The Peculiar Folly of Long Legged Meg by Jayne Fresina

Author:Jayne Fresina
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Twisted E-Publishing

Chapter Twelve

London

1768 - 1772

Lady Thomas Pye caused a small scandal by attending her husband's funeral that spring, but she was no stranger to raised eyebrows by then, for Pye had led an unconventional life to its fullest, and she refused to stay at home if it meant leaving him to the questionable services of those four inebriated men who came to transport him to the graveyard. She had washed and dressed his body, without help from anybody; she had wept heartily while nobody watched; she had pawned her jewelry to purchase a Superfine shroud, an elm coffin and an outer shell of lead with a plate inscription and cherubim handles, and had sat vigil by his corpse every night for a week. Having gone through all this, she was not so incautious as to leave the dignity of his final journey and comfortable interment to chance.

There was also the possibility of robbers overtaking the funeral procession, as often happened, so she felt it necessary, not only to attend, but also to carry about her person a primed and loaded flintlock musket from Pye's collection.

Ladies of the upper classes were not meant to show too much grief in public and she had cried her tears by then in any case, so she led the cortege with pride, the musket held before her in readiness. Nobody dared get in her way, not even the duns who hovered, looking to collect the debts her husband owed.

They waited until the next day before they came calling.

Very soon it was necessary for Lady Pye to make a hasty exit from London. Her dead husband's father no longer sent any allowance, and gave up the lease on the house, having no concern for what might happen to his son's widow. A stray cat might have been of more account to the duke than Persephone's fate. As a consequence, once most of Pye's debts were paid, she had only pennies on which to live. But she was not disheartened. Makeshift Meg had been in much the same position before and managed. She would do so again.

Her sleight of hand skills, acquired from those earlier days in the company of Kitty Waddenhoe, were quickly put to use again, along with her colorful storytelling. She also used Pye's card tricks to win at the tables, charming her admirers out of a few sovereigns while feigning surprise at her sheer "beginner's luck".

Lady Pye, a genteel noblewoman in reduced straits, led a busy life, one spent constantly on the move, thinking of her next meal, but frequently going without it if she found somebody who needed it more.

When the widower Marquess of Holbrooke first showed her attention, she thought him nothing more than a kind, gentle fellow. Persey had met Jebediah in London while she was married to Pye. At that time he had appeared to be much the same as any other nobleman, rather cool and distant. But, four years later, when she saw him again, the marquess could not hide his dismay at finding her circumstances so changed.

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.