Love Lightning Old Virgin
LV CHAPTER

The cavalry had just returned by six o'clock, at which time Miss Harrow was pleading with Miss Dior to prepare to hear the news of a calamity that had befallen the party, and says she already knew how this would have happened in the first place if Caroline had allowed Cherry to leave with a group of reckless young people. Since the two middle-aged and completely careless horse nurses had accompanied the party, this description was very awkward but when Big Lady Dior patiently reminded him of this situation, it was a very awkward one, Miss Harrow just shook her head and urged what use are two horse nurses? Miss Harrow was convinced that Caroline must have been feeling very anxious, no matter how hard she tried to hide.

Miss Dior wasn't worried at all, she wasn't even surprised, because she never expected to see Cherry as early as promised, and instead had told his cook as soon as he saw the entourage leaving, not to serve dinner until an hour longer than usual.

“Because you can believe they will find so many interesting things in Badminton that you will never notice the time,” he said.

He was right, of course. Just after seven o'clock, Cherry and Archard suddenly enter the living room, both apologizing, and dismembered trying to describe the majesty of Badminton, and the incredible opportunity they enjoyed, which includes just imagine a delicious cold snack, specially prepared by the housekeeper of the nobility for their pleasure. There's never been anything like it!

It seems that reckless Henry Curtis has gone to great lengths to ensure the success of this expedition.

“I have to admit,” said Archard honestly, “I didn't think he'd be working on this expedition in such a satisfying way! He actually sent a message to Badminton yesterday, warning the housekeeper that he might once bring some friends to visit the house today. Or maybe he wrote to the waiter because it was the servant who led us around the place, and told us all about everything. And, I have to admit, it was very interesting!”

“Oh, I've never enjoyed something like that in my entire life!” cherry said, with ******* happy.

“Stonehenge and I were blown away, and none of us thought of how late it was until Miss Tenbury happened to see a clock in one of the living rooms, and caught our attention. Be we must hurry to leave immediately, and I sincerely hope, Madam, you do not feel upset.”

“Not at all,” Miss Dior assured her.

“I am well known for my ability to foresee, and have rewinded dinner time before you all go far.”

Archard revealed that Miss Dior did not consider her to be so disrespectful that she had received an invitation from Cyril Curtis to join her and Mr. Hawkesbury at White Hart for dinner. “Oh, and he asked me to convey his greetings to you, Madam, and to explain why he couldn't go in to beg you directly to forgive him for causing us all so late! The thing is, you know, he had to drive Miss Cheltenham and Miss Tenbury to their house. He said, he knows you're going to understand.”

Miss Dior said she was completely condescending, and she would find Archard very foolish to refuse Mr. Curtis' invitation. What Miss Dior didn't tell her was that she felt very relieved knowing the young man wouldn't have dinner at Versailles that night. His ability to foretell, which he had been proud of, had reminded Miss Dior that an awkward situation could have occurred if it had been heard by Grand Madame Oliver that Archard, according to the young man's custom, had dined with him, having had dinner with him, instead of meeting his parents who are too pampering. It seemed impossible that the young man would return to the Somme before going to White Hart because he would think it was not necessary to change his riding clothes to night clothes really, it was very inappropriate for him to do so, and yet he knew it was impossible for his hosts, or the friendly Mr. Hawkesbury, to change their clothes. That means whatever message Big Lady Oliver may have left for her on the Somme, the young man will not receive it until late at night, which, Miss Dior admits, is regrettable, but it is not regrettable as it should be if Big Madame Oliver can blame Miss Dior for Archard's failure to respond promptly to the call. So Miss Dior told Archard to leave immediately, urged Cherry to remove her riding clothes immediately, and let whatever tomorrow brings to an end on its own.

On the next morning, Cherry, eager to talk about the previous day's fun with Stonehenge, volunteered to accompany Big Lady Dior to the Pump Room. Caroline apologizes for not being able to go with them as she feels confident she will receive a visit from Archard. He was not mistaken but it was not until noon that the young man arrived at the doorway, in a state of heat and out of breath having walked at full speed up the steep hill from Christopher. Caroline greeted him in the reading room, as it looked very likely that her brother-in-law and Cherry would return at any time, and Archard said impatiently as he crossed the doorway, “Oh, to be sure, I'm so glad to have you home, Madam! I'm afraid you might go to the Pump Room, where I can't talk to you in person! And, that's what I have to do!”

“Then, it's good that I didn't go to the pump room this morning,” said Miss Dior.

“Sit down, and tell me everything!”

Archard sat down, and pulled the handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe the sweat off his forehead. After his breathing was regular, he said in a tightly controlled voice, “I've come to say goodbye to you, Madam!”

“I think so too,” he said sadly. “I told you from the beginning but I guess it's of no use. It seems that my father was very shaken, and that's because I left Chardley in a state of anger even though I wrote to him, as I told you I should do, so why should he assume I meant to never come back? I don't understand at all! I became afraid he must be in very bad shape, and I could never forgive myself if! There seems to be no choice but to go home. You know, my mother came here yesterday morning, Miss Dior. He stayed at Christopher.”

“I understand.” Miss Dior replied in a sympathetic tone.

“And, also my sister Corswold,” he added, in a moody tone. “If my mother had to take one of my sisters with her, she probably at least brought Lavinia because she had a little understanding, and she wasn't whiny, and she didn't irritate me as often as Corswold did! Really, Madam, I became enraged when that stupid crab girl stretched her hands around my neck before I could stop her, and cried so badly!”

“I .. I guess so,” said Miss Dior, in an unsteady voice.

“Well, of course, and it will definitely make any man feel exactly the way I feel! I told Mama everything politely that this was enough to make me jump on the Bristol train, and sailing aboard the first shipping ship to America or any place that Bristol's ship goes because I'd rather live on the Australian continent than have Corswold hanging around my neck, and it definitely broke my tie, other than calling me his beloved brother, which is the biggest lie I've ever heard because he didn't like me the way I didn't! Then, Corswold asked me, as if he was acting in a tragedy or something, if I wanted to cause my kind parents to die! Well, it made me angry, and I told him in front of his face that I had come to talk to Mama, and not to listen to any unqualified nonsense from him!”

††*****††

Love Lightning Old VirginLV CHAPTER

Love Lightning Old Virgin
LV CHAPTER