Reckless Rules (Brambridge Novel 4) by Pearl Darling Page A

knew he wasn’t local so they cudgeled him and threw him onto the street. That was one day into his effort. He didn’t try to do anything else because he was too recognizable with his injuries.”
    Bill sighed. “Alright George, that’s enough. Thank you. Go and get something to eat.”
    George nodded gratefully. He stood and limped towards the door, turning slightly before opening it. “It’s not all your fault, Bill,” he said quietly. “We’re perhaps not cut out for this like some people are. I’ve thought often that sometimes it is better to recognize your abilities and capitalize on them, without trying to be something that you aren’t. Some of those poor people in the ‘exotic fairs’ I visited… they’ve had no choice in the path life has given them. God, there was this one in Dorchester where the man—”
    Bill nodded. “It’s alright, George. You don’t need to say it in such a coded way.  I’ve been thinking about you and butlering. I know you haven’t felt comfortable in it. I wondered, with your ability to read and write and obvious interest in numbers, whether you would rather become my man of affairs?”
    George frowned, and his face brightened again. “I think what I just said could apply to many people… but I would be delighted—nay ecstatic—to be your man of affairs.” He opened the door and laughed. “Cor. Look at me. From smith to butler to man of affairs.” He laughed again and shut the door behind him.
    At least someone was happy. Bill pushed back his chair and winced as a snare drum fell off the pile of military regalia that adorned the edge of the room. Freddie’s collecting was getting out of hand. He shouldn’t complain. Freddie had been generosity in itself in housing the injured men.
    Why hadn’t Bill foreseen that this would happen? He had sent his men out untrained. He knew what they were like, inside and out. Yes he trusted them, but he trusted them in a forge with hot metal. He had had no idea what they were like at spying. He certainly knew that Percy was a complainer, but that was alright so long as one knew that was what he was like. He was notorious in Brambridge and was dismissed with a wink and laugh which he took in good part. Sometimes Percy was right, sometimes he was not, but he didn’t realize that there was a time and a place for it.
    Bill covered his eyes with his hands and took a deep breath. He had failed. He was going to fail. He wasn’t going to find Pedro.
    “I wasn’t aware that I was that much of a sight that you had to cover your eyes when I entered the room.”
    Bill started as the crisp and distinctly female voice assaulted his ear drums. He smiled broadly. It was the first time that she had come to him . A sign perhaps that the softly, softly approach was working? Victoria, he rolled in his mouth. His savior perhaps—although she didn’t know it.
    “That is my name, Mr. Standish, although I would stand you to not be so familiar with it.”
    Bedamn, but she was still a prickly one. Bill uncovered his eyes. He hadn’t realized that he had said her name out loud. The stresses of the morning had unraveled his faculties. He coughed. “Lady Colchester.”
    Victoria smiled and stood inside the doorway. “Much better, Mr. Standish.”
    “So you have come to your senses, have you?” Bill stood and pulled out a chair for Victoria. She made no move towards sitting down.
    “I have always had my senses.”
    “But you have finally decided…”
    “What I have decided is…” Victoria stopped. Bill held his breath. “What I have decided, Mr. Standish, is that I have a proposition for you.”
    Bill blinked. A proposition for him? He looked at Victoria more closely. Her normally porcelain complexion was even whiter than usual, covered by a much heavier layer of powder. The usually immaculate curls were pulled more loosely around her face. She wore no gloves. To the unfamiliar eye she would still have looked normal. But he had watched