Love in the Bargain by Kasey Stockton

Author:Kasey Stockton [Stockton, Kasey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
Publisher: Kasey Stockton
Published: 2019-04-25T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

Laid up in bed with her cold, Mother was unable to read the papers before I properly disposed of them—save for one article. Which was a very good thing, indeed.

Alone in the breakfast room, I pushed an egg around my plate while I contemplated the options available to me. The article this morning had been blunt in its description of Almack’s the night before, including the men I had danced with, the men I had sat out of the dances with, and who was going to be taking me to the park today.

Just how did this writer have access to that information? I strained to remember who had been nearby when Lord Cameron requested the outing for today, but I had been slightly dizzy from the waltz and it could have been any number of people.

But more importantly, why did anyone even care? The gossip articles had become less about exciting things going on with socialites and had narrowed down its focus to my every move. Granted, I was keeping busy, but not busy enough to warrant such pointed focus.

Now, I had to make due on my promise. Whoever was writing these articles was going to pay.

Pushing away from the table, I folded up the article and tucked it into my gown. I filled a napkin with sausages for Coco and returned to my bedroom, only to find her happily chomping away on eggs and kippers brought up by Molly.

“She has no taste, does she?” I said thoughtfully, eyeing Coco as she ravished the eggs. She licked her plate clean and trotted over to sniff the napkin of sausages I held in my lap.

“She’s going to be a fat one, she is. Mark my words.”

“Better fat than starving,” I rebutted, opening up the napkin and letting her eat her fill. Which, incidentally, was all five of them.

“You need to change your gown, miss?” Molly asked, standing beside the clothes press.

I fingered the edge of the long sleeve I had chosen to cover my bandage. I would likely only need the gauzy dressing for a few more days, for which I was immensely grateful. A bulging forearm was not attractive. “No, I am going to take Coco for a walk shortly, so this dress will do just fine.”

I sat on the edge of my bed and watched Coco sniff around the floor momentarily before moving in front of the unlit fireplace and curling into a ball on the cushions Molly had laid out for her there.

“She’s right at home, she is.”

“Exceedingly so,” I agreed. “Right from the very beginning. Molly, can I ask you a personal question?”

She looked up, her dark hair falling out of its bun and framing her face. She was a lovely person, even if she was only a maid.

“You may choose not to answer,” I said in preparation, “but do the servants talk about me? I mean, to other servants. Some very personal things about me are making their way into the newspaper.”

Molly looked me square

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