Read Online To Catch a Rake by Sally Orr - Free Book Online

your actions may reinforce society’s belief that the initials are Lily’s. She’d be wrongfully judged by the public. She was eighteen at the time of the first publication. Eighteen! If you do love her, how could you put her reputation in jeopardy like that?”
    He jumped to his feet, horror crossing his features. “I-I-I had not considered that.”
    Meta waited for a reply, but he just stood there. “Perhaps if this Mr. Drexel paid a call and explained the situation, you’d gain confidence that the scandal you believe might happen in the future can be avoided.”
    “If only that were true.” He shook his head, sighed, and collapsed onto his chair. “But I don’t see how.”
    “You must give Mr. Drexel a chance to explain the situation. Maybe there are facts we are unaware of, like only a few copies were printed.”
    “No, no, they were all laughing about it at my club, you understand.”
    “Please think of how happy you both will be together with this misunderstanding put behind you.”
    They exchanged heartfelt smiles.
    “Please give my idea a chance,” Meta said. “I will go and speak with him again. Maybe together, and with Mr. Drexel’s assistance, we can find a way to change society’s perception and find our way out of this unfortunate muddle.”
    * * *
    A day later, Meta sat in her carriage, her palms damp, all because she journeyed to the south side of the Thames to meet George Drexel again. This time she understood his attractiveness to females, so she should easily be able to steel herself from his charms or at the very least ignore her own response.
    Before she reached the Thames Tunnel site, she glanced out the window at the crowded streets and mulled over the best method to persuade him to visit James in person. She could plead, demand, attempt tears, ask kindly, or bribe. Perhaps, “Mr. Drexel, I must insist you consider the feelings of…” No, that plea would fail. Meta knew any mention of feelings would bring out the appearance of the bear. Then the angry beast would refuse to join her in convincing James that Lily’s name was not in the field guide or help devise a plan to counter the public’s erroneous perception, such as removing the initials from the book entirely. If he refused to join her, it would end her last hope to rob James of his excuse to call off his engagement. How about, “Mr. Drexel, since you are a gentleman…” No, she doubted that tactic would work either, since he impressed her as a man who might achieve a certain thrill from considering himself not a gentleman, a most perverse individual.
    She had plenty of time to formulate her request in a manner Mr. Drexel could not possibly refuse, since it took her over an hour to cross the Thames. This wait was not news to her, but it brought into focus the advantages of a low-cost tunnel to travel to the south side of the river.
    Once she reached the tunnel site in Rotherhithe, she observed a large, round brick pit, similar to the model she had observed in Mr. Drexel’s rooms. The spectacular iron-ringed pit impressed her immediately, since it was much larger than she had imagined. She watched sixty or so men hard at work: bricklayers, ironworkers, men hauling bags slung over their shoulders, and at least twenty men surrounding a structure that must be the twelve frames Mr. Drexel had described. The sounds of hammers, whistles, and shouts filled the air around them. Awed by the sight before her, and thankful that the day turned out to be a warm, sunny one, she stood and watched the workers for at least twenty minutes.
    During this time, she noticed Mr. Drexel amongst the gentlemen directing the men who levered one of the twelve frames of the great shield into place. She had failed to recognize him at first, because he dressed like one of the workmen. His sleeves were rolled up, his waistcoat unbuttoned, his hat removed, and his white shirt quite stained with soot.
    The first time she saw him standing in his drawing