Read Online Letter From a Rake: Destiny Romance by Sasha Cottman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sasha Cottman
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forever.
‘Old girl? I am this side of one and twenty,’ she muttered as she rang for her maid. If she went out without allowing Grace to pull her coat out of the cupboard and fuss over her hair, she would never hear the end of it.
Chapter 6
Twenty minutes later, Millie and Charles were walking down Union Street, heading towards Hyde Park. The wind had died down but the sky was still overcast. Although the sun had not managed to make much of an appearance, at least it wasn’t snowing or raining. Millie had yet to decide which of the two forms of English weather she disliked the most. At least the monsoon rains of India had been warm.
‘Stephens says we will get more snow tonight,’ Charles said, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets.
She smiled at him. She could not have cared less about the weather; it was just good to be out with her brother, walking the streets of London. Numerous barouches and curricles passed them by, all of which, by the look of their passengers, were also headed in the direction of the park.
‘Does he have bunions?’ she replied.
Charles stopped and gave her a quizzical look. ‘What?’
‘Stephens; you said he told you we would get more snow tonight. Remember how Nishant would tell father the rains were coming because his feet hurt?’
He laughed. ‘Oh yes, and how many times did we have to listen to him complain for days until it finally did rain? He was no weather vane, Millie, just a daft old man who thought he ran the house servants.’
‘Didn’t he?’ she replied.
From first thing in the morning to last thing at night Nishant had bustled about the Ashton family home in Calcutta, giving orders to servants and the Ashton children alike.
Charles shook his head. ‘No, he was a remnant of the previous family who’d lived in our house, and he had nowhere else to go. When we arrived from England, Father didn’t have the heart to make him leave. The other servants seemed to respect him, so he stayed. Ash was really the head servant, but he wouldn’t have dared say anything.’
A warm grin spread across his face and he laughed once more. ‘For over fifteen years Ash worked under a man who had no right to be in our house. Father even paid them both the same wage. I suppose Ash had nothing to complain about, Nishant had a home and it all seemed to work. When Nishant died, Ash simply took over the role he had spent all those years understudying.’
Charles took hold of Millie’s hand and gave it a squeeze. They continued into Dean Street, then crossed over Park Lane and entered the park via the main gate.
Cold though it was, everyone seemed to be prepared to ignore the freezing temperature and venture out for his or her daily promenade. Millie had never seen so many carriages in the one place before; her gaze followed the seemingly endless line as it slowly snaked its way in and through the park.
Noticing that many of the carriages were marked with family crests and arms, Millie looked to see if any of them bore the markings of the Duchy of Strathmore. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Charles following her gaze. She turned and gave him an innocent smile.
Everywhere she looked, there were people. In London society it was obviously of vital importance to be seen at this hour, no matter what the weather.
The long rows of flowerbeds stretched into the distance. How anything could survive in this weather amazed her. A few rose bushes were still managing to flower along the edge of the paths, but the rest of the beds were covered with a thick layer of straw. She imagined that come spring, a riot of colour would erupt from beneath the straw and fill the flowerbeds. She thought that perhaps she might remain in London long enough to see Hyde Park in all its glory.
As they walked, Charles pointed out the newest models of carriage, promising her a ride when he had purchased his new means of transport.
‘Papa keeps telling me I need to get a decent buggy to get around town
‘Old girl? I am this side of one and twenty,’ she muttered as she rang for her maid. If she went out without allowing Grace to pull her coat out of the cupboard and fuss over her hair, she would never hear the end of it.
Chapter 6
Twenty minutes later, Millie and Charles were walking down Union Street, heading towards Hyde Park. The wind had died down but the sky was still overcast. Although the sun had not managed to make much of an appearance, at least it wasn’t snowing or raining. Millie had yet to decide which of the two forms of English weather she disliked the most. At least the monsoon rains of India had been warm.
‘Stephens says we will get more snow tonight,’ Charles said, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets.
She smiled at him. She could not have cared less about the weather; it was just good to be out with her brother, walking the streets of London. Numerous barouches and curricles passed them by, all of which, by the look of their passengers, were also headed in the direction of the park.
‘Does he have bunions?’ she replied.
Charles stopped and gave her a quizzical look. ‘What?’
‘Stephens; you said he told you we would get more snow tonight. Remember how Nishant would tell father the rains were coming because his feet hurt?’
He laughed. ‘Oh yes, and how many times did we have to listen to him complain for days until it finally did rain? He was no weather vane, Millie, just a daft old man who thought he ran the house servants.’
‘Didn’t he?’ she replied.
From first thing in the morning to last thing at night Nishant had bustled about the Ashton family home in Calcutta, giving orders to servants and the Ashton children alike.
Charles shook his head. ‘No, he was a remnant of the previous family who’d lived in our house, and he had nowhere else to go. When we arrived from England, Father didn’t have the heart to make him leave. The other servants seemed to respect him, so he stayed. Ash was really the head servant, but he wouldn’t have dared say anything.’
A warm grin spread across his face and he laughed once more. ‘For over fifteen years Ash worked under a man who had no right to be in our house. Father even paid them both the same wage. I suppose Ash had nothing to complain about, Nishant had a home and it all seemed to work. When Nishant died, Ash simply took over the role he had spent all those years understudying.’
Charles took hold of Millie’s hand and gave it a squeeze. They continued into Dean Street, then crossed over Park Lane and entered the park via the main gate.
Cold though it was, everyone seemed to be prepared to ignore the freezing temperature and venture out for his or her daily promenade. Millie had never seen so many carriages in the one place before; her gaze followed the seemingly endless line as it slowly snaked its way in and through the park.
Noticing that many of the carriages were marked with family crests and arms, Millie looked to see if any of them bore the markings of the Duchy of Strathmore. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Charles following her gaze. She turned and gave him an innocent smile.
Everywhere she looked, there were people. In London society it was obviously of vital importance to be seen at this hour, no matter what the weather.
The long rows of flowerbeds stretched into the distance. How anything could survive in this weather amazed her. A few rose bushes were still managing to flower along the edge of the paths, but the rest of the beds were covered with a thick layer of straw. She imagined that come spring, a riot of colour would erupt from beneath the straw and fill the flowerbeds. She thought that perhaps she might remain in London long enough to see Hyde Park in all its glory.
As they walked, Charles pointed out the newest models of carriage, promising her a ride when he had purchased his new means of transport.
‘Papa keeps telling me I need to get a decent buggy to get around town
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