“Lucky you,” William muttered.
“I would ask if you would like to join us, but I already know the answer.”
Rising, William said, “I would rather chew glass than attend the Opera with you and Dinah.”
Hawthorne chuckled. “A simple no would have sufficed.”
“Maybe I would think differently if you two weren’t so obnoxiously in love.”
“I doubt it.” Hawthorne walked over to the door and stopped. “Do not forget about supper tomorrow night.”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
Hawthorne tipped his head before he departed from the room. William returned to his seat and tossed back his drink. The sound of the crackling fire was the only noise in the room.
He was alone again. It was familiar, and it was no less than he deserved.
ChapterEight
As she stared up at the bricks, Georgie hesitantly asked, “You want me to climb this wall?”
Evie gave her an encouraging smile. “Just to the second-level window,” she replied.
“For what purpose?”
“You might find yourself in a position where you need to climb out of a window to save yourself,” Evie said.
“I don’t think that is very likely.”
“Learning how to climb walls has come in very handy for me,” Evie shared, placing her hand on the wall. “Just look for bricks that are jutting out and start there.”
Georgie turned to face the brick wall and stared up at the second level window. “I don’t think I can do this.”
“You won’t know unless you try,” Evie encouraged. “I should note that it is much easier to climb in trousers.”
“I believe that, but I do not own a pair of trousers.” Georgie shuddered at the thought, then ran her fingers along the bricks until she found one that stuck out from the others.
“That is a shame. I do believe every woman would benefit from owning a pair of trousers.” Evie took a step back. “You will need to balance your weight mostly on your feet,” she shared. “Your hands are mostly for support, and you will need to alternate moving your feet and hands up the wall.”
Georgie put the toe of her boot on a brick that was sticking out near the ground and pulled herself up. As she looked for another brick to place her other boot on, she blew out a puff of air. “This is impossible.”
“I assure you that it is not, but it is important that you check the bricks before placing weight on them,” Evie advised. “If you encounter a loose brick, it could cause you to fall.”
Georgie stepped back, releasing her hold on the wall. “This is pointless. I could never climb a brick wall.”
“You just need practice,” Evie encouraged. “I didn’t get it at first either, but it has come in handy a time or two.”
“So you say, but I find that unlikely.”
Evie gave her an amused look. “It is true,” she replied. “The buildings in the rookeries are terribly built, so it is much easier to climb them.”
“Why are you climbing walls in the rookeries?”
A mischievous glint came into Evie’s eye. “It passes the time.”
Georgie turned her head towards Lady Hawthorne and asked, “Do you climb walls in the rookeries?”
“Heavens, no,” Lady Hawthorne replied. “I don’t climb walls, I rarely frequent the rookeries, and I don’t carry a muff pistol on my person.”
