Lady Adventuress 02 - The Education of Lord Hartley by Daphne du Bois

Author:Daphne du Bois [Bois, Daphne du]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Daphne du Bois
Published: 2014-10-26T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

The chills hit her mid-afternoon, just as Maggie sat in the shop, finishing a sketch for a blue pelisse.

Cecile, who had stepped into the back room to ask Maggie about an order of velvet, frowned when she saw that Maggie had swathed herself in several shawls. She crossed over to her friend with an expression of concern, feeling Maggie’s forehead.

“You have the beginnings of a fever!” she exclaimed.

Maggie pushed her spectacles further up her nose, wishing not for the first time that she could sew and read without them. “Oh, I am quite well. Just a little cold.”

“Precisely. You are seated right beside two burning lamps. You should be very flustered. Furthermore, your skin is on fire. It is plain that you are unwell. I certainly won’t hear of you working in such a state. Now, you go straight home, and have Cook make you some spiced wine.”

“You’re being silly – that’s quite unnecessary,” Maggie said, trying to sound dismissive just as another shiver stole through her.

“Unnecessary! You are being a goose. I will no more let you stay here then you would let me if I were the one shivering in the backroom. Manon is coming to help in the evening and we shall manage just fine, so don’t fret.”

Bundling Maggie into a carriage, Cecile sent her straight home.

The drive seemed to take much longer than usual and when she arrived at the townhouse, Maggie felt decidedly worse. With a deep, put-upon sigh, she had no choice but to call off all of her appointments and her upcoming weekly salon. With a deep, put-upon sigh, Maggie sent out a few notes of apology and asked Duby for a glass of something to warm her.

She sat in the drawing room, watery-eyed, wondering at the ghastly timing. More than anything else in the world, Maggie hated being ill. The sneezes that shook her entire frame did nothing for her mood.

Already she felt restless and extremely irritable, for she rarely found herself in that miserable condition, and she felt dreadfully useless sitting at home, sipping hot possets.

She could not even venture into the garden, for it was raining again, and the dreadful weather looked set to continue for the rest of the day.

Just before supper, Duby presented her with a package from the Marquess of Hartley.

There was a brief note, which Maggie read before opening the package. She was puzzled and intrigued.

The missive was executed with Hart’s usual brevity, in his long, slanted writing.

Maggie,

I beg that you excuse the impropriety of the thing, but I feel I am rather to blame, and perhaps we have known each other long enough that you might accept my offering. Pax?

PS: I have heard it said that the world is sure to fall at the feet of a woman who knows how to drape a shawl. Since your conquest is already so near, you may find this last piece to be of some use.

H.

She read the note twice, savouring every word as she heard his beloved voice in her head.

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