by L. T. Meade
CHAPTER XXI.
THE PICNIC.
At breakfast next morning the children were in high spirits.
Augusta had awakened without any headache or any pricks of conscience."Let Uncle Peter come now," she said to herself; "I won't be afraid ofhim."
It happened to be a lovely morning, and the windows of the prettybreakfast-room were wide open. The gardener was mowing the grass onthe tennis-lawn; the roses and other climbing flowers peeped in at thelattice-window, and sweet summer scents filled the room.
"Poor, poor darling mother," exclaimed Kitty as she seated herself atthe breakfast-tray; "how awfully fagged she must be! I do hope shewill soon come back."
"We ought not to wish her to come back too soon," said Nora, whoalways happened to say just the right thing; "for if Mrs. Rashleigh isvery sad mother can comfort her."
"Do see what you are doing!" cried Augusta at that moment. "You haveoverfilled the teapot, and the tea is running out on the tray."
Kitty laughed gleefully, and soon rectified her mistake, and the mealprogressed, accompanied by gay remarks of all sorts.
"Uncle Peter ought to be here by eleven o'clock," said Nora. "Thetrain arrives at Fairlight at half-past ten; he is sure to come byit."
"What are we to do to-day?" asked Augusta. "Have we any plans, girls?I think we might"----
"Oh! I know what you are going to say," exclaimed Nora. "You want togo to see those tiresome Aspray girls. But we can't do anything untilUncle Peter arrives. He will direct us, and we will do exactly what hewishes."
"Tiresome man!" muttered Augusta under her breath. Aloud she said:"Pass me that brown scone, Nancy. And for goodness' sake, child, don'topen your eyes so wide whenever I speak to you!"
"I tell you what it is," said Nora--"I have lacked courage to say itfor some days, but I will say it now--I do wish you would not scoldNancy whenever you speak to her."
"I don't; I know I don't," said Augusta.--"Do I scold you whenever Ispeak to you, Nancy, _mignon_?"
"_I_ don't mind," said Nancy; and before anything else could besaid the servant entered, bearing a note and also a telegram on asalver. She handed the telegram to Nora, and the note to Augusta.
"The messenger is waiting, miss," said the girl, speaking to Nora.
"What can it mean?" cried Nora; while Kitty craned her neck forward towatch her sister as she read.
"Oh dear!" exclaimed Nora; "how very provoking! It is from Uncle Pete.He says he cannot arrive before dinner-time.--There is no answer,thank you, Ellen."
Ellen left the room, and Augusta now turned her attention to her note.She tore it open, and the next moment she exclaimed in greatexcitement:
"Oh, I say, this is jolly! Here is a line from Flora Aspray. They wantus to join them all for a big picnic. They are going to FairlightTowers--you know, that charming old ruin that we have always wanted tosee. They are starting at eleven o'clock, and they ask us to meet themat the crossroads. They say they will have carriages enough to take usall, and we shall be back soon after dusk. Isn't it quite tooheavenly? Of course we will go--eh, Nora?--eh, Kitty?"
"I wish Uncle Peter were here," said Kitty; "he would tell us whetherit were right or wrong."
"What folly! If Aunt Jessie were at home she would certainly allow usto go. Anyhow, I intend to go, whether you are silly or not."
"I am sure it is not right, and I am sure mother would not like it,"said Kitty again. "May I look at Flora's letter, please, Gussie?"
Augusta handed the letter across to her cousin.
"There is no mention of Mrs. Aspray. Flora seems to have asked us quitefrom herself," said Kitty. "What do you say, Nora? What do you say,Nancy?"
"I don't want to go at all. To be frank with you, Gussie, I don't carefor those girls," said Nora.
"Well, you do like to spoil one's pleasure whenever you can. I supposethere is nothing for it but for Nancy and me to go alone."
"Must I go with you?" cried Nancy.
"Yes--certainly," replied Augusta.
"She sha'n't go unless she wishes to," here interposed Kitty. "Why doyou bully her? I think you are very unkind."
