Clare Avery: A Story of the Spanish ArmadaHolt, Emily Sarah
History
Clare Avery: A Story of the Spanish Armada
Holt, Emily Sarah
Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603 -- Fiction; Historical fiction
Not for Margaret, for Harry Travis had returned from the Netherlands,
and her marriage was to be that day six weeks. Not for Lucrece, who was
elated with what she considered her triumph over Blanche, and was on the
look-out for fresh laurels. Not for Blanche, as the reader knows: nor
for Clare, as he soon will know: nor even for Rachel herself--
"Though only the sorrow of others
Threw its shadow over her."
There was but one person to whom matters went on at all as usual, and
that was Lady Enville. As usual, to her, meant a handsome dress, a
cushioned chair, a good dinner, and an occasional junketing: and since
recent events had not interfered with any of these, Lady Enville went on
much as usual. Yet even she never ceased to regret Blanche's lost
coronet, which no revelation of Don Juan's duplicity would ever persuade
her had not been lying at her daughter's feet, ready to be taken up and
worn. She was one of those persons who will not believe anything which
they do not wish to be true; and on them vouchers and verifications are
always thrown away.
The first point different from usual was that Arthur Tremayne began to
drop in continually at Enville Court. Lady Enville was gratified, for
she thought her neat little arrangement was taking effect; and it would
be a comfort, she said to herself, to have Clare off her hands. She
said this one day to Rachel: but though, she knew that worthy spinster's
opinion of matrimony, yet she was hardly prepared for the diatribe which
she received in answer. Rachel had lately, and with much annoyance,
began to perceive--what she had never seen so clearly before--that Lady
Enville cared very little for her elder daughter. And of all the four
girls, Clare was Rachel's darling. She was prepared to do battle in her
cause to a greater extent than she herself knew. So, having received
this hint, Rachel set herself to watch Arthur, and see that he behaved
properly.
It was not easy to guess Arthur's motive in coming. He usually sat
between Clare and Blanche when he was present at supper; and just now
that was pretty often. But either of the two might be the attraction.
In other respects, his courtesies were evenly divided among the four,
and were not pointed to any.
Meanwhile, Clare was honestly trying to do the work set her well, and to
be contented with it. She often carried her troubles to Mrs Tremayne,
and sought advice or cheering at her hands: nor was she ever sent away
unsatisfied. Rachel was delighted with Clare's steady and cheerful
help, and complacently thought that the parsonage had done her good.
So the summer drew on, and Margaret was married to Harry Travis, and
went to live in another part of the county.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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