ruefully that she was looking forward to it. For the moment, though, she was enjoying the luxury of being able to stretch out her weary limbs. Alex awoke early the next morning. Even had it not been her custom to rise at daybreak, the noise in the innyard would have made it impossible to sleep. She had never heard such a racket—ostlers shouting, horses stomping, and wagons and carriages lumbering in and out. She thought regretfully of the bird songs which usually awakened her at home and realized that it was going to be some time before she could enjoy such quiet again.
Still, all the activity and the prospect of the continued journey were exciting and Alex was more than ready for the breakfast the chambermaid brought up for her. She bolted it eagerly and hurried to the yard where Ned, having paid the shot, was waiting for her. "Good morning," she greeted him as she climbed into the carriage.
"And a good morning to you, my lord ," he greeted her carefully. Though Lady Alexandra looked the spitting image of her brother, her eager observant air and attention to those around her was all her own. It was going to be difficult to think of her as anything but his mistress, who commanded all 60
Lady Alex's Gamble
by Evelyn Richardson
the love and respect that he, Ned Brimblecombe, would never accord to that loose fish of a brother of hers. He climbed onto the box, grabbed the reins from the lad who had been holding them, and they were off, rattling through the streets of Cambridge past black-gowned students burdened under piles of books, laughing and teasing each other as they hurried off to meet with their masters.
Peering eagerly out of the carriage, Alex could not help thinking what a delightful life theirs looked to be with nothing to do but study and pass their time among scholars. How Alexander had detested university life and how she would have loved it! But there was no time for reflection. Soon the cloisters and colleges of the city were behind them and the gently rolling countryside surrounded them once more. It was again late in the day when they reached London at last. As they reached the crest of Highgate Hill, Alex could see the glow of the great city laid out below her. It seemed as though she had but a moment to catch her breath at the sight of the vast metropolis before they were immersed in a maze of streets that were filled with more shops and more people than she had ever imagined.
How Ned made his way through the press of traffic, she could not fathom, but at last they drew up in front of the Clarendon. It was an elegant hotel and a trifle dear. Alex, though willing to play the part of a riotous lord. had chosen it despite the expense because she was not ready for the rough and tumble of a place such as Limmer's, and she felt certain that someone of Alexander's stamp would be out of place among the clerical clientele at Ibbotson's. Besides, she was 61
Lady Alex's Gamble
by Evelyn Richardson
unsure of where she would be dining, and it seemed best to choose an hotel where she could procure a good meal, though news of the shocking price of the Clarendon's meals had even reached places as far away as Norfolk.
She was soon settled in the first style of luxury. The thought of the price did give her some pause, but there was nothing for it. One must incur some expense to make a fortune, she told herself. After all, no one is going to gamble high stakes against someone whose pockets do not appear to be well lined.
Having eaten a supper that fulfilled all the promise of the Clarendon's reputation for fine French cooking, Alex dispatched a note to her brother Anthony at the Guards'
quarters in Portman Square. She then fell into bed where, despite her exhaustion, she tossed uneasily, her mind too full of plans and too distracted by the unaccustomed noise outside to fall into the oblivion she so desperately needed. It was thus with great surprise that she was awakened by the clanking of andirons when the
Still, all the activity and the prospect of the continued journey were exciting and Alex was more than ready for the breakfast the chambermaid brought up for her. She bolted it eagerly and hurried to the yard where Ned, having paid the shot, was waiting for her. "Good morning," she greeted him as she climbed into the carriage.
"And a good morning to you, my lord ," he greeted her carefully. Though Lady Alexandra looked the spitting image of her brother, her eager observant air and attention to those around her was all her own. It was going to be difficult to think of her as anything but his mistress, who commanded all 60
Lady Alex's Gamble
by Evelyn Richardson
the love and respect that he, Ned Brimblecombe, would never accord to that loose fish of a brother of hers. He climbed onto the box, grabbed the reins from the lad who had been holding them, and they were off, rattling through the streets of Cambridge past black-gowned students burdened under piles of books, laughing and teasing each other as they hurried off to meet with their masters.
Peering eagerly out of the carriage, Alex could not help thinking what a delightful life theirs looked to be with nothing to do but study and pass their time among scholars. How Alexander had detested university life and how she would have loved it! But there was no time for reflection. Soon the cloisters and colleges of the city were behind them and the gently rolling countryside surrounded them once more. It was again late in the day when they reached London at last. As they reached the crest of Highgate Hill, Alex could see the glow of the great city laid out below her. It seemed as though she had but a moment to catch her breath at the sight of the vast metropolis before they were immersed in a maze of streets that were filled with more shops and more people than she had ever imagined.
How Ned made his way through the press of traffic, she could not fathom, but at last they drew up in front of the Clarendon. It was an elegant hotel and a trifle dear. Alex, though willing to play the part of a riotous lord. had chosen it despite the expense because she was not ready for the rough and tumble of a place such as Limmer's, and she felt certain that someone of Alexander's stamp would be out of place among the clerical clientele at Ibbotson's. Besides, she was 61
Lady Alex's Gamble
by Evelyn Richardson
unsure of where she would be dining, and it seemed best to choose an hotel where she could procure a good meal, though news of the shocking price of the Clarendon's meals had even reached places as far away as Norfolk.
She was soon settled in the first style of luxury. The thought of the price did give her some pause, but there was nothing for it. One must incur some expense to make a fortune, she told herself. After all, no one is going to gamble high stakes against someone whose pockets do not appear to be well lined.
Having eaten a supper that fulfilled all the promise of the Clarendon's reputation for fine French cooking, Alex dispatched a note to her brother Anthony at the Guards'
quarters in Portman Square. She then fell into bed where, despite her exhaustion, she tossed uneasily, her mind too full of plans and too distracted by the unaccustomed noise outside to fall into the oblivion she so desperately needed. It was thus with great surprise that she was awakened by the clanking of andirons when the
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