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Authors: Linda Needham
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turned her knees to jelly.
And made her heart scamper around like an unhinged hare.
"Which, my dear, is the very reason I'm going back into the Abigail Adams right now, change out of my disguise, and sign myself up for that class on how to seduce your own husband. I've heard so much about it."
"Excellent, Lady Ellis."
Word-of-mouth at work! The class was getting more popular by the day. Taught by an ex-madam who'd married a marquis twenty years ago and had, apparently, kept him the happiest, most faithful man in the kingdom.
Not that she herself ever planned to marry. But at least now, if the worst should happen and she should lose not only her independence to a man, but the control of the substantial inheritance that her aunts had left her, she would know what to do to keep her husband from taking comfort in the arms of a mistress.
At least in theory.
Should the very worst ever happen to her.
"And after that class, Miss Elizabeth, I plan to take your class on how to defend myself from an attack on the streets, or God forbid, an abduction." Lady Ellis was on her feet, still whispering as she adjusted the crumpled black netting on the brim of her dowdy hat. "Then I want to start attending sessions of Parliament like you've been talking about, just to see what those men are up to with my rights."
Oh, this was fine news indeed. Subversion at its best. One mind at a time.
"My plan, Lady Ellis, is that eventually there won't be room enough for all of us in the public gallery." Elizabeth stood, feeling quite smug at the results of her daring to take matters into her own hands. "Then we'll have to start taking our rightful places in the chamber itself."
"Oh, if that could only happen!" The very thought seemed to have put Lady Ellis into a reverie that required a shake of her head to banish. "Well, now you just sit right there, my dear, relax and enjoy your delicious tea, while I change out of my disguise." She squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "And thank you so very much!"
The woman hurried to the rear of the tea room, stopped at the members-only entrance to the Abigail Adams, handed the attendant her membership card, then sped through the open door, giving Elizabeth a little wave on her way through.
If only all her clients could be made as happy with such a small adjustment to their lives.
No matter how delightful it would be to sit at a table, sipping her tea while searching the Times for an article about yesterday's protest, there were always more pressing matters to be taken care of.
She hadn't even made it as far as the rear door when it swung open and Cassie dashed through the doorway, her clerk's visor dipped low on her forehead.
"Miss Elizabeth, I was hoping you were here!" The young woman shoved the visor up off her brow, grabbed Elizabeth by the hand and started to tug her through the doorway. "You've got to come quickly! There's trouble."
"What is it?"
Cassie stopped abruptly in the middle of the corridor, thoroughly incensed. "It' s ... a man. In the foyer."
"A man?"
"A very large one. He demanded to see you immediately, then pushed right past Hawkins and planted himself in that chair by the fountain, saying he'd wait. Hawkins tried to put him into the visitor's parlor, but he wouldn't budge."
There was only one man she knew who would be so bloody arrogant. Blakestone.
Furious, Elizabeth reached for the door latch that would have plunged her right into the foyer.
"All right, Cassie, I'll take care of the man this very minute."
How satisfying it would be to throw him out of her club on his fine backside.
But Cassie gasped and grabbed her arm.
"You can't meet a stranger dressed like that." The young woman pointed in horror at Elizabeth's dowdy widow's costume. "What would he think?"
That she was up to something.
And he'd be right.
Damn the man for his power to fluster her so thoroughly!
"Tell his lordship that I'll be down in a few minutes."
And then I'll throw him out!
Chapter 6
Man is the hunter;
And made her heart scamper around like an unhinged hare.
"Which, my dear, is the very reason I'm going back into the Abigail Adams right now, change out of my disguise, and sign myself up for that class on how to seduce your own husband. I've heard so much about it."
"Excellent, Lady Ellis."
Word-of-mouth at work! The class was getting more popular by the day. Taught by an ex-madam who'd married a marquis twenty years ago and had, apparently, kept him the happiest, most faithful man in the kingdom.
Not that she herself ever planned to marry. But at least now, if the worst should happen and she should lose not only her independence to a man, but the control of the substantial inheritance that her aunts had left her, she would know what to do to keep her husband from taking comfort in the arms of a mistress.
At least in theory.
Should the very worst ever happen to her.
"And after that class, Miss Elizabeth, I plan to take your class on how to defend myself from an attack on the streets, or God forbid, an abduction." Lady Ellis was on her feet, still whispering as she adjusted the crumpled black netting on the brim of her dowdy hat. "Then I want to start attending sessions of Parliament like you've been talking about, just to see what those men are up to with my rights."
Oh, this was fine news indeed. Subversion at its best. One mind at a time.
"My plan, Lady Ellis, is that eventually there won't be room enough for all of us in the public gallery." Elizabeth stood, feeling quite smug at the results of her daring to take matters into her own hands. "Then we'll have to start taking our rightful places in the chamber itself."
"Oh, if that could only happen!" The very thought seemed to have put Lady Ellis into a reverie that required a shake of her head to banish. "Well, now you just sit right there, my dear, relax and enjoy your delicious tea, while I change out of my disguise." She squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "And thank you so very much!"
The woman hurried to the rear of the tea room, stopped at the members-only entrance to the Abigail Adams, handed the attendant her membership card, then sped through the open door, giving Elizabeth a little wave on her way through.
If only all her clients could be made as happy with such a small adjustment to their lives.
No matter how delightful it would be to sit at a table, sipping her tea while searching the Times for an article about yesterday's protest, there were always more pressing matters to be taken care of.
She hadn't even made it as far as the rear door when it swung open and Cassie dashed through the doorway, her clerk's visor dipped low on her forehead.
"Miss Elizabeth, I was hoping you were here!" The young woman shoved the visor up off her brow, grabbed Elizabeth by the hand and started to tug her through the doorway. "You've got to come quickly! There's trouble."
"What is it?"
Cassie stopped abruptly in the middle of the corridor, thoroughly incensed. "It' s ... a man. In the foyer."
"A man?"
"A very large one. He demanded to see you immediately, then pushed right past Hawkins and planted himself in that chair by the fountain, saying he'd wait. Hawkins tried to put him into the visitor's parlor, but he wouldn't budge."
There was only one man she knew who would be so bloody arrogant. Blakestone.
Furious, Elizabeth reached for the door latch that would have plunged her right into the foyer.
"All right, Cassie, I'll take care of the man this very minute."
How satisfying it would be to throw him out of her club on his fine backside.
But Cassie gasped and grabbed her arm.
"You can't meet a stranger dressed like that." The young woman pointed in horror at Elizabeth's dowdy widow's costume. "What would he think?"
That she was up to something.
And he'd be right.
Damn the man for his power to fluster her so thoroughly!
"Tell his lordship that I'll be down in a few minutes."
And then I'll throw him out!
Chapter 6
Man is the hunter;
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