Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
* * *
“You did.”
* * *
Their gazes met and held, the tension building up between them.
* * *
“Goodbye, Your Grace,” Lady Janice said at last.
* * *
He tipped his hat to her. “Goodbye.”
CHAPTER 18
London was as loud and confusing as always. Janice could not say she was happy to be here, but she resolved to make the best of it. She’d traveled with one of the upstairs maids who doubled as a lady’s maid. Flora was quite excited as it was her first time in the city.
* * *
“There are so many people, Lady Janice. Have you ever seen so many people in one place before?” she asked, peering out of the carriage window in awe.
* * *
Janice had to smile. “Well yes, I have, as this isn’t my first visit to London. It can be overwhelming at first.”
* * *
“Oh, I’m not overwhelmed, my lady. Merely excited. Will we see much of the city while we’re here? Will we go for plays and balls?”
* * *
Janice laughed. “Well, we shall certainly attend a ball, I’m not sure about the rest. It depends on what the Carringtons have planned.”
* * *
She was looking forward to seeing her friend Alexandra, who was the Carringtons’ first-born daughter. They had met when Janice was very young – her mother had still been alive and came to the city for the Season. While their elders attended balls and soirees, Alexandra and she had bonded. They had always kept up a lively correspondence ever since, though they’d only seen each other two or three other times in person.
* * *
After writing to Alexandra of the guilt she felt about not actively pursuing a husband, her friend had suggested she come to Town for the Carringtons’ annual themed ball, one of the premier events of the Season.
* * *
Janice had been in two minds about attending until Anne had wistfully expressed her fondest wish – to marry Rhys. Janice knew she could not do that while she was still single. Not unless she achieved the age of official spinsterhood and was no longer expected to find a husband.
* * *
She couldn’t really do that to her sister.
* * *
So, she wrote back to Alexandra, expressing her excitement at the prospect, and tried her best to feel it. Emily designed her a lovely gown to go with the theme of Tropical Paradise. It was a magnificent silk confection, hand painted in a jungle theme with dark green foliage and the gold eyes of a tiger, peering out from within.
* * *
Janice loved it.
* * *
Wearing it, along with the matching headdress was the one thing she was quite looking forward to. They came to a stop in front of the Carrington townhouse and alighted from the vehicle. Janice’s heart sped up with nerves as the prospect of what she was here to do really hit her. Before she could think about it too much, the door opened, and Alexandra appeared with a scream of delight at her friend.
* * *
Soon, Janice was screaming back as they ran at each other and hugged tight before remembering themselves. They let each other go, smoothed down their gowns, and smiled sheepishly.
* * *
“How are you? How was the trip?” Alexandra asked.
* * *
“Bumpy,” Janice replied with a grin.
* * *
Alexandra looped her arm through Janice’s. “Come, I have a refreshing cup of tea awaiting you.”
* * *
With a last glance at Flora who was supervising the removal of their luggage from the carriage, she followed Alexandra into the house.
Arthur opened the morning papers and tucked his head into them as he waited for his breakfast. White’s was still quite full even at eight in the morning. Some had yet to go home from a night of gambling and drinking while others, like himself, had come by for breakfast in the hopes of running into some regulars.
* * *
He knew that the Marquis frequented the club when he was in London. He was known to be a huge fan of their beefsteak. He was getting anxious about the state of his ownership of Avebury manor. Actually, he was fed up with not knowing.
* * *
One of the waitstaff brought him a huge tray with a kettle of tea, two eggs, a beefsteak, finely sliced carrots, and an onion. “Thank you.” He looked up and nodded as he picked up his fork. “Has the Marquis of Sarandon arrived?”
* * *
“No, Your Grace.”
* * *
“When he does, can you inform him that I would like a word?”
* * *
“Of course, Your Grace.”
* * *
“Thank you.”
* * *
He buried his face back in the newspaper, cursing himself for being overly polite, and waited until the waiter had left before digging into his breakfast. He had barely tucked in when the waiter returned. “Forgive me, Your Grace, I was mistaken. His lordship is in the library.”