instructions or misunderstood the wave, for rather than turn and rest on her tummy to lower herself carefully out, she suddenly plunged off the ledge, plummeting straight at the horrified Charlie.
Before she could get out of the way or even move, the full impact of the girl's body was clobbering her over the head and tumbling them both to the ground.
----
Chapter Seven
« ^ »
"Oh, Lord! I'm ever so sorry!"
Charlie heard those words through a sort of haze and a ringing in her ears. Not only had she broken Bessie's fall with her body, she had also conked her head rather nastily on the cobblestone ground as she had collapsed beneath the girl's weight. Most painful. Horrendous really. Was she seeing double?
"Oh, gad! Oh, please say yer a'right? I'm sorry. I slipped. I was turnin' to lower mesel' out the window just like ye said, but my hand slipped and I fell and I hit you and—"
"Shhh," Charlie hissed, pressing her hands to either side of her head a bit desperately.
"Oh, o' course. I'll be drawin' attention I will and we'll be caught am I not quiet."
Charlie grimaced She had not even considered being overheard. Her shushing had more to do with the way the girl's voice was adding to her pain than any other concerns she should have. Shifting her legs carefully, Charlie began to rise, grateful for Bessie's efforts to assist as the young girl caught her arm.
"Yer none too steady on yer feet, me lord," Bessie murmured with concern, dragging Charlie's
arm over her shoulder and taking most of her weight as she steered her to the wall. Leaning her there, the girl peered at her worriedly. "Yer pale as a ghost too. Ye took a nasty knock."
"Aye," Charlie sighed, raising a hand to probe tentatively at the back of her head. "There is a bump but no blood," she announced as she found the area.
The other girl's face relaxed somewhat. "Thank goodness for that."
"Aye," Charlie murmured, the clip-clop of horses hooves drawing her gaze to the mouth of the alley in time to see Radcliffe's carriage pull up. Straightening her shoulders determinedly, she eased away from the wall. "We had better go."
Nodding, Bessie rushed off to collect her bag from where it had landed when Charlie had thrown it out the window. When she returned, Charlie took her arm and they made a mad dash for the carriage.
Radcliffe threw the door open as they reached it, and Charlie nearly stuffed the poor girl inside. Clambering in behind her, she tugged the door closed with a snap and collapsed onto the bench seat beside Bessie with a relieved sigh. When several moments passed in silence without the carriage moving, she opened one eye to peer at Radcliffe.
"Can we go now, please?" she asked politely.
Radcliffe's response was to cast a suspicious glance toward Bessie, then turn back to arch an eyebrow at Charlie.
Sighing, she sat up and murmured politely, "Bessie, this is Lord Radcliffe. Radcliffe, this is Bessie…
Beth's lady's maid," the last came on an inspiration. She and Beth did need a lady's maid. They also needed one they could be sure would not give away their secret should it accidentally be uncovered. And Charlie was pretty sure that Bessie was grateful enough for her assistance this night that she would keep the secret should she accidentally discover it. It seemed a perfect arrangement
Radcliffe didn't seem quite as enthusiastic with this orchestration of events, however. "Lady's maid?" he asked archly.
Charlie turned wary at his tone. "Aye."
"Charles, I brought you here tonight to sample some of Aggie's offerings. Here. On the premises. Not to drag one of her girls home to sample her at your leisure."
"It is nothing like that," Charlie snapped, aware of the way Bessie had stiffened beside her in suspicion.
"She is one of Aggie's girls, is she not?"
"Nay."
"Charles," he growled in a warning tone, and Charlie shifted impatiently.
"Does she look like a prostitute to you?"
Radcliffe glanced reluctantly at the girl, taking in her plain
Before she could get out of the way or even move, the full impact of the girl's body was clobbering her over the head and tumbling them both to the ground.
----
Chapter Seven
« ^ »
"Oh, Lord! I'm ever so sorry!"
Charlie heard those words through a sort of haze and a ringing in her ears. Not only had she broken Bessie's fall with her body, she had also conked her head rather nastily on the cobblestone ground as she had collapsed beneath the girl's weight. Most painful. Horrendous really. Was she seeing double?
"Oh, gad! Oh, please say yer a'right? I'm sorry. I slipped. I was turnin' to lower mesel' out the window just like ye said, but my hand slipped and I fell and I hit you and—"
"Shhh," Charlie hissed, pressing her hands to either side of her head a bit desperately.
"Oh, o' course. I'll be drawin' attention I will and we'll be caught am I not quiet."
Charlie grimaced She had not even considered being overheard. Her shushing had more to do with the way the girl's voice was adding to her pain than any other concerns she should have. Shifting her legs carefully, Charlie began to rise, grateful for Bessie's efforts to assist as the young girl caught her arm.
"Yer none too steady on yer feet, me lord," Bessie murmured with concern, dragging Charlie's
arm over her shoulder and taking most of her weight as she steered her to the wall. Leaning her there, the girl peered at her worriedly. "Yer pale as a ghost too. Ye took a nasty knock."
"Aye," Charlie sighed, raising a hand to probe tentatively at the back of her head. "There is a bump but no blood," she announced as she found the area.
The other girl's face relaxed somewhat. "Thank goodness for that."
"Aye," Charlie murmured, the clip-clop of horses hooves drawing her gaze to the mouth of the alley in time to see Radcliffe's carriage pull up. Straightening her shoulders determinedly, she eased away from the wall. "We had better go."
Nodding, Bessie rushed off to collect her bag from where it had landed when Charlie had thrown it out the window. When she returned, Charlie took her arm and they made a mad dash for the carriage.
Radcliffe threw the door open as they reached it, and Charlie nearly stuffed the poor girl inside. Clambering in behind her, she tugged the door closed with a snap and collapsed onto the bench seat beside Bessie with a relieved sigh. When several moments passed in silence without the carriage moving, she opened one eye to peer at Radcliffe.
"Can we go now, please?" she asked politely.
Radcliffe's response was to cast a suspicious glance toward Bessie, then turn back to arch an eyebrow at Charlie.
Sighing, she sat up and murmured politely, "Bessie, this is Lord Radcliffe. Radcliffe, this is Bessie…
Beth's lady's maid," the last came on an inspiration. She and Beth did need a lady's maid. They also needed one they could be sure would not give away their secret should it accidentally be uncovered. And Charlie was pretty sure that Bessie was grateful enough for her assistance this night that she would keep the secret should she accidentally discover it. It seemed a perfect arrangement
Radcliffe didn't seem quite as enthusiastic with this orchestration of events, however. "Lady's maid?" he asked archly.
Charlie turned wary at his tone. "Aye."
"Charles, I brought you here tonight to sample some of Aggie's offerings. Here. On the premises. Not to drag one of her girls home to sample her at your leisure."
"It is nothing like that," Charlie snapped, aware of the way Bessie had stiffened beside her in suspicion.
"She is one of Aggie's girls, is she not?"
"Nay."
"Charles," he growled in a warning tone, and Charlie shifted impatiently.
"Does she look like a prostitute to you?"
Radcliffe glanced reluctantly at the girl, taking in her plain
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