The Lord's Persuasion of Lady Lydia by Raven McAllan

Author:Raven McAllan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2016-11-08T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

On the spur of the moment, Lydia decided to slip out and purchase a novel to read on the long journey she intended to undertake. For once, she totally flouted convention and didn’t take a maid or a footman. Her mama would be horrified if she knew, and the ton would have no hesitation in labelling her flighty and worse.

She couldn’t have cared less.

As she wore an old and shabby-ish pelisse and a bonnet that shaded her face, no one gave her a second glance and she reached the bookshop unnoticed. Once inside the shop, with its unmistakable scent of leather and paper, Lydia’s tension slipped away from her like a discarded cloak. She slipped her bonnet down – the brim impeded her vision – and let her gaze feast on the delights in front of her. A happy half hour passed as she deliberated between the volumes on the shelves, and eventually picked one she thought should be light and entertaining, and another, which seemed darker. Between them and chatting with Millie, the journey should pass tolerably well.

Now all she had to do was return home, look as unhappy and unsettled as she had done recently, and wait until the appointed time to leave.

Sneak out like a thief. It was so annoying that she had to behave in such a way, but Lydia understood her parents well enough to know it was the only solution. She turned to go and have her books parcelled up but discovered her route was blocked. By a young man. Who, she realised with a jolt, she recognised.

She should have kept her bonnet on.

Lydia stared at the young man who barred her way. Surely he wasn’t going to cause a scene in Hatchards? Lydia nodded her head infinitesimally in the hope he would find some grace and good manners. He didn’t. He neither moved nor spoke, just glowered.

‘Excuse me,’ she said levelly. ‘I wish to pass.’

His eyes narrowed and he didn’t move. Her temper spiked. Even though he was dressed as any young man of the ton should be, something set him apart, and not in a good way. The wild look in his eyes, perhaps, or the fact that the petulant look she had noticed before was gone, to be replaced by something more adult and, not to put too fine a point on it, worrying.

Harry’s heir.

‘You look like a scullery maid.’

‘I thank you.’ she replied frostily. ‘Please move to one side.’

He stayed put. Those nasty spiders of worry began to make their presence known on her arms. It was one of the most unpleasant feelings ever. Why on earth was he behaving so abysmally?

‘I have heard you think you are going to marry Lord Birnham,’ he said in such a violent tone she jumped. ‘I think not. Not if you value your family.’

Lydia saw red. She was tired of being told what she was and was not to do. People needed to stop dictating to her and let her live her life.

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