"And I think you are all perfectly hateful!" said Augusta, who was redwith passion. "Well," she added, "have it your own way. I shall go bymyself; I do not intend to miss the fun."
She marched out of the room as she spoke, and the three other girlsglanced at one another.
"Perhaps I had better go with her," said Nancy. "What do you think,Kitty? It doesn't matter so much for me, you know; I am not your realsister. I mean that Aunt Jessie would be more particular about you andwhat you did than about what I do."
"You may go, of course, if you like," said Kitty; "but you shall notgo if you do not like. Gussie shall not make your life a burden toyou."
"I think I'll go," said Nancy. She rose very slowly and left the room.
"What a darling little thing she is!" said Kitty; "always soself-denying and so anxious to please others. Now, I know she ismerely doing this to please Gussie; and why Gussie should be humouredat every turn is more than I can understand. Nancy would have enjoyeda long, quiet, happy day with us; and why should she make herselfperfectly miserable?"
"Augusta has a power over her which I can never understand," repliedNora. "She does very wrong indeed to accept the Asprays' invitation;but perhaps it is as well, since she insists on going, that Nancyshould go with her. She won't be quite so daring and so unladylike ifNancy is by."
"Oh dear!" cried Kitty, "do you really think our cousin Augustaunladylike?"
"When she does underhand things I do," replied Nora. "But there, Kit!don't let us worry any more. We have a lot to do, and on this day ofall days we must not be idle, with dear Uncle Peter coming in theevening."
"Do you know," exclaimed Kitty, "that I cannot find the key of thechiffonier where the orderly-book is kept. Mother put it into my handjust when she was going, and I can't imagine where I placed it. Let usgo up and search mother's room. It will never do for the key to belost just when Uncle Peter arrives."
The girls ran upstairs and began to search in their mother's room, butnowhere, high or low, could they find the missing key. They questionedthe servants, and begged them to have a good search for it, andpresently, absorbed by other matters, forgot the circumstance.
Meanwhile Augusta was putting on her gayest and most becomingcostume.
When Nancy put her sad little face round the door and said "I amgoing with you, Gussie," just for a moment Augusta's conscience didgive her a sharp prick.
"You are good-natured," she said, "and I won't forget it. Put onsomething nice. Wear your pretty white dress and your white hat. Youlook so nice all in pure white!"
Nancy nodded and went off to her room.
"She is a good-natured little soul," thought Augusta. "It will be muchnicer for me to go with her than alone. If by any chance anything issaid, she must naturally take her share of the blame. What a blessingthat tiresome captain put off his visit till to-night! I only wish,for my part, he would put it off altogether. Now, do I look best inpink or blue? Pink, I think. Pale pink suits almost any one. My whitehat with the blush-roses will look sweet with this frock. I don't wantthose handsome girls to outshine me. Now I fancy I'll do. I shall bequite as smart as they are, and that is all I am going to trouble myhead about."
At a quarter to eleven Augusta and Nancy left Fairleigh, and walkeddown the dusty road until they came to the cross-roads where they wereto wait for the Asprays' picnic party.
Punctual almost to the moment, a wagonette, a pony-carriage, and aphaeton appeared in sight. The gaily dressed party shouted welcomes tothe two girls; and Mrs. Aspray, an exceedingly stout woman with a timidface and a good-natured expression, bent forward and held out her handto welcome Augusta and Nancy.
"Why, I thought there were four of you," she said. "Florrie saidfour.--Didn't you, Flo? You mentioned four girls; I am certain of it."
"Yes, mother," replied Flora; "but you can see for yourself that thereare only two w
aiting for us at the cross-roads."
"I am so sorry," here interrupted Augusta, speaking in her mostladylike, company, and grownup manner, "but my cousins, Kitty andNora, are both suffering from bad colds, otherwise they would havebeen delighted to come."
Nancy's face first grew red and then white when Augusta told thisfalsehood. She was about to say something, but receiving a sharp nudgeon her elbow from the irrepressible Augusta, she held her peace.
