Chapter 32 #3
‘I can see that you are a student of military history, Miss Bianca,’ said His Lordship in tones that suggested that this was no becoming thing in a woman, but rather decidedly the reverse.
‘Oh, no, you pay me too great a compliment,’ she said cheerfully. ‘I only follow the news in the papers, as I can see you do. My mother is the true student. I daresay if she were here, she must have explained the whole matter so we all understood it better.’
‘How delightful,’ uttered Pallant through gritted teeth. ‘I am so sorry to miss that chance.’
Bea and Miss Pallant had long since given up any pretence of listening, and were talking in low tones that did not permit the others to overhear.
Cecilia considered that on the whole, the Constantines had taken the honours in this particular engagement; she also thought that in a moment, Lord Pallant would suggest that he and she went apart to look down upon the road and see where the Dutch had been overcome by the English militia.
She didn’t care to see it, on the whole, she’d prefer it if she never saw it, and she didn’t want him or his petulant brother to offer to take Bianca to look at it either.
She’d had enough of both of them. Also, she quite urgently needed to ease herself, and there was not the least chance in the world of her going behind a bush and pulling up her skirts within five miles of either of these men.
His Lordship was opening his mouth to speak, but never uttered the words he meant to.
Cecilia leapt to her feet and let out a piercing scream that stopped him in his tracks.
‘A snake!’ she shrieked. ‘Oh, my goodness, I saw a huge snake! There, in the grass, just by the blanket, slithering away! I am sure it was an adder!’
The result of her outcry was utter chaos, just as she had hoped.
Everyone was on their feet now, looking wildly about them, and the Pallant gentlemen were investigating, as was clearly their masculine duty, though this was unlikely to be of much use, given the entirely imaginary nature of the reptile that they were looking for.
Sebastian seized Bianca’s parasol and began violently beating the grass with it, which caused Cecilia to exclaim that he must not provoke the horrid creature in such a reckless manner.
Seeing that Lord Pallant was advancing on her with the obvious intention of offering comfort, which might well entail a most unwelcome embrace, she cast herself into Bianca’s arms and begged her to take her away from this awful place.
‘Yes, let’s, before that imbecile breaks my lovely new parasol,’ muttered her sister in her ear.
For the first time in her life, or the life of any Constantine woman in recent memory, Cecilia indulged herself in a fit of the vapours.
It wasn’t pretty. Between gusting sobs, she insisted that they leave immediately.
Seeing the way that the wind was blowing, Bea and Vivienne began quietly gathering up the remains of the meal, and shaking out the blankets.
In a surprisingly short space of time, they were all heading off back down the path, with Bianca hovering solicitously at Cecilia’s elbow.
The men, of course, however they felt about this fresh development, were obliged to carry the baskets, which gave them no opportunity to approach either of the sisters, and Beatrice stayed close by Miss Pallant all the way down the hill.
There was, naturally, not the least chance that poor Cecilia could bear to sit beside the Baron in the front seat on the drive back; she was clutching at Bianca as if she might never let go.
There was very little conversation on the way home, apart from the occasional broken sob from the afflicted lady in the rear seat, and low murmurs of reassurance from her sister at her side.
‘Cecilia has a perfect horror of snakes,’ Bea said flatly when His Lordship showed signs of questioning her.
‘Oh, please do go quickly as you can, sir, so that we may put her to bed. I cannot think how we came out without her sal volatile, since she is of such a delicate sensibility. I do blame myself for my negligence!’
As fast as he could was not very fast at all, with only one horse and four passengers, but a short while later, Cecilia, still whimpering pitifully, was being supported tenderly into the Hall by both her sisters, and the Pallants were obliged to take themselves off; there could be no question of coming inside in such circumstances.
As soon as they had gone, Cecilia straightened and said in her normal voice, ‘Do you think the gentlemen enjoyed themselves today? I do hope they did!’
‘What’s happened?’ asked Mrs Pritty, appearing wrapped in a floury apron, clutching a rolling pin with an air of being ready to set about her with it at a moment’s notice.
‘Cecilia thought she saw a poisonous snake up by the castle,’ Bianca told her, grinning. ‘She was quite overset, I promise you.’
‘And so I did see a snake, and his name was Oliver Pallant!’