was the laughing charm of Joscelin always in its light?
The second call was similar in essence, although the family was composed of an elderly woman with no teeth and an old man who was either drunk or had suffered some seizure which impaired both his speech and his movement.
Fabia spoke to him briskly with words of impersonal encouragement, which he ignored, making a face at her when her back was turned, and the old woman bobbed a curtsy, accepted two jars of lemon curd, and once again they climbed into the trap and were on their way.
Menard left them to go out into the fields, high with ripe corn, the reapers already digging the sickles deep, the sun hot on their backs, arms burned, sweat running freely. There was much talk of weather, time, the quarter of the wind, and when the rain would break. The smell of the grain and the broken straw in the heat was one of the sweetest things Hester had ever known. She stood in the brilliant light with her face lifted to the sky, the heat tingling on her skin, and gazed across the dark gold of the land-and thought of those who had been willing to die for it-and prayed that the heirs to so much treasured it deeply enough, to see it with the body and with the heart as well.
Luncheon was another matter altogether. They were received courteously enough until General Wadham saw Hester, then his florid face stiffened and his manner became exaggeratedly formal.
"Good morning, Miss Latterly. How good of you to call. Ursula will be delighted that you are able to join us for luncheon."
"Thank you, sir," she replied equally gravely. "You are very generous."
Ursula did not look particularly delighted to see them at all, and was unable to hide her chagrin that Menard had seen fit to be out with the harvesters instead of here at the dining room table.
Luncheon was a light meal: poached river fish with caper sauce, cold game pie and vegetables, then a sorbet and a selection of fruit, followed by an excellent Stilton cheese.
General Wadham had obviously neither forgotten nor forgiven his rout by Hester on their previous meeting. His chill, rather glassy eye met hers over the cruet sets a number of times before he actually joined battle in a lull between Fabia's comments on the roses and Ursula's speculations as to whether Mr. Danbury would marry Miss Fothergill or Miss Ames.
"Miss Ames is a fine young woman," the general remarked, looking at Hester. "Most accomplished horsewoman, rides to hounds like a man. Courage. And handsome too, dashed handsome." He looked at Hester's dark green dress sourly. "Grandfather died in the Peninsular War-at Corunna-1810. Don't suppose you were there too, were you, Miss Latterly? Bit before your time, eh?" He smiled, as if he had intended it to be good-natured.
"1809," Hester corrected him. "It was before Talavera and after Vimiero and the Convention of Cintra. Otherwise you are perfectly correct-I was not there."
The general's face was scarlet. He swallowed a fish bone and choked into his napkin.
Fabia, white with fury, passed him a glass of water.
Hester, knowing better, removed it instantly and replaced it with bread.
The general took the bread and the bone was satisfactorily coated with it and passed down his throat.
"Thank you," he said freezingly, and then took the water also.
"I am happy to be of assistance," Hester replied sweetly. "It is most unpleasant to swallow a bone, and so easily done, even in the best of fish-and this is delicious."
Fabia muttered something blasphemous and inaudible under her breath and Rosamond launched into a sudden and overenthusiastic recollection of the Vicar's midsummer garden party.
Afterwards, when Fabia had elected to remain with Ursula and the general, and Rosamond hurried Hester out to the trap to resume their visiting of the poor, she whispered to her rapidly and with a little self-consciousness.
"That was awful. Sometimes you remind me of Josce-lin. He used to make me laugh like that."
"I didn't notice you laughing," Hester said honestly, climbing up into the trap after her and forgetting to arrange her skirts.
"Of course not." Rosamond took the reins and slapped the horse forward. "It would never do to be seen. You will come again some time, won't you?"
"I am not at all sure I shall be asked," Hester said ruefully.
"Yes you will-Aunt Callandra will ask you. She likes you very much-and I think sometimes she gets bored with us here. Did you know Colonel Daviot?"