the chestnuts to move forward at a brisk pace. There must be some way to convince Miss Easterly-Cummings to sell the land.
    Before searching out Sir Penrith, Rushton politely conveyed Miss Easterly-Cummings’ greetings to Lady Southwood and her daughter. The ladies were seated in the winter parlor, companionably chatting while they worked lace on large