moon shone down on the elegant new crescents and squares which sprawled up the steep slopes.
* * * *
Her brain seemed numb, apart from the bewildered repetition of questions. Why had Mr Salway come to Bath? What would Lord Dorney say when he discovered her masquerade? Did he love her? Would he make her an offer, or had she misunderstood his attentions? Would this revelation kill his love, if it existed? And, through it all, what could she do?
After several hours she rose, her limbs cold and stiff, and crept into bed, but sleep refused to come. It was almost dawn, and when the first faint gleams of sunlight crept through the window she gave up all attempts to sleep, threw off the tumbled bedclothes, and dressed hurriedly in an unfashionable but warm woollen gown.
She seized a shawl and ran down to the kitchen where Mrs Dawes was sitting with Lizy, enjoying a pot of tea.
‘Why, Miss Bella, is anything wrong?’ Mrs Dawes asked anxiously.
‘No, except that I couldn’t sleep,’ Bella replied. ‘Where’s Rags? I’ll take him for a walk.’
‘In the stables. Will you not have some tea first, and a few slices of bread and butter? Or I could make some chocolate,’ Mrs Dawes offered, but Bella felt as though food and drink would choke her.
‘No, thank you. I just want some fresh air,’ she replied, and escaped through the door, making her way towards the stables where Rags was accommodated in an empty stall.
She decided to walk along the bank of the river, which would be deserted so early in the day, and had gone for almost a mile before she saw anyone else.
A horseman was coming towards her, ambling rather aimlessly, and with a sense of inevitability Bella recognized Lord Dorney. She felt a moment’s panic, longing combined with apprehension. What could she say?
He recognized her at the same time and urged his horse into a trot until he reached her side. Dismounting, he tied the reins to the branch of an overhanging willow.
‘Miss Collins, I’m surprised to see you so early in the morning,’ he said, giving her a particularly sweet smile.
‘I couldn’t sleep,’ she confessed. ‘My bed became so uncomfortable it was easier to abandon it,’ she added with a brave attempt at a laugh.
‘Sleeplessness appears to be a common problem,’ he said easily. ‘I too was restless. Are you ready to go back now?’
Bella sighed. ‘I ought to,’ she admitted.
‘Then I’ll walk with you. I know Bath’s considered a safe town, but I don’t like the thought of your being alone.’
‘Rags is excellent protection,’ she avowed, but was inwardly warmed by this show of concern for her welfare.
They walked back with just a few remarks about things they saw, a clump of late violets, the first tentative cowslips, a scavenging squirrel, the burgeoning leaves on the trees, and the noisy birdsong. At the end of Henrietta Street, when Lord Dorney was preparing to leave Bella, he smiled down at her.
‘May I call on you later in the morning?’ he asked, and Bella looked up at him in some surprise.
He was being unusually formal. It had become his custom to call on them at least once a day, often to make arrangements for some entertainment he was escorting them to, or to suggest a ride or a drive. He did not as a rule ask for permission, and if they happened to be out when he called he would follow them to the Pump Room or Milsom Street.
‘Of course,’ she replied, forgetting in her astonishment that she was expecting a call from Mr Salway that morning, and with a brief smile of thanks he mounted his horse and rode towards the bridge.
* * * *
Jane was eating breakfast when Bella found her.
‘You’re out early,’ she commented. ‘I haven’t the energy. Tell me, Bella, who was that strange man you danced with last night? Lord Dorney looked black as thunder while you were dancing. Several people remarked on it.’
‘Oh, I’d forgotten!’ Bella exclaimed, realizing that Jane knew nothing of the problems
* * * *
Her brain seemed numb, apart from the bewildered repetition of questions. Why had Mr Salway come to Bath? What would Lord Dorney say when he discovered her masquerade? Did he love her? Would he make her an offer, or had she misunderstood his attentions? Would this revelation kill his love, if it existed? And, through it all, what could she do?
After several hours she rose, her limbs cold and stiff, and crept into bed, but sleep refused to come. It was almost dawn, and when the first faint gleams of sunlight crept through the window she gave up all attempts to sleep, threw off the tumbled bedclothes, and dressed hurriedly in an unfashionable but warm woollen gown.
She seized a shawl and ran down to the kitchen where Mrs Dawes was sitting with Lizy, enjoying a pot of tea.
‘Why, Miss Bella, is anything wrong?’ Mrs Dawes asked anxiously.
‘No, except that I couldn’t sleep,’ Bella replied. ‘Where’s Rags? I’ll take him for a walk.’
‘In the stables. Will you not have some tea first, and a few slices of bread and butter? Or I could make some chocolate,’ Mrs Dawes offered, but Bella felt as though food and drink would choke her.
‘No, thank you. I just want some fresh air,’ she replied, and escaped through the door, making her way towards the stables where Rags was accommodated in an empty stall.
She decided to walk along the bank of the river, which would be deserted so early in the day, and had gone for almost a mile before she saw anyone else.
A horseman was coming towards her, ambling rather aimlessly, and with a sense of inevitability Bella recognized Lord Dorney. She felt a moment’s panic, longing combined with apprehension. What could she say?
He recognized her at the same time and urged his horse into a trot until he reached her side. Dismounting, he tied the reins to the branch of an overhanging willow.
‘Miss Collins, I’m surprised to see you so early in the morning,’ he said, giving her a particularly sweet smile.
‘I couldn’t sleep,’ she confessed. ‘My bed became so uncomfortable it was easier to abandon it,’ she added with a brave attempt at a laugh.
‘Sleeplessness appears to be a common problem,’ he said easily. ‘I too was restless. Are you ready to go back now?’
Bella sighed. ‘I ought to,’ she admitted.
‘Then I’ll walk with you. I know Bath’s considered a safe town, but I don’t like the thought of your being alone.’
‘Rags is excellent protection,’ she avowed, but was inwardly warmed by this show of concern for her welfare.
They walked back with just a few remarks about things they saw, a clump of late violets, the first tentative cowslips, a scavenging squirrel, the burgeoning leaves on the trees, and the noisy birdsong. At the end of Henrietta Street, when Lord Dorney was preparing to leave Bella, he smiled down at her.
‘May I call on you later in the morning?’ he asked, and Bella looked up at him in some surprise.
He was being unusually formal. It had become his custom to call on them at least once a day, often to make arrangements for some entertainment he was escorting them to, or to suggest a ride or a drive. He did not as a rule ask for permission, and if they happened to be out when he called he would follow them to the Pump Room or Milsom Street.
‘Of course,’ she replied, forgetting in her astonishment that she was expecting a call from Mr Salway that morning, and with a brief smile of thanks he mounted his horse and rode towards the bridge.
* * * *
Jane was eating breakfast when Bella found her.
‘You’re out early,’ she commented. ‘I haven’t the energy. Tell me, Bella, who was that strange man you danced with last night? Lord Dorney looked black as thunder while you were dancing. Several people remarked on it.’
‘Oh, I’d forgotten!’ Bella exclaimed, realizing that Jane knew nothing of the problems
Similar Books
