Miss Fanshawe's Fortune - Linore Rose Burkard Page 0,21

be, I daresay!” she cried with false bravery. She couldn’t bear to let him know that her future was uncertain.

“Yer father was a right honor’ble gen’leman.”

Frannie’s eyes widened and she gave Sebastian a look of undisguised hope. Turning back to Mr. Withers she asked breathlessly, “Do you know my father?”

“Nay, me darlinʼ, but yer mother did.” Seeing this was not meant as a joke, she said, “Go on.”

“’E was a man of means. Married her agin’ ‘is father’s will; that much is certain.”

Sebastian’s brows knit as he listened keenly. He cleared his throat.

Flustered, Frannie cried, “I beg your pardon. Sir, may I introduce Mr. Withers to you? He is almost like family to me.”

“By all means,” said Sebastian graciously, though under most circumstances an introduction to Mr. Withers, or anyone of his sort, would seem quite curious if not repugnant. Before Frannie could say another word, however, the man quickly grabbed a small object from his worktable which ended in a miniature horn and placed it in his ear.

Frannie turned to Sebastian with a knowing smile. “The little instrument I told you about. Now he’ll hear the introduction better.” The little man bowed respectfully to Sebastian as his name was given, but couldn’t help immediately volunteering the information afterward that surely when Mr. Arundell recognized Frannie’s worth, for she was a “real laidy,” this business of being a companion would no longer suit.

Blushing, Frannie ignored this and told the little man why they were come.

“Ah!” he said, smiling. “I’ve just perfected it with a little adjustment.” He pulled the gadget from his ear. “See, there’s the smallest device yeʼll find anywhere, now.”

Sebastian peered curiously at it. He saw a metal object that looked almost like a miniature French horn with the minutest coils imaginable.

“It’s wonderful!” breathed Frannie.

Mr. Withers said, turning to rummage in a pile of gadgets on one side of the table, “I’ve got a few ‘ere like it.” He chose one, a pewter instrument, and handed it to Frannie. She admired it momentarily and passed it to Sebastian, who examined it closely. Mr. Withers gave him a lesson on how to adjust it in the ear, pointing out that the tiny coils, if necessary, could be compressed yet further, but warned that, if done too often or too hard, the device might cease to work.

“What do you call this?” Sebastian asked.

“ʼTis an ear trumpet, sir.”

“Like its larger counterpart,” Sebastian murmured. He turned to Frannie. “My mother will be in raptures if it works.”

“Oh, it will, sir!” Mr. Withers assured him.

Sebastian dug in his pocket for payment. The little man seemed embarrassed by that, but Frannie insisted he take it. After a tender goodbye, and many entreaties to come to him if she needed aught, they left, Sebastian commenting that if the ear trumpet worked, he would be back to buy another and give the man more for it than he asked.

“Do not return without me,” she said. “I adore the chance to see Mr. Withers.”

Sebastian regarded her with a little smile. She certainly had no pretensions about the society she kept. When they were seated again in the curricle, he said, “Before we take this to my mother, I think I must speak to Mrs. Fanshawe. May as well face the business and get on with it.”

Frannie looked at him with undisguised hope. “Would you? I am certain she must behave more civilly to you than she did, me.”

He nodded. “Let us hope.”

CHAPTER SIX

They progressed a mere two streets before traffic brought them to a standstill. Frannie took the opportunity to study the busy street with its stalls, carts and shops. She looked past the woollen drapers, patten makers, a pewterer, a stall of ribbands, and a fishmonger, before looking fixedly at a street vendor. “If I may, sir. That bakerʼs wares are superb! Mrs. Baxter and I always filled a basket from his stall before returning home.”

Sebastian’s mouth twisted as he suppressed a smile. “I noticed you failed to eat this morning.” Frannie pursed her lips but said nothing of the fact that she had not been able to eat on account of their expected outing, as it meant spending time with him. She had awoken with a healthy fear of Sebastian, who seemed stern to her yesterday. But now she felt more at ease; especially since he seemed to have espoused her cause. He dug in a pocket, turned to Will and gave him a coin along with a motion of his head at the vendor’s