Lady Anne's Deception (The Changing Fortunes Series Book 4) by M. C. Beaton

Author:M. C. Beaton [Beaton, M. C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: RosettaBooks
Published: 2014-01-14T04:00:00+00:00

She did not see him at all the next day. By evening, a servant handed her a ribboned box and a long envelope. The box contained a bottle of perfume called Night in Paris. The envelope contained a letter from her husband, saying that he had been called down to the country to settle a boundary dispute and would be back within a few days.

She stared mutinously at the perfume. She would not open it, would not wear it. He was her husband. He should have taken her with him. He did not love her. She had turned down two social engagements for the evening because—because she had a headache, she told herself fiercely. She would not even admit it to herself, her pride would not allow it, that she had stayed home simply to see him again.

Like the heavy feet of the prisoners on the treadmill at Newgate, her thoughts churned laboriously around and around in her head until she decided sadly that he had not gone to the country, that he was probably lying in the experienced arms of some mistress, and that he was not thinking of her at all.

For the next three days she threw herself into a frenzy of social activities that left her feeling tired and listless.

On the morning of the fourth day, Miss Mary Hammond called. At first Annie debated whether to see her or not. Then she remembered that Mr. Shaw-Bufford had not seemed to disapprove of Miss Hammond, so perhaps she was not quite as mad as she had appeared at the meeting in the Masonic Hall.

Miss Hammond’s appearance was reassuring. She was wearing a smart felt hat and a walking dress, which, although not precisely fashionable, at least looked like a woman’s dress.

“My dear Annie,” began Miss Hammond, as Annie walked into the drawing room. “What a charming home you have! That’s what I came to talk to you about.”

“Pray sit down,” said Annie, ringing the bell and asking for the tea tray. “Surely you did not come simply to tell me how charming my home is!”

“No.” Miss Hammond gave an awkward laugh. “I’ll get straight to the point. I don’t believe in shilly-shallying. I have formed a little band of women supporters. Your town house is so central. I wondered if you would consider helping our cause by holding a meeting here?”

“Here!” Annie looked about her. She wanted to say that she would feel easier in her mind if she asked her husband’s permission, but that would probably be taken by Miss Hammond to betray a weak-kneed slavish dependency.

“Are you still sort of… well, ‘Down with Men’ and all that?” she asked.

“Well, no,” said Miss Hammond, baring her large teeth in a smile. “Men are in power at the moment and we need their support. But Our Day Will Come.”

“So what is the purpose…?”

“The Vote.”

“Oh,” said Annie doubtfully. “You do not plan anything militant…?”

“Oh, no, no. We have Other Means.”

For a moment, Miss Hammond’s pale eyes flashed, and Annie felt increasingly nervous.

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