Alicia by Laura Matthews Page A

not.”His clear brown eyes watched Alicia as she made the exchange and continued the wrapping. Whatever could have induced this young woman to purchase a shop, he wondered. Surely Sir Frederick could not have left her that badly off. “You did not choose to stay at the Grange?”he asked abruptly.
    Alicia raised snapping eyes to his. “I had no choice, though it can certainly be of no interest to you.”She noticed that she had discomfited the girl by her sharp response and turned to her to say with a smile, “Felicia did not tell me who won the race.”
    “I did,”Miss Helen replied proudly, “though Matthew’s horse stumbled.”
    “Well, that is fair enough. I think he must be older than you are.”
    “He is twelve and I am but turned ten.”
    “So old,”Alicia laughed. “Do you have your own horse?”
    “Oh, yes, Papa gave her to me on my eighth birthday. I hope you can see her one day. She has the most perfect manners,”Miss Helen confided.
    “I hope I shall. And I hope you will be happy with your bonnet,”Alicia said by way of farewell.
    Lord Stronbert turned to his daughter and said, “Run along and catch up Miss Carson, imp. I shall be along in a moment.”He watched her as she obediently danced out of the shop, a tender expression on his face. His own countenance had adopted a certain gravity when he spoke to Alicia. “I wish to apologize, Lady Coombs. It was rude of me to question you on your private life.”A slow smile spread over his features. “And I should not like to suffer Parker’s fate at your hands.”
    “Your friend was insulting, Lord Stronbert. But I am ashamed that I should have acted so violently.”Alicia could not share his obvious amusement. “I had hoped that in leaving the Scarborough area we might start fresh, but I suppose there will always be those Parkers around to see that it is not possible.”She did not meet his eyes during this comment but played instead with the wedding ring on her finger.
    “I pray you will acquit me of friendship with Mr. Parker. I am no more than the merest acquaintance,”he replied lightly. “May I wish you success in your venture, Lady Coombs?”
    Alicia raised her face then, a firm smile imprinted on it. “Thank you, sir. I hope we may continue to serve you.”
    “I am sure of it,”he drawled. “Though my mother is difficult to please, even she has found no substitute for Mr. Dean’s. Good day, Lady Coombs.”
    “Good day, Lord Stronbert.”He bowed to her gravely and walked off with a careless grace. Alicia sighed and moved over to Mr. Allerton. “I think we should discuss your wages, Mr. Allerton. Much more will be required of you under my management, I fear, and I should like to compensate you proportionately.”
    “Mr. Dean makes me a very handsome wage, Lady Coombs,”he replied, embarrassed.
    “It may have been adequate for what you have been doing, but my inexperience will lay a burden on you which I intend to recompense. And, Mr. Allerton, I had thought to keep Felicia out of the shop as much as possible. She is not used to this kind of life and will have matters enough to handle, I cannot doubt.”
    Alicia was beginning to feel the strain of her first day in the shop. “I think I should like to leave now, Mr. Allerton. You will not mind finishing alone and locking up, will you?”
    “Not at all, Lady Coombs. I do it often,”he reassured her.
    As she wandered down the street to the inn, Alicia was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she did not notice the gentleman approaching her. A firm hand on her elbow stayed her and she looked up, startled. There was no one she less wanted to see than Francis Tackar with his arrogant, cold brown eyes, his carefully tended curly brown hair, and his determined jaw. Although not much above her own height, he was powerfully built and the sight of him made her shiver. She struck his hand from her elbow and eyed him frigidly.
    “The elusive Lady Coombs comes to light and in the guise