A Gentleman Never Tells (Belmore Square) by Jodi Ellen Malpas

Author:Jodi Ellen Malpas [Malpas, Jodi Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781398709751
Publisher: Orion
Published: 2023-07-12T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Escaping the party was far more difficult than it should have been. Suddenly, and disconcertingly, everyone had something to say, no one more than Mama, who wanted to pick my brain about my impromptu dance with Esther Hamsley. Apparently, our little twirl around the floor was the talk of the party.

After having my ear chewed off and working to convince Mama that it was merely a friendly dance – we don’t want her getting too carried away, now, do we? – I made my excuses, something about a breaking story that needed to be written and taken to the printworks immediately, and left with haste, anticipation killing me.

I quickly calculate that I am a good twenty minutes behind Taya now, twenty minutes too long, and I like not the thought of her hanging around in the gardens of Belmore Square alone, regardless of the fact that she appears to hang around in the dead of night alone a lot. The family carriage is not going to get me to her as quickly as I would like.

I see a curricle speeding towards the palace, the owner up from his seat looking like he’s having a whale of a time on his two-wheeled fancy means of transportation. The curricle skids to a stop, the horse neighs and stamps the ground, as aggressively as his owner drove, and a man, broad in shoulder, tall in height, and pointed in face, with a black mop of hair and mutton chops that would be the envy of many men far and wide, except for me, for I am not a fan, steps down and twirls his stick, looking important and aloof as he scans the palace.

I am in action before I can think better of it, approaching and bowing. ‘Sir.’

‘Lord Gayton,’ he declares, swanning past me without even so much as looking at me, leaving this supposed footman to take care of his impressive curricle.

‘You’re welcome,’ I say, hopping up and taking the reins, a new excitement finding me, to join the excitement I feel to get to Taya. I have always fancied myself owning a curricle, and I think I rather suit one. I take a seat, flip the reins, and I am off, racing away from the palace at an alarming but thrilling speed.

I must get myself one of these, I think, as I near Belmore Square, my journey time being cut by more than half, I’m sure, making up for the time I have lost being grilled by Mama. I leave the stolen vehicle round the back of Belmore Square, ensure the horse is secure in a stable with hay and water, and hurry to the gardens, navigating my way to the middle, but when I arrive there, slightly out of breath, there is no sign of her. ‘Taya?’ I call quietly, my vocal cords straining terribly as a result of fighting back my urge to yell her name, panic getting the better of me. ‘Where are you?’ Lord, I do

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.