Five Gold Rings: A Regency Historical Romance Holiday Tale (The Twelve Days of Christmas Book 8) by Emily E K Murdoch

Author:Emily E K Murdoch [Murdoch, Emily E K]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2022-11-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

There were far too many people in London, Esther was sure. It was strange—sometimes she felt it was wonderful that so many people wanted to come here, to her home city, because of its wonders and delights.

But it was on days such as this she raged against the hordes of people crowding the pavements, getting in the way of carriages, making it entirely impossible for a local such as herself to make it down one street without halting. It was infuriating.

“Excuse me,” Esther said loudly to the gaggle of portly gentlemen who had decided the pavement was the perfect place to stop and have a debate.

A few turned to glance at her, laden with parcels, but none of them moved.

“Excuse me,” said Esther, more loudly. “I think you will find you are in the way!”

It was ridiculous! Could they not go to a gentleman’s club, or a coffeehouse—anywhere that was not right before her, blocking her path?

One of the gentlemen, probably a little older than her father, wagged his finger. “Quiet girl, the grown-ups are talking.”

Esther bristled. She may not have the sparky, fiery temper of her sister Jemima, but that did not mean she could not speak her mind.

“If you do not get out of my way, I shall force you to,” said Esther icily, drawing herself up to her full height, such that it was. “And it will go hard with you, I am afraid.”

If she had hoped for respectful apologies and her way cleared, she was very much disappointed. As it was, the gentlemen nearest her guffawed, the others asking what they were laughing about.

“This here girl,” said the one who had wagged his finger, “had the audacity to…ah. Good afternoon, Your Grace.”

Esther stared. What on earth did he mean, Your Grace? He was hardly likely to mistake her for a duchess, was he? She was not dressed like one, wearing her mother’s borrowed pelisse, which had seen better days after Lucy so unceremoniously took her own.

A hand, gentle yet strong rested on her shoulder. Esther looked up into the smiling face of the Duke of Kendal.

“Gentlemen,” he said pleasantly. “I believe the lady threatened you.”

They scattered. Faster than Esther could have imagined, without so much as a bye your leave or apology to her, the gentlemen who had proven to be impossible melted away.

“There you are,” said Jack quietly.

Esther swallowed. Did he mean the path he had cleared for her…or had he been looking for her?

Oh please, looking for her, her heart pleaded.

Which was ridiculous. After receiving his rather inflammatory letter—one which Esther had carefully hidden under a loose floorboard in her bedchamber, for fear that one of the maids may read it—she had heard nothing from him for two days.

Two long days.

Esther had been unsure what to do next every minute of those two days.

Firstly, she could write back to Jack. A letter of her own. A letter describing all the things she would do to him, the things she wished him to do to her.

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