[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

 Fine, once she persuaded Miss Benet to stay settled here at the hotel. The young lady wanted to go and
tour Alexandria. She said that with the train leaving so early in the morning, this would be her only
opportunity.
Neville was stunned. In his own preoccupation, it had never occurred to him that Jenny would decide to
go wandering.
 But Emily convinced her to stay in? he asked.
 She did. Secured her promise. When we retired, Miss Benet was in one of the hotel courtyards playing
with the monkey that belongs to that boy, Rashid. Mrs. Syms was with her, and assured Emily that she
was going nowhere, so Emily felt safe leaving her there.
 Well done, Neville said, though he suspected that nothing short of leg irons would have held Jenny.
Then he amended his thought. One positive result of her sympathy for the lower classes was that Jenny
would never do anything that would reflect badly on Emily. If she had promised Emily she would remain,
then even had Mrs. Syms been distracted from her chaperonage, Jenny would not have strayed.
 And has Miss Benet come up to dress for dinner?
 She has, sir. Emily is helping her with her hair.
Both reassured and vaguely unsettled, Neville proceeded to ready himself for their dinner engagement.
Vest, tie, and tail-coat were constrictingly warm, but he donned them with the confident assurance that he
would look his best besides, the dining room was certain to have fans.
He met his companions in the common room of the suite. Stephen wore the same high-buttoned jacket
and checked trousers he always wore on more formal occasions. Jenny was still in mourning black,
though she had donned jet pendant earrings and a necklace of matching faceted beads.
However, both Stephen and Jenny might have worn the sheer draperies and the leopard-skin mantle of
the Egyptian sem priest, for all Neville would have noticed once they entered the private dining room
reserved by Lady Cheshire, and Neville saw their hostess turning to meet them.
Neville thought he had seen the full range of her wardrobe aboard Neptune s Charger , for Lady
Cheshire had more frequently varied her gown than any other woman aboard the vessel. Now he realized
that these had been her second best. If he correctly recalled what he had overheard of the ladies gossip
about fashion, Lady Cheshire must have paused to do some shopping in Paris.
The colors of the dressmaker s confection she now turned to display were a compromise between the
stronger shades that had been popular a few years before, and the paler hues that were just now coming
into fashion. Her double-ruffled skirt was yellow, and her close-fitting, low-cut bodice was a deep blue,
trimmed with double borders of white sheer. The large, lace-bordered apron draped over the flat front of
her skirt was cut from a striped fabric that combined the colors of skirt and bodice, and brought the
entire ensemble into perfect harmony.
Yet Neville thought that the dress would have been nothing without the lady s own natural adornments.
Her shining black hair was piled high on her head, a few ringlets trained down along the graceful curve of
her neck. The lithe elegance of her arms was emphasized by yellow bows at her shoulders, bows that
were echoed in miniature at the edges of her white lace-trimmed gloves. She wore a double string of
pearls, and dangling pearl earrings, touched with the tiniest amount of crystal so that they glittered in the
light.
Ye Gods! Neville thought in astonishment, but he fancied he kept his admiration within acceptable levels
as he bowed over Lady Cheshire s glove, and turned to offer the same compliment to Mrs. Syms.
That worthy lady still wore the fuller skirts that had been popular a few years before, a disregarding of
fashion that was not at all uncommon among older women, who seemed more comfortable in the fashions
of their day. However, Mrs. Syms was not dowdy. Her hair had been styled to show off a pert cap,
rather than being hidden beneath a bonnet, and the colors of the fabric were fresh and unfaded.
Captain Brentworth accepted the Hawthorne party s greetings with a cordiality that belied his discourtesy
aboard ship. Indeed, he seemed to be going out of his way to offer them welcome.
 Drinks? he asked heartily.  The hotel has some excellent iced confections the ladies might enjoy.
Something stronger for you, Sir Neville? Whiskey? Brandy?
Sir Neville declined these, but did accept a glass of very dry white wine. Stephen asked for one of the
iced fruit drinks.
 It s cooler here than I expected, he said cheerfully sipping,  but this still tastes marvelous. Wonder
where they get the ice? Must be shipped in. Wonderful thing, modern civilization.
Lady Cheshire smiled at Stephen. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]