“A little,” he admitted. “But I shall strive to overcome it.”

Chapter Eight

The following Wednesday we decided to go into Exeter. Richard and Gervase had an errand there, and Lizzie wanted to shop. It took us an hour and a half to get there in the carriage from Darkwater. Gervase, Lizzie, Richard and I went down the steps of the Manor to the new landau with the Hareton arms emblazoned on the shiny black painted doors. It was so unlike our previous all-purpose vehicle, it made me smile.

Richard helped me into the carriage, Gervase helped Lizzie and then the maid scrambled up after us. We felt the usual jolt as the horses stirred into action, and then we were away.

Richard pulled a note from his coat pocket. “Mother says she wants somewhere secluded. It shouldn’t be too difficult. The agent says he has six properties in mind.” They were to search for a house that the Earl and Countess could hire during their stay here for the wedding and a week or two beyond.

“I hope we don’t have to look at them all,” Gervase grumbled. “It would take all day.”

I produced a similar note from my pocket. “With all these things we have to buy for Martha, we may have to separate.” Gervase and Lizzie exchanged a fleeting glance, and a smile. I wondered what private joke they were sharing, but I didn’t think about it too much. “Martha’s glad to get us out of the house for a while. None of the things on her list are essential. It’s all embroidery threads, ribbons and the like.”

“Well now we’re out of mourning,” said my sister, “I’m beginning to realise how much I need to supplement my wardrobe.”

That made me laugh. I looked over to my charming sister, not a golden hair out of place, dressed in a brand new light green silk gown. It was much more becoming to golden beauty than Miss Terry’s crimson of the other day had been to hers. The maid sat between Lizzie and Gervase, pretty in her serviceable cotton print. She was a young girl, excited at the prospect of a trip to Exeter instead of her usual morning duties.

“You have so much,” I said to my sister. “Surely you don’t need any more.”

“I must get a new fan for the Assembly on Friday. I have nothing to go with the gown I plan to wear.”

It was an overcast morning, the sort of grey, drizzly weather that is so frequent when spring is trying to break through. The sun filtered through the early rain clouds when we arrived in town, but it began to clear up as the day went on.

We went straight to the house agents’ and waited in the carriage while the keys were brought out to us, together with a note of the location of the houses. We declined the services of the agent, only too delighted to show us round, but busy. He brought the keys out to us himself.

We set out for the first house. “I think,” said Gervase, “that we probably have the best of the bunch here. The agent is bound to know why his business has increased so rapidly the past month or two.”

We went straight to the first house, but we didn’t stay there long. It was a fine house, but too close to the main thoroughfares to afford any privacy, and the rooms at the front were too easy for any curious passerby to peer inside. We decided to leave the others until later. Lizzie and I directed the driver to take us around Exeter, mostly for Gervase’s benefit, as the city contained many old buildings. I didn’t care where we went. I was with Richard, and that was enough.

Exeter was a fine old town, with much evidence of its ancient past still extant, including several fine half-timbered buildings. I gave my guidebook to Gervase, who loved it all. The older the better for him. He drank in the history and told us much more than we needed to know, much more than the author of the guidebook seemed to know. It was as much as we could do to stop him getting out at each monument we passed. As it was we had to stop at the Cathedral Close for half an hour.

We stood on the path leading through the grass lawn to the great Cathedral. Gervase decided there and then to stay on after the wedding, to explore Exeter at his leisure. “I believe Mother has decided to go to Bath this year, so I can join them there later.”

“If the young hopefuls hereabouts leave you alone,” commented Richard.

Gervase grinned. “I can always go incognito. I wouldn’t be the first member of the family to do that.”

“Keep on dreaming,” said Richard. “Once you came home any hope I had for passing unnoticed vanished, just as yours did.”

“Separately we’re unremarkable enough,” Gervase replied. Twelve years apart had given each twin a sense of their own identity, although their faces were still so similar as to be remarkable.

“We’re known. If they know you’re here, they won’t leave you alone.”

“I can try.” Gervase gazed in rapt wonder at the myriad statues ranked on every level outside the Cathedral. He dug his hands in the pockets of his serviceable but well cut brown coat, forgetting all fashionable poses in his trance.

Richard must have seen something in me because he turned to look at me properly and at once put his hand over mine. “What is it, my love?”

“This