Lady.
Will crumpled the scrap in his fist, tossing it into the river. There were many ladies in Ireland who thought to aid the United Irish and their allies, the Defenders, by hosting salons where sedition was the conversation of the day. By controlling gossip and rumor and by passing messages. But those words seemed to have one specific lady's stamp. And if he realized that, so would others.
"Oh, Eliza," he muttered. "My dear girl. What must I do to stop you once and for all?"
Chapter 4
You're very quiet today, Eliza," Anna said, spreading marmalade on her breakfast toast
Eliza gave her a weak smile. How could she tell her sister she had not slept at all last night, because first she hid a fugitive in the cellar, and then she kissed her childhood love until she collapsed with foolish lust? Just remembering it made her feel faintly uneasy as she watched Anna attack her meal with gusto.
"I'm a bit tired, I confess," Eliza said. She reached for the teapot, hoping the Indian brew would soothe her stomach. "Perhaps that is because someone kept me at the assembly rooms all hours "
"Oh, pooh!" Anna protested, licking a drop of sticky marmalade from her finger. "We left before the party even started"
"It was after two in the morning!"
"You sound like Mama. What is the use of living in Dublin if one can't fully enjoy its delicious diversions? One might as well be buried at Killinan, a fate you seem determined to consign me to."
Eliza sipped at her tea, remembering how frantic and frightened everyone seemed of late. How uncertainty hung in the air like the sword of Damocles. "You will be safer there."
Anna frowned, her pretty face suddenly solemn. "Is something really going to happen here, Eliza? Just like they say?"
"Like who says?"
"Just. . . everyone. Lord Morely was telling me last night that there's a plot to burn the city and all the great houses nearby. That we'll all be murdered in our beds."
"Morely is a great fool, and he must have been a drunk one to tell such tales to impressionable young ladies."
"Impressionable, stupid young women who read too many horrid novels, you mean?" Anna said in a strained voice.
"My dear, you are certainly not stupid," Eliza protested. And, indeed, her sister was not But she was sensitive and romantic. "Far from it It just seems that everyone has forgotten any rules of civility of late, and reactionaries like Morely are the worst."
"He was foxed, to be sure," Anna said. "Everyone was last night, I think. Yet I don't remember you being so mightily concerned with civility, Eliza."
"What do you mean?" Eliza asked stiffly, pouring out more tea.
"Back home at Killinan, before you married Mount Clare, you used to ride hell-for-leather all over the county. Traipsing through mud, drinking ale in tenants' cottages— Mama was in despair over you."
Eliza had to laugh. "Poor Mama! She did try so hard with me, disgrace that I was."
"And you became a countess!"
"I became a countess," Eliza murmured. She stirred idly at her tea, remembering those lovely days of running free, listening to tales of old gods and goddesses and great Irish heroes by crofters' peat fires.
Kissing Will Denton in the woods.
"Well," said Anna, "I don't think we should stay trapped in here, no matter if rebels are waiting to pike us in the streets. The sun is out for once, and we need fresh air. Shall we walk on St. Stephen's Green? Maybe do a bit of shopping?"
Eliza bit her lip. It did sound tempting, a breath of air to clear her head after last night But she had work to do, a pamphlet she had promised to finish writing. She had to start it all over again now, thanks to her carelessness with Will "I am not sure that is such a good idea, Anna. There is so much to do...."
"Oh, come now!" Anna cried, jumping up from her chair to run around the table and grab Eliza's hand. "Whatever there is to do can wait. The sun will certainly not last, and if I must go back to Killinan, I want to enjoy every moment in
Will crumpled the scrap in his fist, tossing it into the river. There were many ladies in Ireland who thought to aid the United Irish and their allies, the Defenders, by hosting salons where sedition was the conversation of the day. By controlling gossip and rumor and by passing messages. But those words seemed to have one specific lady's stamp. And if he realized that, so would others.
"Oh, Eliza," he muttered. "My dear girl. What must I do to stop you once and for all?"
Chapter 4
You're very quiet today, Eliza," Anna said, spreading marmalade on her breakfast toast
Eliza gave her a weak smile. How could she tell her sister she had not slept at all last night, because first she hid a fugitive in the cellar, and then she kissed her childhood love until she collapsed with foolish lust? Just remembering it made her feel faintly uneasy as she watched Anna attack her meal with gusto.
"I'm a bit tired, I confess," Eliza said. She reached for the teapot, hoping the Indian brew would soothe her stomach. "Perhaps that is because someone kept me at the assembly rooms all hours "
"Oh, pooh!" Anna protested, licking a drop of sticky marmalade from her finger. "We left before the party even started"
"It was after two in the morning!"
"You sound like Mama. What is the use of living in Dublin if one can't fully enjoy its delicious diversions? One might as well be buried at Killinan, a fate you seem determined to consign me to."
Eliza sipped at her tea, remembering how frantic and frightened everyone seemed of late. How uncertainty hung in the air like the sword of Damocles. "You will be safer there."
Anna frowned, her pretty face suddenly solemn. "Is something really going to happen here, Eliza? Just like they say?"
"Like who says?"
"Just. . . everyone. Lord Morely was telling me last night that there's a plot to burn the city and all the great houses nearby. That we'll all be murdered in our beds."
"Morely is a great fool, and he must have been a drunk one to tell such tales to impressionable young ladies."
"Impressionable, stupid young women who read too many horrid novels, you mean?" Anna said in a strained voice.
"My dear, you are certainly not stupid," Eliza protested. And, indeed, her sister was not But she was sensitive and romantic. "Far from it It just seems that everyone has forgotten any rules of civility of late, and reactionaries like Morely are the worst."
"He was foxed, to be sure," Anna said. "Everyone was last night, I think. Yet I don't remember you being so mightily concerned with civility, Eliza."
"What do you mean?" Eliza asked stiffly, pouring out more tea.
"Back home at Killinan, before you married Mount Clare, you used to ride hell-for-leather all over the county. Traipsing through mud, drinking ale in tenants' cottages— Mama was in despair over you."
Eliza had to laugh. "Poor Mama! She did try so hard with me, disgrace that I was."
"And you became a countess!"
"I became a countess," Eliza murmured. She stirred idly at her tea, remembering those lovely days of running free, listening to tales of old gods and goddesses and great Irish heroes by crofters' peat fires.
Kissing Will Denton in the woods.
"Well," said Anna, "I don't think we should stay trapped in here, no matter if rebels are waiting to pike us in the streets. The sun is out for once, and we need fresh air. Shall we walk on St. Stephen's Green? Maybe do a bit of shopping?"
Eliza bit her lip. It did sound tempting, a breath of air to clear her head after last night But she had work to do, a pamphlet she had promised to finish writing. She had to start it all over again now, thanks to her carelessness with Will "I am not sure that is such a good idea, Anna. There is so much to do...."
"Oh, come now!" Anna cried, jumping up from her chair to run around the table and grab Eliza's hand. "Whatever there is to do can wait. The sun will certainly not last, and if I must go back to Killinan, I want to enjoy every moment in
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