A Lady Never Tells(98)

“Does the pain run low in his back like this, and down into his leg? Or is it all up and down his back?”

“Exactly like you said. Low in his back and down his leg.”

“Old Mr. Benton used to have that sort of pain. Poultices of bishopsweed helped him. It’s also called goutweed. Just boil the leaves, wrap them in a cloth, and put it on his back. Don’t let it burn him, of course.”

The older woman looked at her for a long moment. “Fancy that. Bishopsweed, eh?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, you seem to have a head on your shoulders. Bit of the old earl in you, I can see.”

“Um, thank you.” Mary wasn’t quite sure how to respond, but her answer seemed to satisfy Mrs. Bagnold, who turned back to Sabrina and launched into a discussion about Lord Humphrey’s horses that left Mary in the dark and even, after a time, brought a line of annoyance to Sabrina’s smooth forehead.

It was some time before Lily and Mrs. Martin returned, Lily happily cradling several books in her arms. Lady Sabrina rose almost immediately, making her good-byes, and led the girls out to her carriage.

“Can you believe that?” Lily asked, her face flushed with excitement. “Mrs. Martin lent me three of her books, and she said I could borrow more when I finished. She has all Mrs. Radcliffe’s books and several more that I have not even heard of. I told her I would bring her the two I bought in London, and she seemed most appreciative.”#p#分页标题#e#

“Who would have thought that the vicar’s wife liked to read your books?” Camellia marveled.

“Who indeed?” Lady Sabrina remarked rather sourly.

Lily and the others glanced at her in surprise, and Sabrina sighed. “I am sorry, dear. That sounded quite petulant, didn’t it? But when I think of all the times that I have sat and listened to her talk about Homer and Chaucer and Aristotle and such, when all the time she’s reading novels of romance! One never knows, does one?”

Sabrina leaned her head back against the luxurious leather squab behind her, closing her eyes.

“Are you all right, Lady—I mean, Sabrina?” Mary asked.

“Yes, my dear, quite all right.” Sabrina opened her eyes and smiled. “I must apologize. I should have brought you to see the vicar’s wife some other day. I fear facing both of them together was too much. I find it’s even given me a headache. I hope Mrs. Bagnold was not too overwhelming.”

“She’s not nearly as bad as our aunts,” Camellia told her candidly.

“She seemed fond of her husband,” Rose added.

“I don’t think that Mrs. Martin is cold,” Lily said. “I think she is actually shy. That’s probably why she doesn’t talk much. But when we were alone in her library, she was very pleasant.”

“It is so nice, the way you are all able to see the bright side of things.” Sabrina’s tone was cheerful, but Mary could hear the underlying strain in her voice, and she knew that Sabrina’s headache must be causing her a good deal of pain.

Impulsively, Mary laid her hand on Sabrina’s arm. “It was good of you to introduce us to them. You have made it much easier for us to get on here.”

“I am so delighted.” Lady Sabrina’s lovely smile was somewhat brittle.

Knowing that their new friend was tired, Mary hustled her sisters out of the carriage and into the house. Lily was disappointed, as she had been about to show Lady Sabrina the books Mrs. Martin had lent her, but she quickly recovered and was content to pass the treasures around among her sisters. She also regaled Sir Royce with the tale of their adventure that evening at supper, finishing with the candid revelation that she had never thought that a preacher’s wife could be so nice.

Sir Royce’s lips twitched a little, but he answered gravely, “Indeed, I have often found them a trifle frightening myself.”

“It was very good of Lady Sabrina to introduce us to them,” Rose added.

“Was it?” Royce’s smile was sardonic.

“But of course.” Mary lifted her chin a little challengingly. It seemed almost as if Sir Royce wanted to thwart their friendship with Lady Sabrina. The notion made no sense, and she could only put it down to his general bad temper of the past few days. “It is bound to be of great benefit to us to be introduced as her friends,” Mary went on reasonably. “As you are well aware, we do not always make the best impression upon the people we have met in England.”

“You seem to have made friends readily enough with Lady Sabrina,” he pointed out sourly.

“I fail to see why that should be any concern of yours,” Mary shot back.