Page 20 of The Unfortunate Debutante
“Not at all,” Benedict corrected. “He would never be callous enough to even consider that.”
Rising from her chair, Josette started walking over to her husband. “I think it’s fantastic that you had an article published in the newspaper. Would you consider being a guest teacher at The Beckett School for Girls?” She wrapped her arm around Morgan’s waist. “Perhaps one day, it will even be commonplace for women to write for the newspapers.”
“Wouldn’t that be lovely?” Emma responded. “And, yes, I would love to be a guest teacher.”
Morgan let out a scoff. “Women writers. What a terrible thought,” he mocked, earning a jab in the ribs from Josette.
“What do you say?” Eliza asked her. “Are you going to keep writing articles for the newspaper?”
Turning her gaze towards the grand townhouse, Emma took a moment to mull over her answer. What harm could possibly befall her just for writing a few articles? She would have to do some research periodically, but she had already proven to everyone that she could protect herself.
With a bright smile on her face, she brought her gaze back to the group and proclaimed, “I think that’s a splendid idea.”
“Then you will need this,” Eliza said, reaching into the folds of her gown and removing a small dagger. She placed it, unsheathed, on the table. “Tomorrow, we’ll start training you to defend yourself with a dagger.”
Emma put her hands up in front of her. “I assure you that I don’t need a dagger, especially since I already have an overcoat pistol.”
“You do,” Josette stated firmly. “Furthermore, you will need multiple weapons when you visit The Beckett School for Girls.”
Seeing that she was fighting a losing battle, Emma lowered her hands. “I must admit I am curious where you each went to boarding school. My school didn’t teach any weapons training but emphasized needlework instead.”
Eliza just laughed. “Why don’t you change back into your gown, and I will see that your carriage is brought around front?”
“Good idea,” she replied. “Luke would be furious if he saw me in these clothes.”
“What does he think you are doing here?” Josette asked.
Emma grinned. “I told him that I come to see Caroline.”
“Does Rachel believe that?” Benedict asked with a skeptical brow.
She shook her head. “Not at all. Rachel would have most likely joined me, if she wasn’t so exhausted from Matthew not sleeping at night.”
Glancing up at the position of the sun, Emma said, “I’d better hurry. I need to prepare for Mrs. Gupper’s garden picnic.”
4
Simeon groanedin annoyance as he walked up the steps of Caddington Manor. Why had he agreed to this act of sheer folly?
I have no time in my life for an entitled debutante, he thought, as he brought his hand up to bang on the main door. No doubt Miss Pearson was still asleep at this early hour, since most ladies of the ton didn’t wake up until much later in the day.
The door was opened, and a well-groomed blond-haired butler smiled cordially at him.
“May I help you, sir?”
“I am here to see Lord Downshire,” Simeon said, extending his card to the butler. “He’s expecting me.”
The man looked down at the card before taking a moment to peruse Simeon’s plain, blue jacket with matching waistcoat, ivory shirt, and grey trousers. He opened the door wide and stood to the side.
“Please come in, Mr. Martin. I will see if Lord Downshire is available for callers.”
Whenever Simeon was on an assignment, he dressed in unobtrusive attire and rarely passed out calling cards that stated his title. The less people knew about him, the better. Besides, the people he usually dealt with cared little about his title and more about the money he supplied them for information.
Removing his top hat, he took a step into the entry hall, and his steps faltered at the sheer magnificence of it all. Massive pillars supported round-topped arches, with classical statues looking down from above, painted murals ran the length of the domed ceiling, and golden sconces hung on the wall.
The clicking of the butler’s shoes on the tile alerted him to his approach. “Lord Downshire will see you, Mr. Martin.”
“Thank you,” he said, feeling a bit embarrassed that he was caught gawking.
