Fool's Gold by Zana Bell

Author:Zana Bell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, romance, historical, New Zealand, gold rush
Publisher: Choc Lit
Published: 2014-08-09T16:00:00+00:00

Quinn stole out of the room, closing the door behind him, but as he was about to go down the stairs he caught a noise from the other maid’s room. For a second he paused, trying to make sense of it then realised it was the muffled sounds of lovemaking. Jack had clearly not been able to resist womanising, despite being in the city of his adored Stella.

Quinn made his way swiftly down the stairs, his mind full of the conversations they had just had. It seemed incredible but fate had once more thrown the two of them together in a strange reversal of fortune. As he came into the hallway he heard the front door open and, stepping back into the shadows where he wouldn’t be seen, he watched, curious to know who else was abroad tonight. There was no mistaking the lanky figure making its way to the main stairs and Quinn called his name out softly. Jack spun around with a stifled curse.

‘Oh, it’s only you!’ he said, when Quinn came closer. ‘You gave me the dickens of a fright.’

‘Where have you been?’

He could see the gleam of Jack’s smile in the gloom. ‘The fair Stella, of course. I knew the performance would be over and couldn’t resist popping out to see her. Can’t let my godmother know, though. She would not approve.’

‘I thought you were upstairs with that maid.’

‘Moll?’ Jack gave a soft laugh. ‘She’s a desperate flirt but my godfather’s goods, you know. He’s a generous fellow, but it don’t go as far as sharing his maids. What made you think that anyway?’

For a second Quinn was tempted to tell him Guinevere’s astonishing story but Jack, though well-meaning, might let something slip, landing her into new trouble.

‘Heard a door open after we’d turned in. Assumed it was you, especially after the looks that maid – Moll? – was shooting you during dinner. Then I couldn’t sleep. I’ve just been down to the kitchen for water.’ It was a lame excuse for being in the hallway but Jack seemed not to notice.

‘Probably was me slipping out, though it may well have been Uncle John, too. Don’t be startled to see him padding around. He’s a regular visitor of the upstairs.’

‘And you sent Moll here, knowing that?’

Hearing the censure in his friend’s voice, Jack shot him a look. ‘It was the only solution I could think of on the spot. She was having the life beaten out of her in Hokitika. You can trust me that my godfather will treat her better than that. Ask her, if you like, and see where she is happier.’

Quinn remembered Sir John’s comments about Gwen over the port. ‘Is he likely to try something with that new maid?’

‘Perhaps, I don’t know. It’s just something he does. My mother would warn our own maids to lock their doors when the old rogue used to come to visit.’

‘What does Lady Whittering think of all this?’

‘Lord knows. It’s not something we speak of much – it’s really not a big issue.

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