Read Online The Girl in the Mask by Marie-Louise Jensen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marie-Louise Jensen
Ads: Link
thinking I’d look for my father’s secret hiding place. I felt carefully over all the seats and seams, and looked under the seats, exploring the wood for hidden compartments. I found nothing. ‘It’s definitely inside the chaise, though,’ I said aloud to myself. ‘Because this is where he came and checked.’
I ran one hand along the back shelf above the seats again, pulling the fabric aside, and at last found a small catch. I pressed it and the seat came loose in my hand. As I pulled it forward, I could see in the dim light of the coach house that a sizeable compartment had been revealed. It was empty now, of course, but it must have been packed with valuables on the way here. I whistled silently, thinking how nervous my father must have been when Jenny was searching the coach. But it was too well hidden to be found in a hurry. I’d only succeeded because I’d had plenty of time and because I knew it was here.
Storing the knowledge up for an unspecified future occasion, I slipped out of the coach house, under the arch, and walked towards the city.
CHAPTER NINE
The city by night was a different place. Torches flickered outside many houses, with pools of deep darkness between them. Sedan chairs hurried to and fro, carrying the well-to-do to their places of amusement. There was drunken singing from the taverns, and groups of young men lounging in doorways.
I was out of place in my petticoats as I hadn’t been by day, and mourned the loss of my boy’s clothing. I kept out of the lights, stayed mainly in the back streets and the quiet alleys and avoided people. As I explored, I found the city was a small, overcrowded, jumbled maze of streets, alleys, and squares, confined by the city walls.
Despite the labyrinthine maze of narrow ways, I gradually got my bearings. My wanderings led me at last to the river. I sat down upon the bank, stared at the still, black water, thinking about my cousin Jack. Where was he now? He couldn’t possibly be as miserable as I was. I missed him badly. I wished I could talk to him about what I should do.
Running away would have been my preferred option, if only I’d had somewhere to run to. But the only place I knew was my home, and even that was to be let to strangers. I sighed. I was trapped here. I had an escape from my room, which was better than I’d hoped. But by day I was at the mercy of my father and aunt. I gritted my teeth. ‘I won’t let them get the better of me,’ I muttered. ‘I won’t submit to my father. I won’t let him marry me off. And I will punish him. I haven’t forgotten my vow to do so.’
I threw a stone into the dark water, by way of confirming my resolution. It fell with a dull splash. A breeze stirred, wafting the rancid scent of the river towards me. I longed for my country home, where the air and the streams were clean and fresh.
The memory of home stirred some half-forgotten words of my father’s in my mind. He’d brought me here … what had he said? Because I’d disgraced myself so that no one at home would marry me.
The implications of this dawned on me: to prevent any offers of marriage being made for me, I needed to disgrace myself publicly at the Bath. How hard could that be? Of course, I didn’t yet know exactly what kind of things would be considered most shocking here. But I could soon find out.
The dancing master arrived at six o’clock the next morning. He was short with thin legs and a weak chin. I disliked him on sight. He was ushered into the downstairs drawing room by the butler and bowed to me. I made an awkward curtsey in return. His eyes fixed on my feet for a painful moment. Raising his eyes to mine, he said: ‘You need to wear shoes , Mistress Williams, to learn to dance. Not … whatever those are.’ He indicated my footwear with a wave of one limp hand and an exaggerated shudder. I looked down at my flat, patched shoes, scuffed and dirty with climbing over roofs and walking about the city.
‘I don’t have
I ran one hand along the back shelf above the seats again, pulling the fabric aside, and at last found a small catch. I pressed it and the seat came loose in my hand. As I pulled it forward, I could see in the dim light of the coach house that a sizeable compartment had been revealed. It was empty now, of course, but it must have been packed with valuables on the way here. I whistled silently, thinking how nervous my father must have been when Jenny was searching the coach. But it was too well hidden to be found in a hurry. I’d only succeeded because I’d had plenty of time and because I knew it was here.
Storing the knowledge up for an unspecified future occasion, I slipped out of the coach house, under the arch, and walked towards the city.
CHAPTER NINE
The city by night was a different place. Torches flickered outside many houses, with pools of deep darkness between them. Sedan chairs hurried to and fro, carrying the well-to-do to their places of amusement. There was drunken singing from the taverns, and groups of young men lounging in doorways.
I was out of place in my petticoats as I hadn’t been by day, and mourned the loss of my boy’s clothing. I kept out of the lights, stayed mainly in the back streets and the quiet alleys and avoided people. As I explored, I found the city was a small, overcrowded, jumbled maze of streets, alleys, and squares, confined by the city walls.
Despite the labyrinthine maze of narrow ways, I gradually got my bearings. My wanderings led me at last to the river. I sat down upon the bank, stared at the still, black water, thinking about my cousin Jack. Where was he now? He couldn’t possibly be as miserable as I was. I missed him badly. I wished I could talk to him about what I should do.
Running away would have been my preferred option, if only I’d had somewhere to run to. But the only place I knew was my home, and even that was to be let to strangers. I sighed. I was trapped here. I had an escape from my room, which was better than I’d hoped. But by day I was at the mercy of my father and aunt. I gritted my teeth. ‘I won’t let them get the better of me,’ I muttered. ‘I won’t submit to my father. I won’t let him marry me off. And I will punish him. I haven’t forgotten my vow to do so.’
I threw a stone into the dark water, by way of confirming my resolution. It fell with a dull splash. A breeze stirred, wafting the rancid scent of the river towards me. I longed for my country home, where the air and the streams were clean and fresh.
The memory of home stirred some half-forgotten words of my father’s in my mind. He’d brought me here … what had he said? Because I’d disgraced myself so that no one at home would marry me.
The implications of this dawned on me: to prevent any offers of marriage being made for me, I needed to disgrace myself publicly at the Bath. How hard could that be? Of course, I didn’t yet know exactly what kind of things would be considered most shocking here. But I could soon find out.
The dancing master arrived at six o’clock the next morning. He was short with thin legs and a weak chin. I disliked him on sight. He was ushered into the downstairs drawing room by the butler and bowed to me. I made an awkward curtsey in return. His eyes fixed on my feet for a painful moment. Raising his eyes to mine, he said: ‘You need to wear shoes , Mistress Williams, to learn to dance. Not … whatever those are.’ He indicated my footwear with a wave of one limp hand and an exaggerated shudder. I looked down at my flat, patched shoes, scuffed and dirty with climbing over roofs and walking about the city.
‘I don’t have
Similar Books
