AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘And your name?’
His imperious demand hastened Elise in darting out of the walkway, having first taken a look to and fro to make sure the coast was clear. She sped with a hammering heart in the direction of the soothing music, only once taking a glance over a shoulder to reassure herself that he had allowed her to put a good distance between them. A woman in a feathered bonnet hove into view, but there was no gentleman to be seen. Hugging her cloak about her in relief, Elise quickened her step.
* * *
Lily Watson was in a bad mood as she loitered in the shadows. She’d been sauntering to and fro in the dusk on the lookout for a client for an hour or more with no luck. She knew that if she returned home with nothing to show for the fancy hat Johnny had bought her he’d give her a bruise for what he’d call her laziness. But she hadn’t been idle; she’d been pipped to the post, she reckoned, and her lips twisted resentfully because of it.
If she’d been in the right spot a few minutes sooner, she’d have nabbed the fine gent that another girl had led off into the bushes. Or rather, he’d been taking her, and Lily knew that a cove as eager as he’d seemed to be would have paid up handsomely for his pleasure. She was dawdling now, pressed into the hedge, hoping a gentleman on the loose, looking for a bit of fun, might happen by. But the concert seemed to have drawn all to it so Lily was waiting for the only randy fellow who seemed to be about this evening to emerge from the dark path.
A few moments ago Lily had seen her rival speed off and she’d wondered whether the lucky thing had another client lined up and was heading there now.
Lily tilted her hat to a jaunty angle as she noticed the fellow strolling into view. With a final pat at her curls she moved forwards.
She knew it was a vain hope that he might be interested in another session so soon after the last; but Johnny was able to perform more times than she liked so she reckoned it was worth a try because this fellow looked big and virile.
‘Oh...sir...I’m lost and looking for my friend.’ Lily had slipped up from behind to clutch at Alex’s arm before he could move too far. ‘I don’t like to wander alone in search of him—would you accompany me to find him?’ She tugged his sleeve, urging him back the way he’d just come, while peeking up from beneath many ostrich feathers. Her coy gaze floundered beneath cynical dark eyes. She knew at once she was wasting her time. And what a shame that was! Now she was closer she could see that he was the sort of gent a girl might only be fortunate enough to have once in her working life. A tumble on the ground with him would be no hardship at all.
Her fingers were disengaged from his arm and, defeated, Lily watched his broad back as he strode off in the direction his previous fancy had taken.
* * *
‘Where on earth have you been?’
‘Where have I been?’ Elise hissed furiously at her sister. ‘You know where I have been. I have been searching for you.’
‘That’s what Verity said,’ Bea whispered back, frowning. ‘But I’ve been here all the time. Or rather a little way away in order to escape him.’ Her eyes narrowed on James Whittiker standing with Fiona. ‘He sidled up to me while you were engrossed in discussing the violins with Mr Chapman, and hinted he would take me to meet his acquaintances whether I would go or not. Naturally, I made myself scarce in case he carried out the threat.’ Bea grimaced in mock alarm. ‘I have been just over there with Aunt Dolly.’ She flicked a finger, squinting into the distance.
‘Aunt Dolly?’ Elise echoed faintly, striving to cope with the awful realisation that she’d dreadfully misread the situation.
‘Aunt Dolly is here with one of her neighbours. She was most surprised to see me, I can tell you.’ Beatrice craned her neck again before raising a gloved hand, waving to a woman stationed close to the stage. ‘I told her I would bring you over to her to say hello.’ Bea frowned. ‘So where did you go?’ Suddenly her eyes widened. ‘Did you think I’d gone to meet Mr Best, after all?’
‘Of course I did!’ Elise suddenly felt very silly and close to tears.
‘But I promised I wouldn’t, Elise!’ There was hurt in Bea’s eyes and tone as she realised her sister had believed she’d easily broken her word.
‘When has that ever made any difference?’ Elise muttered, but she flushed guiltily, pressing quivering fingers to her throbbing brow. ‘I panicked when I could not locate you.’
‘But you might have been in dreadful trouble had you been spotted!’ Bea’s eyes were alight with scandalised amusement. ‘I wish now I’d shared the adventure with you. I have been thinking about Mr Best and whether he might have been a fellow for whom it was worth taking a risk. Did you see him? What is he like? Did you speak to him?’
