‘I think, Amelia, that I would prefer to place my shillings upon the bay, Pedagogue.’ Elizabeth avoided responding directly to Lord Nuneaton. ‘His dam is Teacher’s Pet, it saysin the race card, and so he ought to be a good stayer.’
Lord Nuneaton appeared vaguely shocked.
Lady Chalford grimaced, and laughed, rather mirthlessly. ‘My lord, I fear my niece might have you think she peruses the form books.’
Elizabeth coloured slightly. ‘No indeed, I do not. It was merely a comment based upon some knowledge. I saw Teacher’s Pet win at Goodwood the last season she raced.’
‘I would gladly place your bet for you, Miss Ashling,’ Sir Lucius interjected, with a bow, ‘though I myself might give the edge today to Waterboatman, in view of the ground.’
‘Thank you, Sir Lucius. I am much obliged.’ She bestowed a preternaturally bright smile upon him, and took five shillings from her reticule. ‘Behold, how I dare so much.’
She dropped the coins into his gloved hand, and he withdrew to place her bet.
Lord Easby was regretting that the previous evening he had lingered so long over the tables in a select establishment in Pall Mall, to which he had withdrawn after a galling encounter with Aurelia Rendlesham. He had risen over a thousand pounds down, and with a presentiment of a bad243head on the morrow, which had been fulfilled. His ‘setback’, to put it no higher, with Miss Ashling, compounded by the fact that Lucius Radstock looked in a good way to winning her hand, had made him maudlin, and from maudlin he had gone on to a feeling of failure. Miss Ashling was therefore the cause of his misfortune.
The chance of replenishing his empty coffers upon Epsom Downs had drawn him out of Town and gave him other things to think about than Miss Ashling as some form of Nemesis. It was therefore somewhat of a shock to see her, although logic said that anybody who adored horses would be delighted to attend this particular race day.
The sight of her dropping coin into Sir Lucius’s hand galled him unnaturally.
It was at this moment that he felt a movement of his gold fob, and shot out a hand to grasp the scruff of a very small and grubby pickpocket. His lip curled in distaste. It was a very malodorous child.
‘You picked the wrong victim, you slippery-fingered urchin. The constable will be pleased to see you, as might yet the hangman.’
‘Nah, me lord, I wasn’t doin’ nuffin’, jest passin’ by.Don’t go an’ give me to no harman.’
‘With your fingers at my fob. Indeed. I wonder how many other people you have relieved of items of value this day?’ He paused, and a speculative look came into his eyes. Most men would have accepted that they had no chance remaining with Miss Ashling, but despite his seeming nonchalance to Lady Rendlesham, he loathed being beaten. He had an idea that might put himself back in her good244books. ‘However, I might be persuaded to, er, overlook your criminal tendencies, if you were to do something for me.’
The child stopped wriggling, and eyed his captor with suspicion.
‘You see the young lady over there, beside the lady with the big green bonnet?’
‘The swell mort? Course.’
‘Er yes. Well, if you take her purse, and then let me catch you …’
‘Wot, an’ be taken off jest the same to—’
‘Listen.’ The voice of authority stilled the boy to a whimper. ‘I will drag you away, but release you, and even give you a shilling, which is far more than you deserve, since that would be transportation at the least.’
‘And I keeps the bung?’
Easby frowned.
‘The purse, guv’nor.’
‘You most certainly do not. I return it to the lady. Now, off with you, and do not try to disappear in the crowd, because I will be sure to find you and raise a hue and cry.’
He released the infant thief, who paused for a moment, indecisive, and then shrugged and, like an eel, slipped silently between the throng to where Lady Chalford was recommending that Amelia take Lord Nuneaton’s advice. How it was that Amelia’s reticule was slipped from her wrist, she could not say, but she felt the tug, as was intended on this occasion, and gasped, then cried out. Lord Nuneaton blinked, and stepped backwards, treading on the toes of another gentleman, who made vociferous complaint.
In the meantime, Lord Carbrooke, who had been about245to offer his own services to lay Miss Amelia’s bets and was in the process of removing his hat, dropped it and hared off after the thief like greased lightning, successfully grabbing the frayed collar, just as Lord Easby had hoped to do. Amid some outcry and bustle, Lord Carbrooke, breathing just a little faster than normal, frogmarched his prisoner back to the side of the parade ring, where Miss Ashling – who had only moved a few paces to get right to the parade ring rail – had returned, and was trying to calm both Lady Chalford and a tearful Amelia.
‘Miss Ashling,’ Carbrooke addressed Amelia, who was clutching his dropped hat in a manner that might do permanent damage to the brim, and tore the purse from the grip of the thief. ‘Do not be distressed. Your purse is safe.’
Amelia took a sobbing breath and looked up into Lord Carbrooke’s eyes with such adoring thanks as quite took what breath he still possessed from his body. Easby, realising the error made by his unwilling minion, had no desire that the urchin should reveal all in an attempt to gain release, and therefore stepped up promptly and spoke withcalm authority.
‘Good man, Carbrooke. Might I suggest you let me take this object to the constable or whoever is in authority here, whilst you calm the young lady’s natural, er, alarm?’
Lord Carbrooke was still mesmerised by Amelia’s wide eyes, and let the child be taken from him without so much as a murmur. Lord Easby dragged the miscreant away, and, when sufficiently out of the way of onlookers, shook him until his rather gapped teeth rattled.
