Sinless_The Shaws by Lynne Connolly

Author:Lynne Connolly [Connolly, Lynne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2018-01-23T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Andrew had not known what true loneliness felt like, but he did now. How could he miss someone so much after half a day? But he did. Every time he paused from his work, he thought of Darius. Little things reminded him of the brief time they’d spent together.

Perhaps he was just melancholy. He probably needed a change. He closed the folder he was working on, left his office, locked it, and paid a visit to his daughter, who was busy with her nurse. The rainy day made their usual visit to the park impossible, so they were drawing.

A little soothed by his visit, Darius donned his hat, overcoat, and gloves, and left his house for his office in chambers. Glancing up, he spared a thought for Darius, wondering if he was on horseback or in a carriage.

Water dripped down the back of his neck, and Andrew turned up the broad collar of his coat. The weather suited his mood. A wet October in London—what could be better?

But he wished he lived closer to the Inns of Court. His house was near Lloyd’s Coffee House in an area he’d grown up in and felt comfortable with. The Inns were farther west, centered around green spaces. Perhaps he should move his offices to the Inns of Chancery, where many solicitors were situated. Then he could buy one of the new houses being erected nearby. It was definitely time for a change. He had kept his distance when he had taken the property work, deciding he must work for his family more than following his inclinations.

Restlessness infused him as he strode toward the Inns of Court. When the rain changed, surging into a vituperative downpour, he gave up and took shelter under the heavy overhanging sign of a printmaker. This one specialized in political caricatures, so he peered into the window, joining other people taking shelter and peering at the offerings within.

While the prints were cruel, he had always considered the subjects fair game. The artists generally chose current topics, and they could produce their caricatures remarkably quickly. Parliament would open soon, and the citizens of London and farther abroad could look forward to some particularly scurrilous examples.

He liked the one that showed the Prince of Wales, now nineteen, clinging to the apron strings of Lord Bute, his erstwhile tutor and, some said, his mother’s lover. Bute was not popular, so any caricature with him as its subject would sell well.

He moved on, glancing into the sky. Someone looked at him and then returned to look again. Andrew followed the man’s attention to the brightly colored prints in the window.

His heart lurched. There he was, in the middle of the display. Kissing Darius. Young men surrounded them, some in female dress, their bodices askew. Others wore the garb of dandies. All but Andrew, depicted in his usual sober, dark, unremarkable clothes. Because of that, he was the focus of the picture. Just in case the viewer hadn’t understood the point, a judge stood behind him.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.