‘Is it not?’ Donna’s lips were compressed.
Mrs Mumford was almost overcome to receive further patronage from the ladies of Rye End Hall. She was commenting effusively on the elegance of taste shown by their selections while the assistant tied the parcels, when the shop bell jangled and in walked Jeremy Blake.
‘Ladies.’ He doffed his hat and bowed politely. ‘I trust I find you well? May I be of assistance to you with your parcels? I have only a small commission for some neck cloths, if they can be furnished, and then I am at your disposal.’
The ladies accepted gratefully. Donna, because she could never reconcile herself to her charge going out without a footman to carry her parcels, Antonia simply because she found Mr Blake’s company so congenial.
The neck cloths were soon added to the pile of purchases and the party made its way back along the High Street towards the King’s Arms.
‘l was intending to call upon you tomorrow,’ Jeremy observed as they crossed the street. ‘But as we have happily encountered one another, I wonder if I might raise the matter now?’
‘Please do so Mr, Blake. Have you heard from Sir Josiah?’
‘Indeed I have, ma’am. I would find it most helpful to know when I may order the paperhangers to begin. But,’ he added hastily, ‘I would not want to inconvenience you in the slightest.’
‘Thank you for your consideration. It must be an object with us to oblige Sir Josiah and Lady Finch in any way that we can.’ Antonia turned to Donna. ‘I can see no reason why the paperhangers cannot start now in the rooms we do not use, can you, Donna?’
‘I am sure we can oblige Lady Finch.’
‘I am most grateful. Is there any assistance I can lend you in your removal?’
They assured him that they had matters well in hand and they parted, Mr Blake on some further errand in the town, the ladies to rejoin Jem and drive home.
‘Well, my dear,’ Donna said briskly as the gig bowled past the castle ruins, ‘we shall be busy indeed. What with establishing ourselves in the Dower House and undertaking all that dressmaking, we shall scarce have a minute to spare. But we will prevail.’
‘You are enjoying the prospect, are you not, Donna?’ Antonia enquired drily.
‘I am, indeed. We have the prospect of a change of scene, of congenial company in Sir Josiah and Lady Finch and the house party at Brightshill, and some hard but rewarding work ahead. How far we have come from our first dismay at seeing Rye End Hall in March.’
‘How far, indeed,’ Antonia agreed. Her life had indeed changed greatly since that first, singular, encounter with Marcus Renshaw.
Antonia stood on a chair in front of the drawing room window and stretched up to catch a length of muslin on hooks. She was absorbed in trying to achieve a pleasing drape despite the draft from the front door that Donna seemed to have left open.
She stretched further, then the muslin slipped from her fingers and dropped to the floor, suspended only by the far corner. ‘Oh, drat.’
‘Allow me,’ Marcus from behind her.
Antonia spun round on the wooden seat, which tipped precariously, precipitating her into his arms, which were very ready to receive her. ‘Oh! Your Grace… You quite startled me.’
‘My fault entirely, Miss Dane. The door was open and no-one in sight, so I came in uninvited.’ He smiled down at her, causing Antonia’s heart to flutter uncomfortably.
‘We are being very formal this morning, are we not? However, I feel I must mention that something appears to be stabbing me in the right shoulder.’
Antonia hastily dropped her hands, which had been clasping his coat. ‘It is my pincushion. See, I have it tied to my wrist.’
She held up her hand to show him, and blushed when Marcus caught her w
rist between his fingers and bent his head over the velvet pad.
‘Marcus, you are tickling me.’
‘I am sorry, I have never appreciated the complexity of needleworking devices.’
‘Now you are laughing at me.’
‘Not at all, but I must wonder why the mistress of the house is scrambling about on chairs when she has servants to do this sort of thing.’ He released her hand and strolled across the parlour, surveying it as he did so. ‘You have made a great difference here in a short time. I should never have believed this place could look so elegant.’
‘Hardly that, although I flatter myself we have made it tolerably comfortable and homely. I have no fear of headless ghouls now.’ Antonia cast him a look from under her lashes, but failed to provoke any response other than a slightly raised eyebrow. ‘And as for the servants, they are assisting Miss Donaldson with our trunks.’