Marrying Miss Hemingford by Nadia Nichols Page B

fisherman maintained they had been using the open space for generations and it belonged to them. Being Sunday, there were no nets out and no sign of the fishermen.
    â€˜Are we all here?’ Lord Mancroft called out, standing beside his carriage ticking off everyone on his fingers.
    â€˜We are one missing,’ Annabelle Barry said. ‘Major Mancroft is not here.’
    â€˜Here he comes,’ Lady Mancroft said, as the Major drove up in his curricle.
    â€˜Mrs Bartrum, would you like to ride with me?’ the Major called out as he pulled up beside them.
    â€˜No, thank you, Major, I shall walk with everyone else.’
    â€˜What about you, Miss Hemingford?’
    Anne also declined.
    â€˜In that case, I will walk too.’ He called to one of the men servants to take the curricle back to the stables and then to join the others at the picnic spot to help set it out and start the fire, while everyone went to see the merman. ‘I’ll wager a sovereign to a groat it is nothing of the kind,’ he said.
    No one was prepared to take him on and, once the servants had been dispatched, the whole party set off across Grand Junction Road to the beach.
    Anne found herself being escorted by the Major. ‘Do all the officers drive curricles?’ she asked him.
    â€˜Those that have enough blunt to keep the cattle do,’ he answered. ‘Life in camp can be prodigious boring, you know. And racing horses or curricles is become the thing to do.’
    â€˜In the streets?’
    â€˜That’s frowned upon, Miss Hemingford. It could be dangerous when there are people promenading.’
    â€˜But it does go on?’
    â€˜Doubtless there are some hotheads who are prepared to risk it, but usually it is done very early in the day before anyone is about.’
    â€˜Before anyone of quality is about, you mean. The fisherfolk rise very early, you know.’
    â€˜So they do, but they are not long on the streets, are they? They go to sea and when they return they sell their catch and disappear like rabbits into their burrows.’
    She decided to ignore his deprecating remark, being more concerned with asking her questions. ‘Was there a race last Thursday?’
    â€˜I have no idea. Why do you ask?’
    â€˜That little girl I spoke of last evening was run down by a speeding curricle which did not stop. It was driven by an officer in the 10th Hussars. I recognised the uniform.’
    â€˜I cannot believe one of our officers would behave so casually, Miss Hemingford. Perhaps he was not aware of what he had done.’
    â€˜How could he not be aware? The child was flung to the ground and badly injured.’
    â€˜Anne, I beg you not to prose on so about those people,’ her aunt put in. ‘It is not your concern.’
    â€˜But I am concerned. The man should be reprimanded and all racing banned within the boundary of the town.’
    â€˜That may be, but there is nothing you can do about it,’ her aunt said. ‘I doubt anyone would admit to being the culprit.’
    â€˜No, but I shall recognise him and his equipage if I ever see either again.’
    The Major smiled. ‘Oh, dear, that sounds like a threat, Miss Hemingford.’
    â€˜Anne, please desist,’ her aunt commanded. ‘We are out to enjoy ourselves and I do not want dissension.’
    â€˜I’m sorry, Aunt. I won’t say another word.’
    Mrs Bartrum went off to walk beside the Captain, who had been marching ahead in order to pay everyone’s entrance fee as he had promised. The muslin-clad Barry girls were chatting excitedly, Jeanette on the arm of Lieutenant Harcourt and Annabelle with Lieutenant Cawston, leaving their mother and Sir Gerald to follow more slowly with Lord and Lady Mancroft. Her ladyship was not at all sure she wanted to view this creature, whatever it was, and was already hanging back. It was dead, so there was nothing to fear, her husband told her, to which