Read Online A Lady of Esteem by Kristi Ann Hunter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kristi Ann Hunter
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we remove to Gunter’s, then?”
“Oh yes.” She looked down at her hatbox and then back at the shop behind her. Miss Ryan exited, nothing new in her hands, which surprised him not at all.
“I’ll take that home for you,” she said, pulling the hatbox string from Amelia’s fingers with a deft twist. “Going to Gunter’s?”
Anthony tried to be stern as he caught his coachman’s eye, but he was afraid his frown looked more like a smirk. He was being manipulated, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Maybe he’d enlist this creative band of servants to aid him further. If this was what they could manage on their own, things could only improve with his cooperation.
“Yes.” Amelia looked stunned as she watched Miss Ryan give a small wave and trot over to a tall man with a skewed wig, hatbox securely in her arms. A puzzled look crossed her face. “Fenton?”
Anthony offered a hand to help her up into the carriage. “My lady?”
Amelia drew her gaze from the retreating maid and gave him a wry smile. “I’m not a lady.”
No. But she could be. He grinned. “I know.”
He clapped his coachman on the back as he climbed into the seat across from Amelia. “To Gunter’s, James. Unless you have another surprise for me.”
“I hear he has added a new flavor, my lord. It is a berry Miss Amelia is rather fond of.” The coachman guided the carriage into the flow of traffic.
Anthony couldn’t get the wide smile off his face. Definitely giving that man a raise.
Anthony stared at the Bible lying open on his desk. Since returning to the city, he’d had a difficult time maintaining his morning Bible reading. The different hours and increased distractions reminded him of the way his life used to be, making him feel unworthy of the sacred words.
Restless energy pulsed through him, making it impossible to remain in his seat. He stood in a rush, reaching for the darts he used when he needed to think.
He thumbed the tip of a dart. What did London mean to him? He flipped the dart in his hand and flung it at the board.
“Drinking.” Thunk .
“Revelry.” Thunk.
“Women.” Dink. Clank. Clatter. Anthony watched as the third dart spun a wide circle across the floor. That was the crux of the problem.
Drinking had been easier to avoid than he anticipated, though he was finding many of his former friends were much less entertaining than he previously thought them.
The revelry of London was still alive and well. A good card game or conversation at his club, the crush of social gatherings, all things he had enjoyed before and found pleasure in again.
The women were the problem. Or rather a single woman. His infatuation with someone as sweet and pure as Amelia was at odds with the memory of his previous peccadilloes. No amount of praying and Bible reading would change his past. Even if God didn’t hold him accountable for it anymore, Anthony couldn’t see how she wouldn’t.
Amelia was a ray of sunshine whenever he saw her. She scattered his thoughts even as she brightened his day.
While they’d enjoyed ices at Gunter’s she’d confessed that she hadn’t read much, but she enjoyed fictional tales of other lands and historical travels. They let her imagine she was somewhere else, far from England. Anthony smiled as he recalled her blushing and ducking her head until her nose nearly touched her shoulder.
The gold lettering on the spine of a copy of Gulliver’s Travels caught his eye. He’d liked the book as a child, imagined little people living under his bed for a year after his governess read it to him. Hestooped and slid the book off the shelf. It was as good an excuse as anything else.
His free hand reached out and scooped up the wayward dart. Straightening, he weighed the book in his hand. With barely a glance, he launched the dart at the board. The ends quivered as it struck the target.
He rolled his shoulders, a satisfied smile creeping across his face. It wasn’t easy to force his new life in
“Oh yes.” She looked down at her hatbox and then back at the shop behind her. Miss Ryan exited, nothing new in her hands, which surprised him not at all.
“I’ll take that home for you,” she said, pulling the hatbox string from Amelia’s fingers with a deft twist. “Going to Gunter’s?”
Anthony tried to be stern as he caught his coachman’s eye, but he was afraid his frown looked more like a smirk. He was being manipulated, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Maybe he’d enlist this creative band of servants to aid him further. If this was what they could manage on their own, things could only improve with his cooperation.
“Yes.” Amelia looked stunned as she watched Miss Ryan give a small wave and trot over to a tall man with a skewed wig, hatbox securely in her arms. A puzzled look crossed her face. “Fenton?”
Anthony offered a hand to help her up into the carriage. “My lady?”
Amelia drew her gaze from the retreating maid and gave him a wry smile. “I’m not a lady.”
No. But she could be. He grinned. “I know.”
He clapped his coachman on the back as he climbed into the seat across from Amelia. “To Gunter’s, James. Unless you have another surprise for me.”
“I hear he has added a new flavor, my lord. It is a berry Miss Amelia is rather fond of.” The coachman guided the carriage into the flow of traffic.
Anthony couldn’t get the wide smile off his face. Definitely giving that man a raise.
Anthony stared at the Bible lying open on his desk. Since returning to the city, he’d had a difficult time maintaining his morning Bible reading. The different hours and increased distractions reminded him of the way his life used to be, making him feel unworthy of the sacred words.
Restless energy pulsed through him, making it impossible to remain in his seat. He stood in a rush, reaching for the darts he used when he needed to think.
He thumbed the tip of a dart. What did London mean to him? He flipped the dart in his hand and flung it at the board.
“Drinking.” Thunk .
“Revelry.” Thunk.
“Women.” Dink. Clank. Clatter. Anthony watched as the third dart spun a wide circle across the floor. That was the crux of the problem.
Drinking had been easier to avoid than he anticipated, though he was finding many of his former friends were much less entertaining than he previously thought them.
The revelry of London was still alive and well. A good card game or conversation at his club, the crush of social gatherings, all things he had enjoyed before and found pleasure in again.
The women were the problem. Or rather a single woman. His infatuation with someone as sweet and pure as Amelia was at odds with the memory of his previous peccadilloes. No amount of praying and Bible reading would change his past. Even if God didn’t hold him accountable for it anymore, Anthony couldn’t see how she wouldn’t.
Amelia was a ray of sunshine whenever he saw her. She scattered his thoughts even as she brightened his day.
While they’d enjoyed ices at Gunter’s she’d confessed that she hadn’t read much, but she enjoyed fictional tales of other lands and historical travels. They let her imagine she was somewhere else, far from England. Anthony smiled as he recalled her blushing and ducking her head until her nose nearly touched her shoulder.
The gold lettering on the spine of a copy of Gulliver’s Travels caught his eye. He’d liked the book as a child, imagined little people living under his bed for a year after his governess read it to him. Hestooped and slid the book off the shelf. It was as good an excuse as anything else.
His free hand reached out and scooped up the wayward dart. Straightening, he weighed the book in his hand. With barely a glance, he launched the dart at the board. The ends quivered as it struck the target.
He rolled his shoulders, a satisfied smile creeping across his face. It wasn’t easy to force his new life in
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