The Fortune Hunter by Jo Beverley

Author:Jo Beverley [Beverley, Jo]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯), Historical Romance, Regency
ISBN: 9780802711847
Publisher: Walker
Published: 1990-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Three weeks later, Amy stood in the lush drawing room of 12 New Street, Chelsea, with very cold feet despite it being a warm day in May. She was fully embarked on fortune hunting, and she had to succeed. It was all so horribly expensive.Even though she, Beryl, and Jassy had worked together on her fine new wardrobe, some items had had to be purchased, and the cost of material alone had amounted to a frightening sum. The coach fare for her and Aunt Lizzie, along with the charges for food and lodging along the way, had been another burden.

There would be more expenses in the future, for though their hostess—Lizzie’s cousin, Nell Claybury— appeared delighted to have them visit for as long as they pleased, there would be tickets, vouchers, and vails.

“Come sit down, Miss de Lacy, please,” said Mrs. Claybury cheerfully. “I know after traveling for days you feel you never want to sit again, but truly you will feel better for a cup of tea.” The plump lady patted the seat beside her and Amy went to take it.

Aunt Lizzie’s cousin Nell was a still-pretty woman in her fifties, and if Amy suspected her chestnut curls owed something to artifice, she had to admit that it was well enough done so that one could not be entirely sure. The lady also appeared to have an amiable temperament and a genuinely kind disposition. More than these, however, it was the shrewd common sense she detected in Nell Claybury that attracted Amy.

“You are a treat for the eyes, Miss de Lacy,” the woman said frankly and turned to Aunt Lizzie. “I can quite see why you wanted to bring her to Town, Lizzie. She’ll make a fine match, no doubt of it.” She glanced at Amy. Heaven knows what she saw there. Amy thought that her expression must have hinted at her fears, for Mrs. Claybury quickly went on, “But no need to talk of such things just yet. So tired as you both must be. After tea you must go to your rooms and have a nice lie down. We’ll have a quiet dinner, just the three us, and then you can have an early night. Tomorrow I’ll show you some of the sights. You’ll like that, my dear,” she said kindly to Amy, as if Amy were a child. “We’ll go to the Queen’s Palace. You may catch sight of the queen, or one of the princesses.”

Amy sipped the excellent tea and let the chatter wash over her as Nell told of her life alone here since her husband died some two years since. Her two sons, both occupied in the family ship chandlery, chose to keep their own establishments, and so this fine house, built ten years ago, was left just to her. Her two daughters were married and living away from London.

“So you can see how pleased I am to have company, and an excuse to gad about!”

Amy smiled. The pleasure was clearly genuine, and it lightened her burdens to think that this kind lady was going to benefit from the enterprise.

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