Trenton angrily, ‘why do you not take him to the nearest magistrate so that Lady Carsey may be arrested?’
‘Because we would all be held in Esher during the lengthy inquiries,’ pointed out Lord Augustus. ‘Besides, the magistrate favours Lady Carsey, and, although finding her guilty, may bring a separate charge against Miss Pym. It could be proved, you know, that Miss Pym had deliberately masqueraded as a servant for the sole purpose of setting the house alight. The jury would be composed of local people, and juries have been bribed or frightened by such as Lady Carsey before. I think we are all well out of it. But, just in case, I think we should leave.’
‘You are an excellent woman, Miss Pym!’ cried Mr Cato suddenly. ‘What say you to an offer to sail with me to America as my wife?’
There was a startled silence.
A small glow of gratification spread through Hannah Pym’s thin body. She did not want to marry Mr Cato, but how wonderful to get a proposal of marriage.
‘Sir, I am most honoured,’ said Hannah, ‘but I fearI am too used to my single state to want to change it now.’
‘Think on it,’ said Mr Cato cheerfully. ‘We should deal excellent well together.’
Now Miss Trenton’s fury knew no bounds. She could just about bear Lord Augustus’s attentions to the beautiful Penelope. But the plain-featured Miss Pym getting a proposal of marriage! It was too much. She felt quite tearful and weak after the spasm of rage passed.
‘I shall collect my belongings,’ she said shakily. No one seemed to take any notice of her leaving. Penelope was tenderly bathing Benjamin’s head and Lord Augustus was watching her. Mr Cato was beaming at Hannah and the coachman and guard were surveying them all in open-mouthed admiration.
Soon they were all back in the coach, Hannah having had to buy a fusty old trunk from the landlord in which to put her clothes. She sat making calculations as the coach lurched through the night. She would need to buy another suit of livery for Benjamin, and a new trunk.
Penelope yawned and shivered. She had not bothered to change her wet clothes. Her hair lay in damp tendrils against her cheek. She could not stop thinking about Lord Augustus and that kiss, the first she had ever received. It had been sweetness itself, but he was an experienced man and was probably expert at seducing women. She looked up at him and he gave her a lazy smile and she blushed and looked away. Soon her eyelids began to droop and she fell asleep, her head finally coming to rest on his shoulder. LordAugustus put an arm about her to cradle her against him and finally fell asleep himself.
Lady Carsey was once more in bed. The fire engine had arrived quickly and only a small morning-room on the first floor had been gutted. The rest of the house was intact. She had been very lucky. The pale light of dawn was filtering through the curtains. She had been awake a long time, fearing any moment the arrival of the police. But it began to occur to her that those wretched fiends of the stage-coach planned to leave her alone. Relief that there was to be no retribution was quickly followed by a choking rage and a desire for revenge. Her hatred this time was not focused on Lord Augustus but on Miss Hannah Pym. That creature had had the temerity to use her own name, as that reference had proved. No one ever crossed Lady Carsey and got away with it! She lay awake a long time, making plans.
The weary coachman drew up at the Anchor in Liphook. Penelope awoke to find her head resting on Lord Augustus’s chest, and, what was worse, one of her hands resting on that gentleman’s thigh. She drew away from him as if scorched.
As the passengers alighted, Miss Trenton fell into step beside Lord Augustus. ‘Did you mark how wantonly she lay against you?’ she hissed. ‘Surely that bears out what I have told you?’
He looked down at her under drooping eyelids and then said clearly and precisely, ‘You are an
‘Because we would all be held in Esher during the lengthy inquiries,’ pointed out Lord Augustus. ‘Besides, the magistrate favours Lady Carsey, and, although finding her guilty, may bring a separate charge against Miss Pym. It could be proved, you know, that Miss Pym had deliberately masqueraded as a servant for the sole purpose of setting the house alight. The jury would be composed of local people, and juries have been bribed or frightened by such as Lady Carsey before. I think we are all well out of it. But, just in case, I think we should leave.’
‘You are an excellent woman, Miss Pym!’ cried Mr Cato suddenly. ‘What say you to an offer to sail with me to America as my wife?’
There was a startled silence.
A small glow of gratification spread through Hannah Pym’s thin body. She did not want to marry Mr Cato, but how wonderful to get a proposal of marriage.
‘Sir, I am most honoured,’ said Hannah, ‘but I fearI am too used to my single state to want to change it now.’
‘Think on it,’ said Mr Cato cheerfully. ‘We should deal excellent well together.’
Now Miss Trenton’s fury knew no bounds. She could just about bear Lord Augustus’s attentions to the beautiful Penelope. But the plain-featured Miss Pym getting a proposal of marriage! It was too much. She felt quite tearful and weak after the spasm of rage passed.
‘I shall collect my belongings,’ she said shakily. No one seemed to take any notice of her leaving. Penelope was tenderly bathing Benjamin’s head and Lord Augustus was watching her. Mr Cato was beaming at Hannah and the coachman and guard were surveying them all in open-mouthed admiration.
Soon they were all back in the coach, Hannah having had to buy a fusty old trunk from the landlord in which to put her clothes. She sat making calculations as the coach lurched through the night. She would need to buy another suit of livery for Benjamin, and a new trunk.
Penelope yawned and shivered. She had not bothered to change her wet clothes. Her hair lay in damp tendrils against her cheek. She could not stop thinking about Lord Augustus and that kiss, the first she had ever received. It had been sweetness itself, but he was an experienced man and was probably expert at seducing women. She looked up at him and he gave her a lazy smile and she blushed and looked away. Soon her eyelids began to droop and she fell asleep, her head finally coming to rest on his shoulder. LordAugustus put an arm about her to cradle her against him and finally fell asleep himself.
Lady Carsey was once more in bed. The fire engine had arrived quickly and only a small morning-room on the first floor had been gutted. The rest of the house was intact. She had been very lucky. The pale light of dawn was filtering through the curtains. She had been awake a long time, fearing any moment the arrival of the police. But it began to occur to her that those wretched fiends of the stage-coach planned to leave her alone. Relief that there was to be no retribution was quickly followed by a choking rage and a desire for revenge. Her hatred this time was not focused on Lord Augustus but on Miss Hannah Pym. That creature had had the temerity to use her own name, as that reference had proved. No one ever crossed Lady Carsey and got away with it! She lay awake a long time, making plans.
The weary coachman drew up at the Anchor in Liphook. Penelope awoke to find her head resting on Lord Augustus’s chest, and, what was worse, one of her hands resting on that gentleman’s thigh. She drew away from him as if scorched.
As the passengers alighted, Miss Trenton fell into step beside Lord Augustus. ‘Did you mark how wantonly she lay against you?’ she hissed. ‘Surely that bears out what I have told you?’
He looked down at her under drooping eyelids and then said clearly and precisely, ‘You are an
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