An Indelicate Situation (The Weymouth Trilogy) Read Online Free Page A

though with a lively older sister and little brother he is definitely having to learn how to look to himself! I suppose it ’ s all to the good. Being a younger son Andy will need to find himself a profession at some stage, and a confident child like him will at least have the advantage of being happy to fi nd himself a sponsor if ever he needs to do so . It is the same with Philip - a young relative of Mr Berkeley, for whom we have taken some responsibility since th e death of his mama a couple of years ago . He is a mischievous, outgoing young man who has recently found himself a position as midshipman on a magnificent man of war. I quite admire him his enterprise. He deserves his little success. ’
    Maggie realised that she had only been half listening to what Mrs Berkeley was telling her about the children . She had resumed her perusal of Mr Wright as he acquired his coffee and decided where to sit. He had finally selected a seat next to his brother’s wife, from where he could quite easily survey the whole of the rest of the room and, in particular, allow his gaze to fall upon her – Maggie – almost as often as she might wish. His gaze was upon her now. Most annoyingly, she could feel another blush prog ress ing unmerciful ly across her face. The instigator of the blush was probably too far distant to notice it although she was acutely aware that Mrs Berkeley was not.
    It was fortunate, therefore, that the lady who was then approaching them from the extremely well padded Sheraton sofa that she had just that moment vacated was totally unaware of the reason for Maggie’s blush . A s it was, Mr Wright ’s good lady was already annoyed enough that Maggie appeared to be retaining Mrs Berkeley’s kind attentions entirely to herself rather than merely sitting in a corner of the room, observing, as would more normally have been expected of a young lady in her subordinate position in the household . She shot her a barbed glance. At least the wretched girl had the decency to blush under Mrs Berkeley’s attention . Ignoring Maggie altogether as being totall y unworthy of any further considerat ion , she adopted a gracious if somewhat insincere little smile which she instantly directed towards her chief lady guest instead.
    ‘My dear Mrs Berkeley,’ she enunciated carefully, with plenty of stress on the ‘dear’. ‘My dear Mrs Berkeley. Whatever has possessed you to hide yourself away so far from the rest of us at this end of the room? Please, do me the honour of joining me over here instead. I should particularly value your opinion on a new outfit for darling little Augusta that I have just seen illustrated in th is month’s ‘Ackerman’s’ magazine . It is quite delightful, I can assure you – very short and with the dainti est little rosebuds embroidered along the hem. I was wondering whether you would consider it quite suitable for a sweet little girl of six.’
    Maggie could see that Mrs Berkeley would much rather retain the seat she had already selected for herself but that, equally, having been on the receiving end of so particular a request, she had no more choice in t he matte r than did Maggie herself. So with no more than a quiet ‘Perhaps you will excuse me, then, Miss Owens?’ Mrs Berkeley submitted to the inevitable with a good deal of grace, relinquished her seat in favour of a standing position next to Mrs William at the mahogany drafting table by the wall (recently acquired at great expense from Gillows’ of London’s finest range ) , and concentrated her attention on the illustrated magazine that was thrust unceremoniously under her slender nose instead.
    Finding herself in solitude once again Maggie was well placed to watch the interactions that were then taking place at the other end of the drawing room. Mr Berkeley was still talking primarily with his brother - in - law, whom she understood had recently succeeded in gaining his promotion to Commander and was now at home awaiting his first