Master of His Fate by Barbara Taylor Bradford

Author:Barbara Taylor Bradford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Twenty-seven

Alexis smiled to herself as she stared down at her engagement book, realizing it was a busy afternoon ahead. But then it was Wednesday, the day when she managed to pack in a great number of things after one o’clock.

She noted the date. It was April 18, 1888. She had taken three meetings that morning, and very shortly, she would go down to Whitechapel, where Haven House was located. Wednesday afternoon was her time to visit the charity which she had started in the summer of last year.

Claudia usually joined her, and they stayed there for several hours, helping in the kitchen, speaking to the battered women living there, and going over matters with Madeleine Thompson, the manager they had hired.

Looking at the date, it instantly struck her that Claudia’s wedding was only weeks away now. She was to marry Cornelius Glendenning in early June, and it would take place at Sebastian’s great stately home, Courtland Priory, which had been in the Trevalian family for several centuries.

It was a beautiful old house, and, of course, Sebastian had ensured it was well kept and well run. He had an efficient staff that followed all of his rules precisely.

The first time he had taken her there he had made her laugh a great deal, comparing Courtland to the old farmhouse in Kent. It was true they were very different indeed.

Although he kept telling her he enjoyed being in Kent more than at Courtland, she knew that deep down he loved his stately home as much as Goldenhurst. They were very different, that was obvious, but he truly enjoyed living different lives, whatever he said. And she enjoyed sharing them with him.

She glanced at the small clock on her desk and realized she must set off for Whitechapel. Closing the engagement book, she rose and went to the cupboard, took out a dark green wool jacket, which matched her ankle-length skirt. Turning, she glanced at herself in the mirror, fluffed out the jabot of her white silk skirt. She picked up her handbag, her gloves, and left her office.

Outside their office building on Piccadilly, her carriage was waiting. Her driver, Josh, spotted her as she came through the door and jumped down from his seat to greet her.

Within minutes she was sitting back, many thoughts rolling around in her head as she traveled through the center of London. The traffic was heavy, filled with horse-drawn buses, carts, and carriages. The pavement was crowded with people rushing about their business. It seemed to her that there was a great sense of urgency everywhere as determined pedestrians traversed the streets and all types of vehicles jammed the roads. Was it busier than ever today? Or was it her imagination?

Endeavoring to relax, she let her mind wander to her own wedding, which would be in September. She had proposed that month to Sebastian and he had seized on it. She knew he would hold her to it, and she wanted him to. It was the right time for them to marry, following Claudia’s footsteps rather than ahead of her and Cornelius.

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