Love by the Letters: A Regency Novella Trilogy by Kelly Bowen & Grace Burrowes & Vanessa Riley

Author:Kelly Bowen & Grace Burrowes & Vanessa Riley [Bowen, Kelly & Burrowes, Grace & Riley, Vanessa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grace Burrowes Publishing
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

10

A Carriage Ride

Mr. Sedgewick arrived at her warehouse on time. Two o’clock sharp.

Mary-Anne sent notes to her clients, the ones whose designs could be postponed a week and had her assistant, the widow who helped her out upon occasion, take measurements of the clients who could not.

She stepped out onto the pavement.

“Ready for our first strategic outing, Miss Nettles?” He doffed his hat and took her hand. “Your assignment is well done. Blue suits you.”

She wore a robin egg blue carriage dress with a wide shawl collar that swept into a three-tier cape over her shoulders. It had double breasted buttons and gathers at the high waist. The vision was sleek and modern. Mary-Anne thought she’d created the perfect dress to be seen from a carriage window.

He stared and smiled at her, a full smile, wide lovely eyes.

“Where is your carriage?”

“This, Miss Nettles, is a landau.”

“I know, but it looks very big and expensive. You must have paid a fortune.”

Fingers winding their way to her wrist, he led her closer to the landau. “If I’d paid for it, you would be right.”

“This is a borrowed vehicle?”

“Yes, Haverthon wasn’t using this particular one. My father had two. So I borrowed the lesser.”

“Efficient, sir.”

“And sort of a frugal choice.”

She started to grab her skirt to make the step up into the landau, but the size of it seemed so big. This carriage was wide and open—meant to show everyone, everything.

She stopped, her short boots drumming to a halt.

“You look lovely, my dear. Are you feeling well?” Mr. Sedgewick’s voice surrounded her. He was right behind her, tall and close, close enough to catch her if she fell, to stop her if she turned to run.

Mary-Anne didn’t move. She fingered the gathers at her waistline.

“I particularly like your bonnet, my dear. Styled like a military shako hat. Not sure if I should salute or address you in some other fashion.

“I am glad you like it.”

She still didn't move.

“We could keep looking at the landau or get in it.”

“It's a fine looking carriage, onyx?”

He slipped his hand to her shoulder. “Jet black as most carriages are.”

She didn’t move, or turn, or breathe—not really.

The sun became lower as they stood on the pavement at Wood Street, not moving, not climbing into the landau.

“Miss Nettles, I think we should have some tea.”

He made a turn, deliberate and precise. His boots clacked along the pavement. “Yes, tea.”

Mr. Sedgewick went into her warehouse, leaving her standing there staring at the showy carriage.

Blinking and thinking about how stupid she must seem, she finally turned and walked into her warehouse.

She found Mr. Sedgewick in the rear, bending over the hearth warming a pot of tea. His ebony tailcoat was draped over a chair. His perfect top hat rested on a dress form.

She took off her angular hat and set it on her work table. “You must think I'm silly.”

He glanced over his shoulder. “No, I assume you are a shrewd business woman and hesitant to climb up in a borrowed landau.

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