Her Master and Commander by Karen Hawkins

Author:Karen Hawkins
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3, epub, pdf
Tags: Romance, Historical Fiction, Fiction
ISBN: 9780732283322
Publisher: Avon
Published: 2006-02-27T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

It is widely believed by many members of the ton that, for servants, the greatest rewards in our honored profession come from praise. That is a very noble concept, though a blatant falsehood. Whether servant or master, saint or supplicant, nothing motivates more thoroughly than the sight of a freshly minted gold coin.

A Compleat Guide for

Being a Most Proper Butler

by Richard Robert Reeves

Some ten miles east, on a particularly rocky stretch of coast, sat the New Inn. A solid stone structure with glass windows so thick as to make peering through them nigh impossible, the building squatted on a narrow line of beachhead, facing the sea.

The inn and its adjacent stables were locked from the mainland for two hours during each high tide. That, and the charms of its two buxom serving maids, made the tavern immensely popular with the men from the village. Providing that their screeching, fuming wives did not arrive to fetch them home before high tide, the inn afforded the perfect excuse to stay an extra few hours.

Tonight, just as the waters of high tide receded enough to make crossing the sandy bridge possible, a lone rider trotted his horse into the inn yard and dismounted. The link boy, Lukie, knew right away this was no ordinary cove, not only by the quality of horse, but by the shiny shilling that was pressed into his hand. Copper pennies were what the boy usually saw, except when Gentleman Jack was about.

Then the riches flowed, not just to Lukie, but to his sister, who was one of the serving maids, and his aunt, who cooked meat pies and thick stews for the patrons. In Lukie’s world, only highwaymen could afford such largesse. One day, the world willing, Lukie planned to take to the high toby himself.

Lukie stole a look at the gent. Oddly, the man didn’t appear to be a highwayman; he was too soberly attired. Lukie wondered if the gent was a servant, or perhaps a vicar. It had to be one or t’other.

Smiling at the thought, Lukie pocketed the shilling and led the horse to a nearby trough so it could drink its fill.

The gent took off his gloves and tucked them away. “Pardon me, but I am looking for a certain gentleman.”

Lukie’s smile almost slipped, but he managed to keep it in place. “Oh? An’ who might thet be?”

“A man. He’s quite tall, six feet and perhaps a bit more, slender build but athletic, black hair, and eyes of a very unusual shade of green.” The gent’s blue eyes seemed to see through Lukie. “Do you know him?”

Heart pounding in his ears, Lukie’s gaze flew to the door of the inn and then back. “No, guv’nor! I ain’t never heard of a man like ye’re describin’.”

“Hmmm.” A faint smile touched the gent’s face as he, too, looked at the door. “I see. Well, thank you all the same.” With that, he turned and walked toward the inn, pausing outside the door to reach inside his coat for a moment.

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