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Authors: Debra Sheridan
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up at her. "You're right," he said, licking his lips. "You must get back to your bed." Desmond looked out the window in an attempt to cool down.
Rebecca settled herself back against her pillows, fixing her hair, adjusting her gown. He smiled at her and sat down at her bedside.
"I almost forgot. I have something for you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small gray velvet box. He grabbed her hand and placed the box in her palm.
Rebecca smiled. "What is it?" she asked him, her eyes bright with pleasure.
"Open it," he replied.
She flipped the tiny case open and drew in her breath. "It's beautiful, Desmond."
"My father gave it to my mother and now I'm giving it to you." He reached up to caress her hair. "Are you pleased?"
"What do you think?" Rebecca looked at him, smiling. She placed it on her ring finger and stared at it. "I love it, Desmond."
"Good. Then maybe later on tonight, you can show me how grateful you are." Desmond grinned. "Get some sleep. I will see you at dinner." He kissed her on the forehead. "I love you, Rebecca. More than anything."
He closed the door quietly behind him. He felt sure that the storm had passed.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
It was quiet in the back courtyard after the clamor of the morning deliveries. The cobblestones were wet, slick and dirty. Tobias enjoyed the cold moist air of the late morning, almost as much as he enjoyed the warm sharp taste of his cigar.
Life had been good to him since Charles Wexley's illness made him bed bound. He was now the valet to Lord John Garway. True, his ascension to the position may only be temporary, but he was no worse for wear. And he had to look out for himself, didn't he? Any position for however long it lasted was never a bad thing, particularly if you were a working class lad.
Mrs. Hewitt, Lady Garway's personal maid, approached him from behind and interrupted his mental assessments. "Penny for your thoughts?"
"They're worth more than a penny, aren't they, now? I'm valet to the Earl of Delafield." Tobias replied smugly.
"Don't be puttin' on airs with me." She took out a cigar. Tobias was quick to give her a light. "Not unless you want to find yourself in my cross-hairs." She took a quick drag off her smoke.
"So what about Lady Rebecca then? Did she throw him over?" asked Tobias, smiling to himself.
"She can't have been that daft. I saw Mr. Baines here earlier for a visit." Mrs. Hewitt replied. "She's lucky to have him, if you ask me. She's lucky to have anyone."
"Well, that's no thanks to us," Tobias remarked. He took his time before he asked her, "Do you ever regret it?"
"Regret what?" challenged Mrs. Hewitt.
"You know very well," Tobias said quietly. "If it weren't for us, no one would have been the wiser about that Sir Isaac. It would have all blown over as quick as you please." He flicked his ashes and added, "She might have had her pick of a dozen princes."
"I suppose. Sometimes I wish I could undo things for Lady Garway's sake." Mrs. Hewitt took another puff. "Other times, I'm of the mind that Lady Rebecca should enjoy her just desserts, the heartless minx." She flicked her cigar ash. "Anyway, there's nothing to be done about it now."
"Isn't there?" Tobias asked but it was more of a statement than a question. "If you could, Mrs. Hewitt, wouldn't you set it straight? If only to spare Her Ladyship a scandal?"
Mrs. Hewitt didn't reply right away. But, she told herself, it was food for thought. Her debt to Lady Garway was one that she could never repay. She took one last drag from her cigar and tossed it off against the wet stones. Tobias did likewise. "We'll see about it," she finally countered. "I'll do my diggin' and you do yours. Between the two of us, we may come up with something."
Mrs. Hewitt did not have to wait long before she arrived at her first opportunity to unearth information about Lady Rebecca. Her mistress had social visits in the village in the afternoon. The preparations would be rigorous since Her
Rebecca settled herself back against her pillows, fixing her hair, adjusting her gown. He smiled at her and sat down at her bedside.
"I almost forgot. I have something for you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small gray velvet box. He grabbed her hand and placed the box in her palm.
Rebecca smiled. "What is it?" she asked him, her eyes bright with pleasure.
"Open it," he replied.
She flipped the tiny case open and drew in her breath. "It's beautiful, Desmond."
"My father gave it to my mother and now I'm giving it to you." He reached up to caress her hair. "Are you pleased?"
"What do you think?" Rebecca looked at him, smiling. She placed it on her ring finger and stared at it. "I love it, Desmond."
"Good. Then maybe later on tonight, you can show me how grateful you are." Desmond grinned. "Get some sleep. I will see you at dinner." He kissed her on the forehead. "I love you, Rebecca. More than anything."
He closed the door quietly behind him. He felt sure that the storm had passed.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
It was quiet in the back courtyard after the clamor of the morning deliveries. The cobblestones were wet, slick and dirty. Tobias enjoyed the cold moist air of the late morning, almost as much as he enjoyed the warm sharp taste of his cigar.
Life had been good to him since Charles Wexley's illness made him bed bound. He was now the valet to Lord John Garway. True, his ascension to the position may only be temporary, but he was no worse for wear. And he had to look out for himself, didn't he? Any position for however long it lasted was never a bad thing, particularly if you were a working class lad.
Mrs. Hewitt, Lady Garway's personal maid, approached him from behind and interrupted his mental assessments. "Penny for your thoughts?"
"They're worth more than a penny, aren't they, now? I'm valet to the Earl of Delafield." Tobias replied smugly.
"Don't be puttin' on airs with me." She took out a cigar. Tobias was quick to give her a light. "Not unless you want to find yourself in my cross-hairs." She took a quick drag off her smoke.
"So what about Lady Rebecca then? Did she throw him over?" asked Tobias, smiling to himself.
"She can't have been that daft. I saw Mr. Baines here earlier for a visit." Mrs. Hewitt replied. "She's lucky to have him, if you ask me. She's lucky to have anyone."
"Well, that's no thanks to us," Tobias remarked. He took his time before he asked her, "Do you ever regret it?"
"Regret what?" challenged Mrs. Hewitt.
"You know very well," Tobias said quietly. "If it weren't for us, no one would have been the wiser about that Sir Isaac. It would have all blown over as quick as you please." He flicked his ashes and added, "She might have had her pick of a dozen princes."
"I suppose. Sometimes I wish I could undo things for Lady Garway's sake." Mrs. Hewitt took another puff. "Other times, I'm of the mind that Lady Rebecca should enjoy her just desserts, the heartless minx." She flicked her cigar ash. "Anyway, there's nothing to be done about it now."
"Isn't there?" Tobias asked but it was more of a statement than a question. "If you could, Mrs. Hewitt, wouldn't you set it straight? If only to spare Her Ladyship a scandal?"
Mrs. Hewitt didn't reply right away. But, she told herself, it was food for thought. Her debt to Lady Garway was one that she could never repay. She took one last drag from her cigar and tossed it off against the wet stones. Tobias did likewise. "We'll see about it," she finally countered. "I'll do my diggin' and you do yours. Between the two of us, we may come up with something."
Mrs. Hewitt did not have to wait long before she arrived at her first opportunity to unearth information about Lady Rebecca. Her mistress had social visits in the village in the afternoon. The preparations would be rigorous since Her
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