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Authors: Wareeze Woodson
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Littleton.
“Where is Betha?” Eleanor inquired, glancing up at Hobs. “She should be here to pass the tea around.”
The butler leaned in close and said in a low voice, “I have no idea, Milady. She shot out the back door like a scalded cat. I’ve not seen her since.” He disappeared through the door with a stately tread.
With a small titter of dismissing laughter, Lady Littleton explained, “She has chores to complete. I’ll pour.”
Tension quivered in the room for a few moments with only the rattle of teacups to break the rather awkward silence. Royce sipped his tea and compared the two ladies. Eleanor closely resembled her mother, but seemed a more subdued, if spoiled version. He had no doubt she would respond to a firm handling of the reins and be totally unaware of his guidance unless he wanted her to know.
The doorknocker sounded and he rose. “I must take my leave. I dropped by to offer up the invitation personally.” He bowed his head in a farewell salute. “Ladies.”
Reluctantly, Eleanor stood and held out her hand. “Thank you for coming, and for the personal invitation.” She followed him to the doorway. He gathered his belongings, but before he could exit, the knocker sounded again.
Bethany appeared in the hall, wearing a cape about her shoulders and a bundle under her arm. On her way out, she opened the door to Freddy, Eleanor’s cousin.
Royce clenched his teeth at his annoyance with such a creature. Freddy’s weak chin and thin lips added to his displeasure. Freddy and Eleanor had blonde locks of the exact same shade, the man’s only pleasing feature that Royce could detect. Freddy’s pale blue eyes shone with merriment when he grinned at Bethany.
Royce fought to prevent his countenance from reflecting his distaste for this particular relative of Eleanor’s. Hump, he’s nothing but a counter-coxcomb and a wasteful fribble along with it. Royce abhorred watching Freddy make such a cake of himself. Even his grin irked Royce.
“Freddy. What a delightful surprise,” Eleanor cooed.
“To be sure. Delighted, my dear.” He glanced beyond Eleanor. “And you as well,” Freddy simpered at Royce.
Royce stepped forward and bowed his head in acknowledgment of the greeting before taking his leave. He strolled round to the stables where Jem met him at the door. Royce swallowed a sigh, adding a noncommittal smile.
The anxious look in the lad’s eyes shamed him for his lack of enthusiasm. “How may I be of service?”
“My older sister,” Jem explained in very distressed tones. “She be missing. She went off to Bath, but she never come back. Mum be worrit something bad happened to her.” He gazed up at Royce with the trustful expression of a friendly puppy.
“Tell me everything you know about the time your sister disappeared. Everything you can remember. What she was doing, where she might have gone, and for how long,” Royce invited.
“She be missing bout three weeks,” Jem stated, dropping his gaze while a wash of red covered his face. “She loped off to see her lover in Bath. She says how he has money and promised to set her up good. I tried to tell her it be all a hum.” Jem raised both hands in the air. “Does she listen? No.”
“How did she travel to Bath?”
Jem grumbled, “On the mail. No matter, Mum might need her. Selfish, that’s her.”
In full sympathy with the boy, Royce asked, “Her name exactly?”
“Mary Rose Breen, a fancy name. Should be Jane or something plain like.”
Royce bit back a grin at Jem’s opinions. “Do you know her lover’s name?”
“Nun-un.”
“You say she intended to meet him in Bath. Exactly where?”
“Blue Boar Inn,” Jem supplied with a frown. “On Carter Street. But me mum askt for her. Claims they has no idea.”
“All the same, tell me of her appearance. Perhaps I shall be more persuasive.”
“She be kinda pretty. I gives her that. Nice yeller hair, blue eyes, and small. Bout to here,” Jem said and
“Where is Betha?” Eleanor inquired, glancing up at Hobs. “She should be here to pass the tea around.”
The butler leaned in close and said in a low voice, “I have no idea, Milady. She shot out the back door like a scalded cat. I’ve not seen her since.” He disappeared through the door with a stately tread.
With a small titter of dismissing laughter, Lady Littleton explained, “She has chores to complete. I’ll pour.”
Tension quivered in the room for a few moments with only the rattle of teacups to break the rather awkward silence. Royce sipped his tea and compared the two ladies. Eleanor closely resembled her mother, but seemed a more subdued, if spoiled version. He had no doubt she would respond to a firm handling of the reins and be totally unaware of his guidance unless he wanted her to know.
The doorknocker sounded and he rose. “I must take my leave. I dropped by to offer up the invitation personally.” He bowed his head in a farewell salute. “Ladies.”
Reluctantly, Eleanor stood and held out her hand. “Thank you for coming, and for the personal invitation.” She followed him to the doorway. He gathered his belongings, but before he could exit, the knocker sounded again.
Bethany appeared in the hall, wearing a cape about her shoulders and a bundle under her arm. On her way out, she opened the door to Freddy, Eleanor’s cousin.
Royce clenched his teeth at his annoyance with such a creature. Freddy’s weak chin and thin lips added to his displeasure. Freddy and Eleanor had blonde locks of the exact same shade, the man’s only pleasing feature that Royce could detect. Freddy’s pale blue eyes shone with merriment when he grinned at Bethany.
Royce fought to prevent his countenance from reflecting his distaste for this particular relative of Eleanor’s. Hump, he’s nothing but a counter-coxcomb and a wasteful fribble along with it. Royce abhorred watching Freddy make such a cake of himself. Even his grin irked Royce.
“Freddy. What a delightful surprise,” Eleanor cooed.
“To be sure. Delighted, my dear.” He glanced beyond Eleanor. “And you as well,” Freddy simpered at Royce.
Royce stepped forward and bowed his head in acknowledgment of the greeting before taking his leave. He strolled round to the stables where Jem met him at the door. Royce swallowed a sigh, adding a noncommittal smile.
The anxious look in the lad’s eyes shamed him for his lack of enthusiasm. “How may I be of service?”
“My older sister,” Jem explained in very distressed tones. “She be missing. She went off to Bath, but she never come back. Mum be worrit something bad happened to her.” He gazed up at Royce with the trustful expression of a friendly puppy.
“Tell me everything you know about the time your sister disappeared. Everything you can remember. What she was doing, where she might have gone, and for how long,” Royce invited.
“She be missing bout three weeks,” Jem stated, dropping his gaze while a wash of red covered his face. “She loped off to see her lover in Bath. She says how he has money and promised to set her up good. I tried to tell her it be all a hum.” Jem raised both hands in the air. “Does she listen? No.”
“How did she travel to Bath?”
Jem grumbled, “On the mail. No matter, Mum might need her. Selfish, that’s her.”
In full sympathy with the boy, Royce asked, “Her name exactly?”
“Mary Rose Breen, a fancy name. Should be Jane or something plain like.”
Royce bit back a grin at Jem’s opinions. “Do you know her lover’s name?”
“Nun-un.”
“You say she intended to meet him in Bath. Exactly where?”
“Blue Boar Inn,” Jem supplied with a frown. “On Carter Street. But me mum askt for her. Claims they has no idea.”
“All the same, tell me of her appearance. Perhaps I shall be more persuasive.”
“She be kinda pretty. I gives her that. Nice yeller hair, blue eyes, and small. Bout to here,” Jem said and
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