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‘Are they beautiful?’
‘The tulips?’
‘No! Your other two sisters, Miss Linton.’
‘Oh.’ I pondered this for a moment, conjuring up an image of Anne’s and Maria’s faces. Finally, I reluctantly admitted: ‘I suppose so.’
‘With long blonde hair?’
‘Yes.’
‘And shining blue eyes?’ He fluttered his eyelashes in a way a man should not be able to. I just barely managed to stifle a laugh.
‘Um… yes. Both of them.’
‘No wonder poor old Flip was carried away. How long did it take for him to forget they existed?’
‘Err… I think about a week.’
‘You see?’
He rubbed his hands again, as if everything were resolved.
I did indeed begin to see. A part of me did, at least. That part wanted to burst out laughing and hug this strange stranger who had so simply dispelled the doom that had been hovering over my sister and me for weeks. But another part of me still couldn’t believe. Carefully, I sniffed the air. There was no smell of alcohol. Could it be that Captain Carter really was not drunk? That he was telling the truth?
I suddenly remembered Patsy telling me how Wilkins had been pursuing her, even before Anne and Maria. Patsy had blonde hair, even though it was tied in a knot, and her eyes were definitely bright - bright as a blowlamp about to explode.
Could it be true? Maybe…
But of what use was it to me? I realized with a sinking feeling that, even if Sir Philip didn’t mean anything by his attentions, Ella was still very much in danger of losing her honour.
For a moment, my eyes strayed to Edmund, who was glaring at the dancing couple with an intensity that could probably have incinerated the floor, had it been made of wood.
When my eyes went back to Captain Carter, I saw him studying me critically. ‘You still don't believe me,’ he accused me.
‘No, no, it’s not that… I…’ My voice trailed off. How on earth was I suppo
sed to explain things to him? To a complete stranger? Should I even try? Was it right for me to disclose secrets I wasn’t even supposed to know myself?
‘What?’ he asked, and the gentleness in his voice surprised me. ‘Miss Linton, I have no wish to cause pain to you or your sister. If there is some problem…’
‘My sister,’ I said, hurriedly, before I could think better of it. ‘She doesn't want to marry Sir Philip.’
‘Well, where’s the problem in that?’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘Why doesn't she just send him packing?’
‘Because,’ I said, feeling angry that I had to explain my sister’s motives to this stranger, ‘she feels it would be her duty to accept him, since our aunt wishes it.’
He blinked, speechless for the moment. But the moment didn’t last very long.
‘That’s silly!’
‘No, it isn’t!’ I snapped, though privately I couldn’t agree more.
‘Oh? So you would do the same?’ he asked, a mischievous grin tugging at the corner of his mouth - a place where there often seemed to be one.
I flushed.
‘Well… not exactly.’
