Read Online For Love's Sake by Leonora De Vere - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Leonora De Vere
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him!”
A few more trips to the pump and Laurel had enough water for a bath. She stripped off her clothes, careful to lay them across her bed so as not to cause a single wrinkle. After she washed, she redressed. Dragging the tub full of water out the door to empty was trying, but Laurel managed to do it without soaking herself.
After a quick supper, she fed her cat, and headed off towards Mill Hill. The festival committee held a dinner and ball each year at the Mayor’s house, but no one Laurel knew had ever been invited. She imagined champagne, maybe oysters being served to guests in black formal clothes and elaborate gowns. There would be waltzing, too. She wondered if that was where Christopher would be spending his evening.
Christopher had been invited, but as usual, he declined the invitation. His plans were to relax in his room with a glass of whiskey, and he rang for a bellboy to bring him a bottle. When one never came, he took it upon himself to go downstairs and find one. Not even the desk clerk was working that evening, even though there were a few other guests staying overnight. He tried the kitchen, which was also deserted.
Finally, a trip around back found a group of young men smoking cigarettes and passing around a bottle. They were talking about the dance up on Mill Hill, and of which girl was sure to slip down to the creek with them later on. When one of them saw Christopher, they all jumped to their feet.
“Are any of you working?” he asked.
“No Sir. We’ve got the night off on account of the festival.”
That damned festival! “Well, could one of you at least bring me up a bottle of whiskey before you leave?”
All of the boys looked at each other. “None of us have the key to the liquor cabinet, Your Lordship. The night manager took it when he went home.”
One brave lad held out the bottle in his hand. “If you want, you can have a swallow of this.”
Christopher snatched it from him and gave the clear liquid a sniff. “What is it?”
“Corn liquor, Sir,” the boy said. “Moonshine.”
He took a tentative swig and found the concoction harsh. Just for good measure, he took another, but the taste still did not improve. It was strong though, and he liked that.
“With all due respect, we thought you’d be down the street with the rest of ‘the quality’,” a young man explained. “And if you don’t mind, we’ve got a party to be getting to.”
“Out by the mill?”
“Yes Sir,” he said. “We wait for it all year.”
Christopher could not believe what he was about to do. “Would you mind if I came along?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Christopher was shocked to see the heavy metal doors to one of his empty cotton warehouses thrown open. People were coming and going from the building, and warm yellow light spilled out into the mill yard. He could hear music in the otherwise still night air, and wondered how his employees managed to get a copy of the keys.
It appeared that he was hosting this party, and never even knew it.
A few of his employees witnessed his arrival, and ran inside to warn the others. The last thing Christopher wanted to do was ruin everyone’s night, but it would have been pointless to try to tell them that. He stepped from the shadows and watched as everyone ducked and ran for cover. The music stopped abruptly. All that could be heard was the murmur of nervous voices and the clattering of folding chairs as people tripped over them in their haste to slip out the back door.
His eyes scanned the crowd, who stared back at him. One of the supervisors pushed Laurel forward, since it was decided that she had been the one to give them away.
“You know you’re trespassing,” Christopher explained to her.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Then have us all arrested.”
A strangled laugh almost escaped from his throat. No matter how irritated he was with her, Miss Graham was surely twice as furious at him. “Actually, I came to join you…that is, if you
A few more trips to the pump and Laurel had enough water for a bath. She stripped off her clothes, careful to lay them across her bed so as not to cause a single wrinkle. After she washed, she redressed. Dragging the tub full of water out the door to empty was trying, but Laurel managed to do it without soaking herself.
After a quick supper, she fed her cat, and headed off towards Mill Hill. The festival committee held a dinner and ball each year at the Mayor’s house, but no one Laurel knew had ever been invited. She imagined champagne, maybe oysters being served to guests in black formal clothes and elaborate gowns. There would be waltzing, too. She wondered if that was where Christopher would be spending his evening.
Christopher had been invited, but as usual, he declined the invitation. His plans were to relax in his room with a glass of whiskey, and he rang for a bellboy to bring him a bottle. When one never came, he took it upon himself to go downstairs and find one. Not even the desk clerk was working that evening, even though there were a few other guests staying overnight. He tried the kitchen, which was also deserted.
Finally, a trip around back found a group of young men smoking cigarettes and passing around a bottle. They were talking about the dance up on Mill Hill, and of which girl was sure to slip down to the creek with them later on. When one of them saw Christopher, they all jumped to their feet.
“Are any of you working?” he asked.
“No Sir. We’ve got the night off on account of the festival.”
That damned festival! “Well, could one of you at least bring me up a bottle of whiskey before you leave?”
All of the boys looked at each other. “None of us have the key to the liquor cabinet, Your Lordship. The night manager took it when he went home.”
One brave lad held out the bottle in his hand. “If you want, you can have a swallow of this.”
Christopher snatched it from him and gave the clear liquid a sniff. “What is it?”
“Corn liquor, Sir,” the boy said. “Moonshine.”
He took a tentative swig and found the concoction harsh. Just for good measure, he took another, but the taste still did not improve. It was strong though, and he liked that.
“With all due respect, we thought you’d be down the street with the rest of ‘the quality’,” a young man explained. “And if you don’t mind, we’ve got a party to be getting to.”
“Out by the mill?”
“Yes Sir,” he said. “We wait for it all year.”
Christopher could not believe what he was about to do. “Would you mind if I came along?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Christopher was shocked to see the heavy metal doors to one of his empty cotton warehouses thrown open. People were coming and going from the building, and warm yellow light spilled out into the mill yard. He could hear music in the otherwise still night air, and wondered how his employees managed to get a copy of the keys.
It appeared that he was hosting this party, and never even knew it.
A few of his employees witnessed his arrival, and ran inside to warn the others. The last thing Christopher wanted to do was ruin everyone’s night, but it would have been pointless to try to tell them that. He stepped from the shadows and watched as everyone ducked and ran for cover. The music stopped abruptly. All that could be heard was the murmur of nervous voices and the clattering of folding chairs as people tripped over them in their haste to slip out the back door.
His eyes scanned the crowd, who stared back at him. One of the supervisors pushed Laurel forward, since it was decided that she had been the one to give them away.
“You know you’re trespassing,” Christopher explained to her.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Then have us all arrested.”
A strangled laugh almost escaped from his throat. No matter how irritated he was with her, Miss Graham was surely twice as furious at him. “Actually, I came to join you…that is, if you
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