Fallen by Justine Elyot

Author:Justine Elyot
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780753549766
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

Chapter Seven

His day had been unusually productive. He had managed to procure an interview with a junior governmental aide on the subject of the Contagious Diseases Act, and Mrs Edwards had allowed him to attend the morning chapel service with the women.

Thoughts of the thunderous sermon alternated with anger at the politician’s apologism for the roughshod over-riding of the working girls’ rights. He decided he would bring it up at the meeting tomorrow night with his fellow radicals, though he doubted they could be persuaded to take up their cudgels on behalf of mere women. They were generally much more preoccupied with their ‘brothers’. Except those ‘brothers’ involved with Mr Marx and his International Workingmen’s Association, whom they regarded as hated rivals, despite espousing approximately the same set of beliefs. James had flirted with the idea of throwing his political lot in with the IWA, but knew that his uncle would never forgive him, and blood, after all, was thicker than water &c &c.

He took, as usual, the tradesman’s entrance into Eaton Place, assisted by Paulette, whom he slipped a sovereign and a peck on the cheek before finding Augusta waiting for him in the drawing room.

‘You rob me of my breath,’ he said, the gallantry falling awkwardly from his lips and making him glad she could not see his cheeks, warm with the rush of blood there.

‘I am sure I do not,’ she said, laughing, a picture of delight.

‘I have brought you this.’ He handed her a red rose, cut down for a corsage. ‘Shall I pin it for you?’

‘Oh, please do.’ She laughed again, a little shrilly. ‘Lord, how like a courtship scene in a novel this is. I feel quite … eligible.’

‘You are eligible, Augusta,’ said James, fastening the flower to her silk-clad bust. ‘You are beautiful, young and wealthy.’

‘I am damaged.’

‘You must stop thinking of yourself in that way. You must stop thinking that you can expect no more from life than the crumbs it tosses in your direction. You are worth more.’

‘Even when you say sweet things you sound as if you are scolding me. I do love it so.’

‘I am scolding you. I shall continue to do so until you take my words to heart.’

Her heart. The rose lay red beside it, complementing the midnight blue of Augusta’s gown.

‘You may scold all you like at Cremorne,’ she said, placing her hands in his, ‘but you can do no more, with all those people round about. I can speak and behave as I will, with impunity.’

‘You are quite sure of that, pet?’

‘Oh!’ She squeezed her fingers between his. ‘You would not dare …’

Already she had him hard. He would have to distract her from this line of thinking, and smartly.

‘You will need a wrap. The air is cooler now the sun is almost down. Let us find one.’

‘Are we to walk there?’

‘We can hail a cab.’

‘A hansom? Oh, I have never travelled in one.’

‘Then you have never lived, my dear.’ James laughed, selecting a wrap that went well with Augusta’s dress.

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