Affair by Amanda Quick Page A
Authors: Amanda Quick
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Historical, Contemporary, Detective and Mystery Stories, Mystery Fiction, Love Stories, Large Type Books, London (England)
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contemplate than they were to carry out. For one thing, it was difficult for a woman in her
situation to find a suitable man.
She did not move in social circles. She did not receive InvitatIODs and Introductions. The handful of respectable gentlemen who had entered her life over the years had failed to Inspire any strong emotions in her. Many, such as MarcJe, had been much too old. Others had simply been uninspiring.
It seemed rather pointless to have an affair unless one was infused with a truly grand passion, she thought, Why bother with the risks unless one expected to experience the stimulating emotions and exciring metaphysical feelings that the poets related?
The sort of feelings, for example, that had swept over her last night when Baxter had kissed her.
78
Amanda Quick
The thought stopped Charlotte cold. Was she actually consid(i ing the possibility of having an affair with Baxter St. Ives?
She looked at the strange design that Drusilla Heskett h@,,d drawn in the watercolor sketchbook. The pattern was an enignia. Not unlike her feelings for Baxter.
"A lady in your position cannot be too careful, Miss Patterson."
Charlotte smiled at the woman seated across from her. She had a
theory that it was good business to compliment a client's foresight and caution. "You were wise to verify the impression Mr. Adams made."
"I told myself I must be careful."
"Indeed. But I am happy to inform you that our inquiries produced no reason to doubt either Mr. Adams's credibility or the
security of his financial situation." "I do not mind telling you that I am enormously relieved to
hear that. I do not know how to thank you." Honoria Patterson, a
pleasantly rounded woman with a pretty face and warm eyes, visibly relaxed her fierce grip on the reticule that rested on her lap.
There was an air of sweet, soft femininity, almost a maternal quality about Honoria, which made her appear a trifle fragile. Charlotte was not deceived. She knew full well that any woman who had kept her spirits strong and optimistic after nearly ten years as a governess was no delicate flower.
Honoria was typical of many of the clients whom Charlotte assisted. She was nearing thirty and had never been married. After struggling to support herself since the age of seventeen, she had
80
__%D
Amanda Quick
1 11
come into a small, respectablel and completely unexpected inhei j -
tance.
Predictably, a handful of suitors had materialized in the wake the news of Honoria's good fortune. She had dismissed most of them
without hesitation. A governess learned early to be wary of a geiltleman's intentions. But one, William Adams, a widower in his
early thirties with two children, had captivated her interest and, apparently, her heart.
As she had explained to Charlotte, the years she had spent instilling the principles of logic and sound reasoning into her young charges had given her a measure of hard-won wisdom and a healthy sense of caution. A friend who operated an agency for governesses had referred her to Charlotte. "I'm delighted to have been of service," Charlotte said. "Especially so in a case such as this where the results of our inquiries are positive. " "I am so very fond of Mr. Adams." Honoria blushed. "And the children are delightful. But you know how it is. Ladies of our ad-
vanced years must question a man's intentions. After all, the world considers us well and truly on the shelf."
On the shelf.
Charlotte sighed. She was already twenty-five. Where had the time gone? she wondered. It seemed only yesterday that she had been desperate to create a career that would allow her to support herself and her sister. She had devoted all of her energy and passion to the task and somehow five years had gone by in the blink of an eye.
She did not regret having passed beyond what Society considered a marriageable age for a lady. Business had improved noticeably, in fact, after she began to look as though she were no longer fresh out of the schoolroom.
situation to find a suitable man.
She did not move in social circles. She did not receive InvitatIODs and Introductions. The handful of respectable gentlemen who had entered her life over the years had failed to Inspire any strong emotions in her. Many, such as MarcJe, had been much too old. Others had simply been uninspiring.
It seemed rather pointless to have an affair unless one was infused with a truly grand passion, she thought, Why bother with the risks unless one expected to experience the stimulating emotions and exciring metaphysical feelings that the poets related?
The sort of feelings, for example, that had swept over her last night when Baxter had kissed her.
78
Amanda Quick
The thought stopped Charlotte cold. Was she actually consid(i ing the possibility of having an affair with Baxter St. Ives?
She looked at the strange design that Drusilla Heskett h@,,d drawn in the watercolor sketchbook. The pattern was an enignia. Not unlike her feelings for Baxter.
"A lady in your position cannot be too careful, Miss Patterson."
Charlotte smiled at the woman seated across from her. She had a
theory that it was good business to compliment a client's foresight and caution. "You were wise to verify the impression Mr. Adams made."
"I told myself I must be careful."
"Indeed. But I am happy to inform you that our inquiries produced no reason to doubt either Mr. Adams's credibility or the
security of his financial situation." "I do not mind telling you that I am enormously relieved to
hear that. I do not know how to thank you." Honoria Patterson, a
pleasantly rounded woman with a pretty face and warm eyes, visibly relaxed her fierce grip on the reticule that rested on her lap.
There was an air of sweet, soft femininity, almost a maternal quality about Honoria, which made her appear a trifle fragile. Charlotte was not deceived. She knew full well that any woman who had kept her spirits strong and optimistic after nearly ten years as a governess was no delicate flower.
Honoria was typical of many of the clients whom Charlotte assisted. She was nearing thirty and had never been married. After struggling to support herself since the age of seventeen, she had
80
__%D
Amanda Quick
1 11
come into a small, respectablel and completely unexpected inhei j -
tance.
Predictably, a handful of suitors had materialized in the wake the news of Honoria's good fortune. She had dismissed most of them
without hesitation. A governess learned early to be wary of a geiltleman's intentions. But one, William Adams, a widower in his
early thirties with two children, had captivated her interest and, apparently, her heart.
As she had explained to Charlotte, the years she had spent instilling the principles of logic and sound reasoning into her young charges had given her a measure of hard-won wisdom and a healthy sense of caution. A friend who operated an agency for governesses had referred her to Charlotte. "I'm delighted to have been of service," Charlotte said. "Especially so in a case such as this where the results of our inquiries are positive. " "I am so very fond of Mr. Adams." Honoria blushed. "And the children are delightful. But you know how it is. Ladies of our ad-
vanced years must question a man's intentions. After all, the world considers us well and truly on the shelf."
On the shelf.
Charlotte sighed. She was already twenty-five. Where had the time gone? she wondered. It seemed only yesterday that she had been desperate to create a career that would allow her to support herself and her sister. She had devoted all of her energy and passion to the task and somehow five years had gone by in the blink of an eye.
She did not regret having passed beyond what Society considered a marriageable age for a lady. Business had improved noticeably, in fact, after she began to look as though she were no longer fresh out of the schoolroom.
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