Anne Barbour by A Rakes Reform

Author:A Rakes Reform [Reform, A Rakes]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Upstairs, Hester dismissed Pinkham, recommending that she get herself into a hot hath and then to bed. Aunt Lavinia, her expression a bit startled at this unusual solicitude for a servant, acquiesced in a faint voice, merely requesting that she order one of the other maids to bring up hot water for Chloe.

Chloe, unheeding, allowed Hester to assist her in removing the tattered Gypsy bonnet and stained pomona muslin.

“Uh!” she said. “It’s soaked. I’ll never be one of those females who damps her petticoats just to display her figure. What a dreadfully uncomfortable way to spend an evening.”

“I daresay,” agreed Hester solemnly. “In any event, you are fortunate you came to no further harm than a ruined gown and bonnet.”

“Oh yes,” cried Chloe, returning to the theme that had occupied her mind since the disaster near Richmond. “Oh, Hester—Aunt—I wish you could have seen John in action. He was just like one of the heroes in Mrs. Radcliffe’s novels.”

“My!” said Aunt Lavinia, much impressed. She hurried away to open the door for a maid staggering under a can of hot water, and soon Chloe was immersed, sighing with contentment, in a steaming bath.

At this point, Aunt Lavinia succumbed to Hester’s urging that she seek her dinner. There was really no need, said Hester, for both of them to minister to the stricken damsel.

As she stepped from the tub into a lawn nightshift, Chloe was still talking about John’s daring exploits.

“I truly did think we were all going to be killed, Hester. The coach seemed to be pitching in all directions at once, and when we finally did come to rest in the ditch, we were tossed at such an angle! I didn’t know if I was on my head or my ears. Kitty Fairchild had fallen on top of me, and, as I said, Mrs. Salburt was screeching fit to wake the dead.”

“It was fortunate that John was with you,” murmured Hester. “Even,” she added with a smile, “if he did practically invite himself.”

Chloe flushed. “That was an unhandsome thing for me to say, wasn’t it? But, I didn’t really mean it, of course. Oh, Hester, I didn’t ask him to call tomorrow. Do you think he will?”

“I believe it to be more than likely,” replied Hester, thinking of the words she had overheard just before coming upstairs.

* * * *

Below, in Thorne’s elegantly appointed library, Mr. Wery was just bringing himself to the point of his request for a private audience with the earl. He drew a deep breath.

“In short, my lord, I request your permission to pay my addresses to your ward.”

More beautiful words he had never heard, thought Thorne relievedly. The next instant a flash of compunction shot through him. Had Hester been right? Was he simply throwing these two young people together to suit his own ends? Was sober, stiff John Wery really right for eager, impetuous, volatile Chloe?

Unbelieving, he heard himself say, “Are you sure you want to do this, John? Chloe is, of course, an excellent match, but—you and Chloe are very different in style.

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.