Room was made for the two girls in the wagonette, and the partyproceeded gaily on their way. The day was a perfect one--neither toohot nor too windy; the great heat of the summer's sun was tempered byrefreshing breezes. The destination of the party was an old castlewhich hung over the sea at the edge of a great promontory. The castlewas one of the show-places of the neighbourhood, and picnic partiesthere were very common.
The custodian was very pleased to receive the Asprays and theirfriends, and he told Mrs. Aspray that they could all have dinner in thegreat stone hall where once upon a time, many ages ago, the monks ofthe order of Ethelbert used to feed.
Augusta was in wild spirits, and Nancy tried hard to enjoy herself.There were one or two quiet, gentle sort of girls who attachedthemselves to her, and they walked about, examining the old place andtrying to piece together its past history.
Augusta meanwhile scarcely left Flora's side. She liked her evenbetter than Constance. Flora was so gay, so hearty in her manner--sodaring, too. She was absolutely astonished when Augusta told her thatshe, in her own sheltered life, had to conform to rules and to obeyconditions.
"But you are too old," said Flora. "Why, you are seventeen, are younot?"
"No," answered Augusta; "I am only just sixteen."
"As if that mattered! Why, in America we often marry as young assixteen, and we certainly do exactly what we like. Oh! I am so anxiousto introduce you to a great friend of ours--Mr. Archer. I did so hopehe would be here to-day! He is an American, and such fun! He will putyou up to a wrinkle or two. We heard from him this morning, and hewill arrive to-morrow. I know you would admire him; and what is moreto the point, I am certain he would like you. You are exactly the sortof English girl to take his fancy."
Augusta blushed when Flora talked about Mr. Archer and the extremelikelihood of his taking a fancy to her.
"I don't suppose he would for a minute. And I don't know--this isquite between ourselves--that I shall see much more of any of you."she answered.
"What do you mean by that? Don't you like us?" asked Flora bluntly.
"Need you ask?" replied Augusta. "I cannot express to you what ablessing it is to me having people like you close to us; but theRichmonds have very funny ideas, and the fact is, as my aunt has notcalled on your mother---- Oh, you understand, don't you?"
"But your aunt is away. How can she call on mother? She would,naturally, if she were at home."
"Yes--yes; I know."
"And being away," continued Flora, "the necessary formalities cannotbe gone through. Surely we can all have fun together. There isConstance.--Constance, I want to say a word to you."
Constance danced up to her sister.
"Here is Miss Duncan," continued Flora, "hinting to me that she won'tbe able to see much of us in future. Don't you think that would be avast pity, Connie? And with David Archer coming, too!"
Constance laughed.
"You will like him immensely if you see him," she said, staring fullat Augusta.
Once more the colour rushed into her guest's face.
"Well," said Augusta, "I must do my best. You may be sure I shouldlike to come. I have said so to your sister already. But there is aCaptain Richmond coming this evening--I call him Uncle Peter, althoughhe is not my real uncle--and he is awfully particular, and may preventme."
"Captain Richmond!" cried both the girls.
"Is he young, and is he nice?" questioned Flora.
"Yes; I expect you would think him both young and good-looking. As tohis being nice, I expect he is that too, only he might not fulfil yourideas."
"I should like to see him," said Flora. "Now, I tell you what, Gussie(oh! you must let me call you Gussie--'Miss Duncan' is far too stiff),you must manage--quite by accident, you know--to meet us to-morrow, ornext day, with your dear, particular Captain Richmond; then you willbe forced, you know, to introduce us, and we will introduce you toDavid Archer."
"All right. I will see what I can do," answered Augusta.
A shout from another member of the party caused the three girls tolook up.
Mr. Aspray, a very stout man with a pale face, was calling to them tohurry down and help to make tea, and no further private conversationwas possible. But as the carriages drew up at the crossroads for thetwo girls to alight, Flora whispered in Augusta's ear:
"Don't forget, Gussie. Constance and I will be walking in theFairleigh woods to-morrow. Now, be as clever as you look, and do whatwe want."
