Read Online Prelude for a Lord by Camille Elliot - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Camille Elliot
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continued on her way, head erect and eyes forward. She stopped at a print shop with large windows and peered at the reflection in the glass.
The sun was fitful today, peeking out only occasionally from behind heavy grey clouds, so she could not see as clearly as she would have liked. Many people paraded up and down the street, winding in and out of the small shops that lined the road, oblivious to Alethea’s unease. She searched the crowds in the reflection of the glass, but no one looked at her, no one loitered nearby.
What had she expected to see in the reflection? A dark hooded figure staring at her from across the street? She continued down Milsom Street.
She didn’t know what made her look slightly behind her and across the street. It wasn’t a sound, for a carriage was rumbling by and a group of old women chattered in front of her. But she turnedand in the brief gap between the horses and the carriage, she saw the same cadaverous man she’d seen in the marketplace, and he was looking directly at her.
This time the prickle was a shiver that shot straight through her spine.
Then the carriage’s movement blocked her view for a few seconds, and when it had passed, the man had disappeared. There were two shop doors nearby where he’d been standing, so perhaps he had ducked inside one of them.
And was watching her, unobserved, from behind the shop windows.
She would not give him the satisfaction. She hurried down the street, out of sight of the two shops, and when she had turned the corner, she immediately entered the shop there, which was a bookshop and stationers.
The cool space smelled of paper and leather and ink. Alethea’s heartbeat slowed at the familiar scents and the soothing ruffling of pages. She made her way to a bookcase near the large bay window and picked a book at random, pretending to read while studying each person who passed the shop outside.
“Alethea, what a happy meeting.”
She started, then turned with real warmth for her sister. After the tension of the last few minutes, her cheeks felt tight as she smiled. “Lucy, happy meeting, indeed.” Lucy tried to back away, but Alethea stepped forward to kiss her cheek.
“You shouldn’t be seen kissing a maid, Alethea.”
“I don’t care what people think, and you certainly don’t dress like a maid.” In fact, she was wearing an amber-coloured dress Alethea had given to her at Christmas that brought out flecks of gold in her dark brown eyes, a slightly lighter shade than Alethea’s. “What are you doing here?”
“Running an errand for Mrs. Ramsland.” Lucy made a smallgesture with her arms, full of paper and ink. Then her eyes narrowed as she studied Alethea’s face. “What has upset you?”
“Nothing.”
Lucy glared at her.
Alethea sighed. “It’s silly. I thought I saw that man from the marketplace. The thin one whom I thought was watching me but probably wasn’t ,” she added emphatically.
“You saw him on Milsom Street?”
“It was only for a second. He disappeared so perhaps he wasn’t even there.” Alethea glanced outside the shop windows, but the people passing by were few. The tension across her shoulders began to ease.
Lucy’s brows crinkled. “Alethea, this is becoming frightful.”
“Bath isn’t London. It’s entirely possible I could have seen the same man from the marketplace if he lives in Bath. I’m simply nervous after what happened with my room.”
“What happened to your room?” Lucy asked.
Alethea had forgotten that the incident had been after Lucy’s last Sunday visit and before her next one. “Er . . .” Alethea pulled at her earlobe as she frantically thought about how she could tell Lucy the events without causing her to have a fit.
Her sister knew her too well. “Oh, simply tell me, Alethea.”
“Someone went through my room Sunday morning when we were at church.”
Lucy’s mouth opened for several seconds before she remembered to close it. “And after that man at the
The sun was fitful today, peeking out only occasionally from behind heavy grey clouds, so she could not see as clearly as she would have liked. Many people paraded up and down the street, winding in and out of the small shops that lined the road, oblivious to Alethea’s unease. She searched the crowds in the reflection of the glass, but no one looked at her, no one loitered nearby.
What had she expected to see in the reflection? A dark hooded figure staring at her from across the street? She continued down Milsom Street.
She didn’t know what made her look slightly behind her and across the street. It wasn’t a sound, for a carriage was rumbling by and a group of old women chattered in front of her. But she turnedand in the brief gap between the horses and the carriage, she saw the same cadaverous man she’d seen in the marketplace, and he was looking directly at her.
This time the prickle was a shiver that shot straight through her spine.
Then the carriage’s movement blocked her view for a few seconds, and when it had passed, the man had disappeared. There were two shop doors nearby where he’d been standing, so perhaps he had ducked inside one of them.
And was watching her, unobserved, from behind the shop windows.
She would not give him the satisfaction. She hurried down the street, out of sight of the two shops, and when she had turned the corner, she immediately entered the shop there, which was a bookshop and stationers.
The cool space smelled of paper and leather and ink. Alethea’s heartbeat slowed at the familiar scents and the soothing ruffling of pages. She made her way to a bookcase near the large bay window and picked a book at random, pretending to read while studying each person who passed the shop outside.
“Alethea, what a happy meeting.”
She started, then turned with real warmth for her sister. After the tension of the last few minutes, her cheeks felt tight as she smiled. “Lucy, happy meeting, indeed.” Lucy tried to back away, but Alethea stepped forward to kiss her cheek.
“You shouldn’t be seen kissing a maid, Alethea.”
“I don’t care what people think, and you certainly don’t dress like a maid.” In fact, she was wearing an amber-coloured dress Alethea had given to her at Christmas that brought out flecks of gold in her dark brown eyes, a slightly lighter shade than Alethea’s. “What are you doing here?”
“Running an errand for Mrs. Ramsland.” Lucy made a smallgesture with her arms, full of paper and ink. Then her eyes narrowed as she studied Alethea’s face. “What has upset you?”
“Nothing.”
Lucy glared at her.
Alethea sighed. “It’s silly. I thought I saw that man from the marketplace. The thin one whom I thought was watching me but probably wasn’t ,” she added emphatically.
“You saw him on Milsom Street?”
“It was only for a second. He disappeared so perhaps he wasn’t even there.” Alethea glanced outside the shop windows, but the people passing by were few. The tension across her shoulders began to ease.
Lucy’s brows crinkled. “Alethea, this is becoming frightful.”
“Bath isn’t London. It’s entirely possible I could have seen the same man from the marketplace if he lives in Bath. I’m simply nervous after what happened with my room.”
“What happened to your room?” Lucy asked.
Alethea had forgotten that the incident had been after Lucy’s last Sunday visit and before her next one. “Er . . .” Alethea pulled at her earlobe as she frantically thought about how she could tell Lucy the events without causing her to have a fit.
Her sister knew her too well. “Oh, simply tell me, Alethea.”
“Someone went through my room Sunday morning when we were at church.”
Lucy’s mouth opened for several seconds before she remembered to close it. “And after that man at the
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