[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Lovejoy turned and walked off into the crowd.
Augusta stared after him, her stomach churning.
"Oh, there you are, Augusta," Claudia said as she came up behind her cousin. "Shall
we join the Haywoods in their box now? It is almost time for the performance to begin
and we are expected."
"Yes. Yes, of course."
Edmund Kean was as compelling on stage as always, but Augusta did not hear one
word of the play. She spent the entire time trying to deal with the new twist in the disaster
that had befallen her.
No matter how she viewed the situation, there was no way around the horrible fact
that a note saying she owed Lovejoy a thousand pounds was in the odious man's
possession and he had no intention of returning it unless she compromised herself.
Augusta was reckless, but she was far from naive. She did not believe for one minute
that Lovejoy intended her late-night visit to be a social call. The man was clearly going to
demand much more of her than a little conversation.
It was clear that Lord Lovejoy was no gentleman. There was no telling what he would
do with her vowels should she fail to show two nights hence. But she had seen the
chilling promise in his eyes. Sooner or later he would use her note against her in some
malicious manner.
Perhaps he would go to Gray stone with her marker. Augusta closed her eyes and
shuddered at the thought. Harry would be furious with her. The evidence of her
foolishness would confirm all his darkest suspicions concerning her character.
It would be humiliating, but she could tell Harry the whole story now. He would be
thoroughly displeased, even disgusted with her behavior. This incident would no doubt be
just the impetus he needed to finally agree to allow her to call off the engagement.
That thought should have brought her a giddy sense of relief, but for some reason it
did not. Augusta forced herself to examine the reason why. Surely she did not actually
want the engagement to stand. She had resisted the notion right from the start.
No, she decided firmly, it was not that she still believed that marriage to Harry was a
sound idea, it was simply that she did not wish to be embarrassed and humiliated in front
of him.
She had her pride, after all. She was the last of the proud, daring, neck-or-nothing
branch of the Ballinger clan. She would look after her own honor.
On the way home in the Haywoods' carriage, Augusta came to a grim conclusion. She
had to find a way to retrieve the incriminating gaming voucher before Lovejoy found a
way to embarrass and humiliate her with it.
"Where the devil have you been, Graystone? I've gone to every damn ball and soiree
in town tonight looking for you. You've got a bloody disaster on your hands and here you
sit, calm as you please, drinking claret at your club." Peter Sheldrake dropped into the
chair across from Harry and continued to mutter darkly as he reached for the bottle. "I
should have tried here first."
"Yes, you should have." Harry looked up from the notes he was making for a book on
Caesar's military campaigns. "I decided to come here for a few hands of cards before
retiring for the evening. What seems to be the problem, Sheldrake? I have not seen you
this agitated since the night you nearly got caught with that French officer's wife."
"The problem is not mine." Peter's eyes sparkled with satisfaction. "It is yours."
Harry groaned, sensing the worst. "Are we by any chance about to discuss Augusta?"
"I fear so. Sally sent me to find you when it transpired that you were not conveniently
at home. Your lady has taken up a new profession, Graystone. She is about to become a
cracksman."
Harry went cold. "The devil she is. What are you talking about, Sheldrake?"
"According to Sally, your fiancée is even now on her way to break into the house
Lovejoy has leased for The Season. It seems she tried to repay her debt but Lovejoy
refused to take the money. Nor would he return her marker unless she collected it in
person. At his place. At eleven o'clock tomorrow evening, to be precise. She was
instructed to come alone. One can imagine what he had in mind."
"That son of a bitch."
"Yes, I fear he is playing some rather dangerous games with your Miss Ballinger.
However, never fear. Your intrepid and ever resourceful fiancée has decided to take
matters into her own hands. She has gone to fetch her marker herself tonight while [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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Lovejoy turned and walked off into the crowd.
Augusta stared after him, her stomach churning.
"Oh, there you are, Augusta," Claudia said as she came up behind her cousin. "Shall
we join the Haywoods in their box now? It is almost time for the performance to begin
and we are expected."
"Yes. Yes, of course."
Edmund Kean was as compelling on stage as always, but Augusta did not hear one
word of the play. She spent the entire time trying to deal with the new twist in the disaster
that had befallen her.
No matter how she viewed the situation, there was no way around the horrible fact
that a note saying she owed Lovejoy a thousand pounds was in the odious man's
possession and he had no intention of returning it unless she compromised herself.
Augusta was reckless, but she was far from naive. She did not believe for one minute
that Lovejoy intended her late-night visit to be a social call. The man was clearly going to
demand much more of her than a little conversation.
It was clear that Lord Lovejoy was no gentleman. There was no telling what he would
do with her vowels should she fail to show two nights hence. But she had seen the
chilling promise in his eyes. Sooner or later he would use her note against her in some
malicious manner.
Perhaps he would go to Gray stone with her marker. Augusta closed her eyes and
shuddered at the thought. Harry would be furious with her. The evidence of her
foolishness would confirm all his darkest suspicions concerning her character.
It would be humiliating, but she could tell Harry the whole story now. He would be
thoroughly displeased, even disgusted with her behavior. This incident would no doubt be
just the impetus he needed to finally agree to allow her to call off the engagement.
That thought should have brought her a giddy sense of relief, but for some reason it
did not. Augusta forced herself to examine the reason why. Surely she did not actually
want the engagement to stand. She had resisted the notion right from the start.
No, she decided firmly, it was not that she still believed that marriage to Harry was a
sound idea, it was simply that she did not wish to be embarrassed and humiliated in front
of him.
She had her pride, after all. She was the last of the proud, daring, neck-or-nothing
branch of the Ballinger clan. She would look after her own honor.
On the way home in the Haywoods' carriage, Augusta came to a grim conclusion. She
had to find a way to retrieve the incriminating gaming voucher before Lovejoy found a
way to embarrass and humiliate her with it.
"Where the devil have you been, Graystone? I've gone to every damn ball and soiree
in town tonight looking for you. You've got a bloody disaster on your hands and here you
sit, calm as you please, drinking claret at your club." Peter Sheldrake dropped into the
chair across from Harry and continued to mutter darkly as he reached for the bottle. "I
should have tried here first."
"Yes, you should have." Harry looked up from the notes he was making for a book on
Caesar's military campaigns. "I decided to come here for a few hands of cards before
retiring for the evening. What seems to be the problem, Sheldrake? I have not seen you
this agitated since the night you nearly got caught with that French officer's wife."
"The problem is not mine." Peter's eyes sparkled with satisfaction. "It is yours."
Harry groaned, sensing the worst. "Are we by any chance about to discuss Augusta?"
"I fear so. Sally sent me to find you when it transpired that you were not conveniently
at home. Your lady has taken up a new profession, Graystone. She is about to become a
cracksman."
Harry went cold. "The devil she is. What are you talking about, Sheldrake?"
"According to Sally, your fiancée is even now on her way to break into the house
Lovejoy has leased for The Season. It seems she tried to repay her debt but Lovejoy
refused to take the money. Nor would he return her marker unless she collected it in
person. At his place. At eleven o'clock tomorrow evening, to be precise. She was
instructed to come alone. One can imagine what he had in mind."
"That son of a bitch."
"Yes, I fear he is playing some rather dangerous games with your Miss Ballinger.
However, never fear. Your intrepid and ever resourceful fiancée has decided to take
matters into her own hands. She has gone to fetch her marker herself tonight while [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]