join Charles.”
Seeing her slightly perturbed expression, he cast her a sheepish look.
“Never fear, Lavinia, I have learned my lesson. No gaming I promise. Did you see Hoare?”
Her voice slightly muffled, Lavinia replied, “Yes. Fortunately there was more than sufficient to cover your debts. I have instructed Mr. Hoare to send a draft off on your behalf.” As she spoke these words, she could not look her brother in the face, and truth to tell, what with her headache, and Lady Elizabeth’s expostulations on her folly, and her own acknowledgement of the truth of that lady’s comments, she was feeling too low to care whether Richard accompanied them or not.
At length, the ladies settled in the carriage, they were soon on their way. Lavinia could derive no enjoyment from the wearing of a gown that until that moment had filled her
with delight. Indeed, so wretched did she feel, that had someone waved a wand and transported her back to her grandmother’s dank palaccio, she would have gone down on her knees and thanked them. Fortunately it was dark inside the coach and hid her expression from Lady Elizabeth’s sharp eyes. The occasional fitful light from the flambeaux outside the houses illuminated the interior and cast lurid shadows, making Lady Elizabeth’s diamonds glitter in a most satisfactory manner. She pulled her cloak round her firmly, tucking her feet inside the warm fur footmuff. “Why on earth must Lady Fitzallen choose to live out here?” she grumbled. “‘Tis vastly inconvenient. I swear this ride has shaken me quite to pieces.”
Lavinia sat still and said nothing. The coach began to pick up speed as they left the city streets behind and started to cross the open common. She closed her eyes and immediately wished she had not, for straightaway rose before her eyes the image of a saturnine mocking face. She shivered a little, causing Lady Elizabeth to lean forward anxiously, “Lavinia …”
Before she could say anything more, the sound of a pistol shot outside brought both ladies to the edge of their seats. The carriage swerved and jerked to a halt, flinging Lady Elizabeth asprawl across Lavinia’s lap. As she righted herself, putting anxious hands to her head, they could hear muffled oaths, high pitched whinnying from the horses, and the sounds of activity near the coach.
Lady Elizabeth looked at Lavinia in consternation. “˜There,” she moaned. “I knew it was foolish to come this far out of town at night. These wretched highwaymen. I fear we have been held up and the postilion with nothing but an old blunderbuss. “
The sounds outside drew nearer. The ladies exchanged nervous glances, their horrified eyes fixed on the door, which was slowly opening. Lady Elizabeth all atremble, fiddled with the clasp of her diamonds. “Quickly, child, take off your emeralds,” she urged. “Give them to the odious wretch. Oh ‘tis monstrous, to arrive at the rout without so much as an earring between us.”
Lavinia, trying to conceal her agitation, watched breathlessly as the shape of a man loomed up in the open door. “Forgive me for discommoding you, ladies.”
Lavinia’s eyes flew straightaway to the man’s face, which was hidden by the hat he was wearing pulled low over his forehead, and the scarf he had round his mouth. He was dressed entirely in black, from his tricorn to the elegantly booted feet, one of which rested on the floor of the carriage. Lavinia’s heart gave a frightened bound. She surely recognised that lazily drawling voice. He leaned towards Lavinia. a pistol held menacingly in one hand, aware of her fear and acknowledging it with a mocking inclination of his head.
“Do not fear, Lady Elizabeth, I do not want your diamonds. You may rest assured on that point at least,” he assured the shrinking woman, who was far too shocked to wonder at the strangeness of the highwayman knowing her name.
“Not want them,” she managed to murmur feebly. “Why they cost my poor Cedric
Seeing her slightly perturbed expression, he cast her a sheepish look.
“Never fear, Lavinia, I have learned my lesson. No gaming I promise. Did you see Hoare?”
Her voice slightly muffled, Lavinia replied, “Yes. Fortunately there was more than sufficient to cover your debts. I have instructed Mr. Hoare to send a draft off on your behalf.” As she spoke these words, she could not look her brother in the face, and truth to tell, what with her headache, and Lady Elizabeth’s expostulations on her folly, and her own acknowledgement of the truth of that lady’s comments, she was feeling too low to care whether Richard accompanied them or not.
At length, the ladies settled in the carriage, they were soon on their way. Lavinia could derive no enjoyment from the wearing of a gown that until that moment had filled her
with delight. Indeed, so wretched did she feel, that had someone waved a wand and transported her back to her grandmother’s dank palaccio, she would have gone down on her knees and thanked them. Fortunately it was dark inside the coach and hid her expression from Lady Elizabeth’s sharp eyes. The occasional fitful light from the flambeaux outside the houses illuminated the interior and cast lurid shadows, making Lady Elizabeth’s diamonds glitter in a most satisfactory manner. She pulled her cloak round her firmly, tucking her feet inside the warm fur footmuff. “Why on earth must Lady Fitzallen choose to live out here?” she grumbled. “‘Tis vastly inconvenient. I swear this ride has shaken me quite to pieces.”
Lavinia sat still and said nothing. The coach began to pick up speed as they left the city streets behind and started to cross the open common. She closed her eyes and immediately wished she had not, for straightaway rose before her eyes the image of a saturnine mocking face. She shivered a little, causing Lady Elizabeth to lean forward anxiously, “Lavinia …”
Before she could say anything more, the sound of a pistol shot outside brought both ladies to the edge of their seats. The carriage swerved and jerked to a halt, flinging Lady Elizabeth asprawl across Lavinia’s lap. As she righted herself, putting anxious hands to her head, they could hear muffled oaths, high pitched whinnying from the horses, and the sounds of activity near the coach.
Lady Elizabeth looked at Lavinia in consternation. “˜There,” she moaned. “I knew it was foolish to come this far out of town at night. These wretched highwaymen. I fear we have been held up and the postilion with nothing but an old blunderbuss. “
The sounds outside drew nearer. The ladies exchanged nervous glances, their horrified eyes fixed on the door, which was slowly opening. Lady Elizabeth all atremble, fiddled with the clasp of her diamonds. “Quickly, child, take off your emeralds,” she urged. “Give them to the odious wretch. Oh ‘tis monstrous, to arrive at the rout without so much as an earring between us.”
Lavinia, trying to conceal her agitation, watched breathlessly as the shape of a man loomed up in the open door. “Forgive me for discommoding you, ladies.”
Lavinia’s eyes flew straightaway to the man’s face, which was hidden by the hat he was wearing pulled low over his forehead, and the scarf he had round his mouth. He was dressed entirely in black, from his tricorn to the elegantly booted feet, one of which rested on the floor of the carriage. Lavinia’s heart gave a frightened bound. She surely recognised that lazily drawling voice. He leaned towards Lavinia. a pistol held menacingly in one hand, aware of her fear and acknowledging it with a mocking inclination of his head.
“Do not fear, Lady Elizabeth, I do not want your diamonds. You may rest assured on that point at least,” he assured the shrinking woman, who was far too shocked to wonder at the strangeness of the highwayman knowing her name.
“Not want them,” she managed to murmur feebly. “Why they cost my poor Cedric
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