turned and slammed into a young woman whose eyes shimmered with tears.
“Could you please help me?” She issued her plea directly to Katrina. “I think my reticule has been stolen.”
Damnation. Am I wearing a badge that signifies me as a bobby for bloody sakes? “Miss, I cannot help you. I have troubles of my own.” She made to turn away when the girl took hold of her arm.
“But you must help me! I’ll be in the gravest of trouble if you don’t!”
If anyone knew what it was like to need assistance and a friendly face it was Katrina. Before another thought could blossom, she took hold of the girl’s hand and yanked her through the breezeway, zigzagging around formerly attired attendants and out of the front door.
Katrina pulled her along to weave in between and around people, carriages and horse leavings.
“Where are we going?” the girl stammered from behind her.
Retrieving an answer from who knew where, Katrina replied, “Somewhere we can talk in private.”
“But I last had my reticule at the Frosts’—”
Katrina ignored the girl’s plea and hastened her steps, dragging the chit behind her. It was the girl’s own fault. Had she not insisted that Katrina help her, she’d still be at the Frosts’ ball, annoying someone else.
Just before they made the first turn heading south, Katrina slowed to take a peek behind them. A tall, brooding man, the very same one who’d found her walking this morning, was at least a block away, bounding towards them at a smart pace.
“Shite,” Katrina cursed under her breath. She turned and sped up their pace.
“I—I beg your pardon?” her new partner squeaked.
“You’d better move those feet of yours if you want my help.”
It was quite apparent that the girl wanted Katrina’s aid, for she practically ran ahead of her.
A couple of houses before the corner where she was to meet Jimmy, she ducked into a small yard, searching for a place where she and her new hanger-on could hide. Thankfully, the residence and yard were substantial and the brick pathway continued alongside the house, deep into the shadows.
“This way.” She pulled the girl along the side yard, their soft ball slippers like whispering taps upon the bricks amidst the swishing of satin skirts. They hurried past a precious set of heavy wrought-iron table and chairs painted white, which practically glowed against the darkness. Oh, to have the luxury of the occasion for a garden tea back in her life, Katrina mused briefly. They continued along the hedgerow speckled with tiny light-coloured flowers and passed a fountain adorned with cherubs. After turning on the path that led behind the house she stopped, peeked around the corner whence they’d come and waited, both of them panting like a couple of racehorses.
“Be extremely quiet for a few moments.” She barely got the words out when she saw the man run in and out of her view of the street.
Katrina heaved in a breath and let it out in utter relief. “Thank heavens.” He hadn’t seen them duck into the yard.
“What was so urgent that we had to flee?” the girl whispered to Katrina.
“I—” Katrina thought to appeal to her new friend’s feminine sensibilities. “I’m avoiding an unwanted encounter with a certain gentleman.”
“Oh my. From whom do you run?”
Katrina felt her cheeks heat in her embarrassment. “To be quite honest with you, I don’t actually know his name.”
“Ah. One of those . I understand completely. Had a couple in my day.”
Katrina took a closer look at the girl at her side and nearly laughed. A couple ? With her large, wide set eyes, sweet feminine voice and porcelain skin, there was no question as to why men would have found her attractive. However, she seemed extraordinarily youthful to have suffered too many situations. “You couldn’t be more than, what, nineteen or twenty?”
“Twenty-one this summer, but I assure you, before my brother, Maxwell, intervened and found me a suitable
“Could you please help me?” She issued her plea directly to Katrina. “I think my reticule has been stolen.”
Damnation. Am I wearing a badge that signifies me as a bobby for bloody sakes? “Miss, I cannot help you. I have troubles of my own.” She made to turn away when the girl took hold of her arm.
“But you must help me! I’ll be in the gravest of trouble if you don’t!”
If anyone knew what it was like to need assistance and a friendly face it was Katrina. Before another thought could blossom, she took hold of the girl’s hand and yanked her through the breezeway, zigzagging around formerly attired attendants and out of the front door.
Katrina pulled her along to weave in between and around people, carriages and horse leavings.
“Where are we going?” the girl stammered from behind her.
Retrieving an answer from who knew where, Katrina replied, “Somewhere we can talk in private.”
“But I last had my reticule at the Frosts’—”
Katrina ignored the girl’s plea and hastened her steps, dragging the chit behind her. It was the girl’s own fault. Had she not insisted that Katrina help her, she’d still be at the Frosts’ ball, annoying someone else.
Just before they made the first turn heading south, Katrina slowed to take a peek behind them. A tall, brooding man, the very same one who’d found her walking this morning, was at least a block away, bounding towards them at a smart pace.
“Shite,” Katrina cursed under her breath. She turned and sped up their pace.
“I—I beg your pardon?” her new partner squeaked.
“You’d better move those feet of yours if you want my help.”
It was quite apparent that the girl wanted Katrina’s aid, for she practically ran ahead of her.
A couple of houses before the corner where she was to meet Jimmy, she ducked into a small yard, searching for a place where she and her new hanger-on could hide. Thankfully, the residence and yard were substantial and the brick pathway continued alongside the house, deep into the shadows.
“This way.” She pulled the girl along the side yard, their soft ball slippers like whispering taps upon the bricks amidst the swishing of satin skirts. They hurried past a precious set of heavy wrought-iron table and chairs painted white, which practically glowed against the darkness. Oh, to have the luxury of the occasion for a garden tea back in her life, Katrina mused briefly. They continued along the hedgerow speckled with tiny light-coloured flowers and passed a fountain adorned with cherubs. After turning on the path that led behind the house she stopped, peeked around the corner whence they’d come and waited, both of them panting like a couple of racehorses.
“Be extremely quiet for a few moments.” She barely got the words out when she saw the man run in and out of her view of the street.
Katrina heaved in a breath and let it out in utter relief. “Thank heavens.” He hadn’t seen them duck into the yard.
“What was so urgent that we had to flee?” the girl whispered to Katrina.
“I—” Katrina thought to appeal to her new friend’s feminine sensibilities. “I’m avoiding an unwanted encounter with a certain gentleman.”
“Oh my. From whom do you run?”
Katrina felt her cheeks heat in her embarrassment. “To be quite honest with you, I don’t actually know his name.”
“Ah. One of those . I understand completely. Had a couple in my day.”
Katrina took a closer look at the girl at her side and nearly laughed. A couple ? With her large, wide set eyes, sweet feminine voice and porcelain skin, there was no question as to why men would have found her attractive. However, she seemed extraordinarily youthful to have suffered too many situations. “You couldn’t be more than, what, nineteen or twenty?”
“Twenty-one this summer, but I assure you, before my brother, Maxwell, intervened and found me a suitable
Similar Books
