church, miss,” she said in some relief. “It’ll be locked.”
“But, how did Aman—how did I get in yesterday?”
“Oh, that was Mr. Satterleigh’s doing. He paid the verger to open the door for you.”
“Mr. Sat—oh, yes, the boyfriend. Where has he been, by the way? I don’t recall his being in the church, and he hasn’t been here. Has he?”‘
“Oh, no, miss. Mr. Satterleigh wouldn’t dare show his face here. Your papa forbade him the house some weeks ago—right after he was here asking for your hand.”
“Ah,” said Amanda. A pair of star-crossed lovers, no less. This whole scenario was beginning to sound like an old-fashioned “mellerdrammer.” The golden-haired heroine, forced into a loveless marriage, while the wicked father cracked his whip and the evil villain snapped his teeth and twirled his moustache. Except that Amanda’s father proclaimed himself all fatherly devotion and Lord Ashindon, whose dark, harsh-visaged face could easily get him cast as the villain, had no moustache, and had so far refrained from snapping his teeth.
“Well, never mind all that,” said Amanda briskly. “We’ll just have to get the, er, verger, to unlock it again.”
Hutchings frowned doubtfully. “Your mama isn’t going to like this.”
“Mama doesn’t have to know, does she?”
“It’s my belief, miss, that after yesterday you’ll be lucky to make a trip to the necessary house out back without her knowing.”
Amanda sighed in exasperation. “Well, how about a shopping trip? Does Aman—do I like to go shopping?”
Hutchings snorted. “Like a fish likes t’swim, miss, but—”
“Well, there you are. You and I will leave the house, and if Mama intercepts us, we’ll just say we’re on our way to—to—?”
“Oxford Street. But it isn’t all that easy, miss. You’ll have to eat breakfast first—downstairs. You’ll have to call for the carriage, and you’ll need t’send a footman on ahead to roust out the verger.”
“Fine. You take care of all that and meet me in the downstairs hall in an hour.”
Hutchings had more objections to the plan, but by the time she had assisted her mistress into a gown of pale blue lutestring, embellished with rows of lace ruching at neckline and sleeves, Amanda had managed to stem the flow.
Obtaining, at last, a grudging agreement to her plan, Amanda descended the long, curving staircase to the dining room, which, to her vast relief, was empty. A footman stood at the ready near a sideboard laden with steaming breakfast delicacies, and after she had loaded her plate, the young man poured coffee from a silver um and placed it reverently by her side at the table.
She ate in thoughtful silence, and at the prescribed hour hastened into the hall to be met by Hutchings with pelisse, bonnet, gloves, and reticule. Hurriedly donning these articles, she moved to the door, and had almost made good her exit when a shrill voice from above caused her to falter.
“Amanda! What are you doing? Where do you think you’re going?”
Amanda swung about, a bright smile pinned to her lips.
“Why, good morning, Mama. It’s so lovely today, I have decided on some early shopping today.”
“Shopping!” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Now, see here, Amanda, we will have no more of your tricks. You will march right back up to your room, this instant. I want you well rested before we start receiving calls.”
“Calls?”
“Well, of course.” Serena sighed in exasperation. “The servants will probably have been talking already, and news of your—indisposition will have spread all over Mayfair. We shall no doubt have a steady stream of visitors, and you must be ready to receive them.”
“How am I to do that when I don’t know any of them?”
“I’m sure you will recall their faces when you see them—and I shall be here to give you countenance. You can’t hide away forever, after all.”
Amanda placed little reliance on the benefits of Serena’s
“But, how did Aman—how did I get in yesterday?”
“Oh, that was Mr. Satterleigh’s doing. He paid the verger to open the door for you.”
“Mr. Sat—oh, yes, the boyfriend. Where has he been, by the way? I don’t recall his being in the church, and he hasn’t been here. Has he?”‘
“Oh, no, miss. Mr. Satterleigh wouldn’t dare show his face here. Your papa forbade him the house some weeks ago—right after he was here asking for your hand.”
“Ah,” said Amanda. A pair of star-crossed lovers, no less. This whole scenario was beginning to sound like an old-fashioned “mellerdrammer.” The golden-haired heroine, forced into a loveless marriage, while the wicked father cracked his whip and the evil villain snapped his teeth and twirled his moustache. Except that Amanda’s father proclaimed himself all fatherly devotion and Lord Ashindon, whose dark, harsh-visaged face could easily get him cast as the villain, had no moustache, and had so far refrained from snapping his teeth.
“Well, never mind all that,” said Amanda briskly. “We’ll just have to get the, er, verger, to unlock it again.”
Hutchings frowned doubtfully. “Your mama isn’t going to like this.”
“Mama doesn’t have to know, does she?”
“It’s my belief, miss, that after yesterday you’ll be lucky to make a trip to the necessary house out back without her knowing.”
Amanda sighed in exasperation. “Well, how about a shopping trip? Does Aman—do I like to go shopping?”
Hutchings snorted. “Like a fish likes t’swim, miss, but—”
“Well, there you are. You and I will leave the house, and if Mama intercepts us, we’ll just say we’re on our way to—to—?”
“Oxford Street. But it isn’t all that easy, miss. You’ll have to eat breakfast first—downstairs. You’ll have to call for the carriage, and you’ll need t’send a footman on ahead to roust out the verger.”
“Fine. You take care of all that and meet me in the downstairs hall in an hour.”
Hutchings had more objections to the plan, but by the time she had assisted her mistress into a gown of pale blue lutestring, embellished with rows of lace ruching at neckline and sleeves, Amanda had managed to stem the flow.
Obtaining, at last, a grudging agreement to her plan, Amanda descended the long, curving staircase to the dining room, which, to her vast relief, was empty. A footman stood at the ready near a sideboard laden with steaming breakfast delicacies, and after she had loaded her plate, the young man poured coffee from a silver um and placed it reverently by her side at the table.
She ate in thoughtful silence, and at the prescribed hour hastened into the hall to be met by Hutchings with pelisse, bonnet, gloves, and reticule. Hurriedly donning these articles, she moved to the door, and had almost made good her exit when a shrill voice from above caused her to falter.
“Amanda! What are you doing? Where do you think you’re going?”
Amanda swung about, a bright smile pinned to her lips.
“Why, good morning, Mama. It’s so lovely today, I have decided on some early shopping today.”
“Shopping!” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Now, see here, Amanda, we will have no more of your tricks. You will march right back up to your room, this instant. I want you well rested before we start receiving calls.”
“Calls?”
“Well, of course.” Serena sighed in exasperation. “The servants will probably have been talking already, and news of your—indisposition will have spread all over Mayfair. We shall no doubt have a steady stream of visitors, and you must be ready to receive them.”
“How am I to do that when I don’t know any of them?”
“I’m sure you will recall their faces when you see them—and I shall be here to give you countenance. You can’t hide away forever, after all.”
Amanda placed little reliance on the benefits of Serena’s
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