A Devil of a Duke by Madeline Hunter

Author:Madeline Hunter [Hunter, Madeline]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-03-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Amanda sat in her single chamber, waiting for the night to pass. The buckle, swaddled in muslin and set in a pasteboard box, faced her on the small table. Silence pressed on her.

She went to the fireplace and threw a bit of fuel in. The embers flared, then subsided. Warmth leaked toward her. She moved her chair closer.

The chills plaguing her did not come from the damp, although this cellar had proven far inferior to the last. The owner had agreed to let it for only two weeks, however. He probably thought her a whore. Certainly enough of those women lounged about the neighborhood. Two plied their trade in some of the rooms above.

If she were not a criminal, she could have gone to Bedford Square and slept in that fine chamber Mrs. Galbreath offered her. That would mean more lies, however, and she had tired of speaking them. Nor could she risk bringing scandal down on those women, and if she were caught, that would definitely happen.

She did not mind this cellar. After tomorrow, she hopefully would no longer live here. If her plan worked, she would probably not even remain in London another night.

She dozed off on her chair. A loud shout woke her. Outside, on the street, two men argued about a mule.

She went to the one high window and gazed out. Day had broken. She removed her dress and washed with water she’d carried in last night. She donned the ugly green garment that marked her as a servant, bound her hair into a knot, and tied on her simple straw bonnet. She had never unpacked her small trunk and valise, and she now returned to them those few items she had removed.

She again sat in her chair and waited for the sounds outside to indicate the city had fully woken. Then she picked up the box and left.

Morris’s Grocery did not lie far away. She had chosen her cellar due to its being in the same neighborhood. She reasoned that whoever would claim the box probably lived nearby too.

She placed the box on the shop’s counter. The white-haired, flush-faced man behind it finished serving another woman, then approached. He took her in with one quick glance, then set his attention on the box.

“Are you Mr. Morris?” she asked.

“I am.”

“I was told I could leave this with you so it could be delivered to its owner, Mr. Trenholm.”

“With what was offered in payment, I expected a box made out of gold.”

It relieved her that he had already been offered coin to do this service. She had feared she would have to pay herself. “The box may not be impressive, but its contents are important to Mr. Trenholm. I trust you will take good care of it.”

“I will, although it’s not likely anyone would steal it. See, I’ll put it down here out of sight. I can’t do better than that.”

“I suppose that will do. Mr. Trenholm should call for it today.”

“That is how I was told it would go.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.