Page 49 of Love Lessons for a Lady

As she turned over the ham, she reflected out loud. “She’s a pretty thing. Well-mannered and obviously not riff-raff. Really, she shouldn’t be staying in a lodging house alone.” She twirled her oversized two-pronged fork into the air as if to emphasize her words. “I wouldn't have taken her in except a friend of my son’s spoke on her behalf. It never bodes well to have single young women as tenants unless they’re the only boarders one takes in.”

That seemed unfair to Aston, but it made sense. Young women at a boarding house could cause all manner of issues for the landlady. Other than a pair of matronly sisters and this new female, Mrs. Longsdon’s other four boarders were relatively young men.

“Perhaps you should persuade her to move to a female-only establishment,” Aston said offhandedly, not giving a blacksmith’s curse who the lady was or if she stayed or left. “It would ensure peace and quiet around here.”

“Hmm. Mayhap.” Forehead puckered and mouth turned down, she gazed out the window for an extended moment. “Asking my new tenant to leave might be best. Claudia Fairburn has a nice place several blocks south. She only takes in females, though I don’t know if she has any rooms available.”

Mrs. Longsdon gave Aston a too innocent look. “She says they're much easier to manage than male tenants.”

Footsteps echoed in the corridor. The maids must be up. Aston had never given much thought to how early they were required to rise.

What time was it?

He’d left his timepiece in his room with a still snoozing Roi.

Aston glanced outside. Gloaming shadows with the merest hint of purple and pink smeared the sky.

Not quite dawn. Mayhap half past five.

“Excuse me.”

Glass at his mouth, Aston froze.

He knew that voice. That incredible, precious, beloved voice.

Chasity. She was here.

He whipped around, scarcely believing his eyes. There Chasity stood in a plain gray gown, that glorious mass of hair arranged into a neat chignon, and those blue, blue eyes wide with disbelief.

“Chasity?” He extended his hands, uncaring that Mrs. Longsdon watched them with keen interest.

A joyous smile wreathing her beloved face, Chasity stumbled forward a couple of hasty steps before she seemed to realize they weren’t alone and stopped.

“Aston? What are you doing here?”

I shan’t marry him. I shan’t, and Mama and Papa cannot make me. Werner Terramier is a rake and a libertine. He’s a horrid, smelly man with a fondness for strumpets and drink. I’m no fool. I know full well that Grandmama established a clause in my trust that I am permitted to choose my own husband. And I assuredly do not select that pasty-faced, vile, stinking drunkard.

In two months, I will be five-and-twenty, and the trust reverts to me. That is why they are in such a hurry to wed me to that beastly man. I haven’t avoided marriage this long to be forced into wedding a sodding bounder. I overheard my parents speaking with his grandfather. Mama and Papa want a portion of the forty thousand pounds Grandmama left me. I just need a place to stay—oh, very well, to hide—until 23 October, and then I shall petition the courts to release my trust fund.

Lord Woolbury and my parents think because I’m on the shelf and not a beauty that I’d be grateful to marry for a title. How little they know me. I’d much rather remain a spinster and control my own destiny than marry that disgusting reprobate. I mean to secret away on the mail coach tomorrow.

~ Lady Agatha Dahlzey in a secret note to her cousin and best friend, Ruth Glaser-Corrigan.

Mrs. Longsdon’s Lodging House

Guest parlor

Fifteen minutes later

Aston was here. Right here, lounging across from Chasity in a pecan brown brocade armchair, and his was quite the most welcome, precious face she’d ever seen. Stubble covered his jaw, and weariness crinkled the corners of his eyes. Regardless, his exhaustion didn’t detract in the least from his striking good looks.

She longed to run her hand through his hair and soothe the fatigue from his features.

Allowing herself the luxury of examining him as she went about preparing to pour their coffee, she smiled inwardly. It was so very good to see him. She’d been afraid she’d never set eyes upon him again, and the blood in her veins fairly sang for joy.

Her heart had plunked to her toes and then spiraled to her throat with the force of a tornado upon spying him in the kitchen. She’d come to ask for a piece of bread and cheese and perhaps an apple to take with her while she searched for a position today.

After hours of crying, she’d concluded she couldn’t risk spending all of her savings on coach fare to start over somewhere. And as no magistrate had pounded upon the door during the night, intent on arresting her, Chasity prayed none would. That might make her imprudent, but perhaps Gibney hadn’t been interrogated, or mayhap he’d fibbed.