as graceful as a drunken sailor, me loidy, you don’t needs ta push yer luck by snoopin’ around fer me.”
Lucy tried not to take offense at his words. But it was hard. Especially when Garrick obviously felt the same way.
“Tom, I can take care of myself. You needn’t worry. And now there’s Garrick to look after us. You’ll see. Things will be set to rights.”
Tom worried his bottom lip, then took a deep breath and said, “I’ ope so.”
“They will, you’ll see. Now, grab your things and head down to the carriage. I’ll meet you there.”
A current of excitement raced through her at the thought of seeing Garrick again, no matter that he didn’tseem to notice or care about her existence. She could
imagine
him taking notice. Her imagination was good. So much better than reality.
Tom’s face lit up.“Yer bringin’ the bird with ya?”
Lucy nodded vaguely. And she could imagine him kissing her, too, like he’d done yesterday, before she’d given him a foolish display of disgust by shoving him backward.
“Well, are ya?”
Lucy blinked, forcing herself to concentrate.“Er, of course. He goes everywhere with me, although Aunt Cornelia has insisted he ride with the servants.”
“Ah, Luce, why can’t he ride with us if I promise ta take care o’ him meself?”
“Because me aunt—” She rolled her eyes at the boy’s contagious form of speech.“Because
my
aunt says he can’t.”
Tom pouted.“That old battle ax is always gettin’ in the way o’ me fun.”
“Tom,” Lucy chided gently.“My aunt is not a battle ax. She is a very kind lady who is going out of her way to help you.”
Tom looked down at the floor, his expression turning contrite.“It’s just that I’ve been makin’ so much progress teaching Prinny new words. I thought it might be fun ta practice some more on the ride to London.”
“And drive us all crazy in the process,” Lucy muttered, before her eyes narrowed suspiciously.“And just what have you been teaching him?”
Tom stood up, then said jauntily, “Oh, this an’ that. You’ll sees.” With that he headed toward the door.
Lucy watched his retreating back, her eyes narrowing even further. Unfortunately, the only words Tom would likely teach her African Grey were the unsuitable kind, and Prinny
already
had a vocabulary totally unacceptable for a lady’s pet. That was why she liked him.
She shook her head, wondering when the little imp had sneaked into her room for Prinny’s “lessons,” and what she would do without Tom when he was gone. She’d miss him terribly, she admitted, a deep sadness settling in her bones.
That sadness only grew worse when she spied Garrick outside. When Tom was gone, so would Garrick be. Then it would be back to her normal humdrum life. There would be no more swashbuckling heroes. No more dreams of being kissed by a fair prince. It was back to plain, silly, frumpish Dear Harry. The end of her adventure.
And back to the man she knew she could never love, or marry.
6
They arrived at the outskirts of London as dusk fell, the sticky fog surrounding them as they rumbled over Westminster Bridge. A few streamers of light poked golden fingers through the brown-gray haze, periodically illuminating the interior of the coach.
Lady Cornelia’s town home was located on Arlington Street, near St. James Square, and as they drew nearer, Lucy felt her heart beat more rapidly. She’d been on edge for the duration of the trip, perhaps in response to Tom’s dire words earlier, but more probably because of the discouraging sight of Garrick on horseback when she’d stepped out of her aunt’s house that morning. She had no idea where he’d gotten the new horse, his other one having been buried that morning, but she’d been so depressed and hurt at his obvious attempt to avoid her company that she’d been tempted to tell him not to kill this one, too.
She hadn’t, of course. Instead she’d held her tongue, telling herself he didn’t
Lucy tried not to take offense at his words. But it was hard. Especially when Garrick obviously felt the same way.
“Tom, I can take care of myself. You needn’t worry. And now there’s Garrick to look after us. You’ll see. Things will be set to rights.”
Tom worried his bottom lip, then took a deep breath and said, “I’ ope so.”
“They will, you’ll see. Now, grab your things and head down to the carriage. I’ll meet you there.”
A current of excitement raced through her at the thought of seeing Garrick again, no matter that he didn’tseem to notice or care about her existence. She could
imagine
him taking notice. Her imagination was good. So much better than reality.
Tom’s face lit up.“Yer bringin’ the bird with ya?”
Lucy nodded vaguely. And she could imagine him kissing her, too, like he’d done yesterday, before she’d given him a foolish display of disgust by shoving him backward.
“Well, are ya?”
Lucy blinked, forcing herself to concentrate.“Er, of course. He goes everywhere with me, although Aunt Cornelia has insisted he ride with the servants.”
“Ah, Luce, why can’t he ride with us if I promise ta take care o’ him meself?”
“Because me aunt—” She rolled her eyes at the boy’s contagious form of speech.“Because
my
aunt says he can’t.”
Tom pouted.“That old battle ax is always gettin’ in the way o’ me fun.”
“Tom,” Lucy chided gently.“My aunt is not a battle ax. She is a very kind lady who is going out of her way to help you.”
Tom looked down at the floor, his expression turning contrite.“It’s just that I’ve been makin’ so much progress teaching Prinny new words. I thought it might be fun ta practice some more on the ride to London.”
“And drive us all crazy in the process,” Lucy muttered, before her eyes narrowed suspiciously.“And just what have you been teaching him?”
Tom stood up, then said jauntily, “Oh, this an’ that. You’ll sees.” With that he headed toward the door.
Lucy watched his retreating back, her eyes narrowing even further. Unfortunately, the only words Tom would likely teach her African Grey were the unsuitable kind, and Prinny
already
had a vocabulary totally unacceptable for a lady’s pet. That was why she liked him.
She shook her head, wondering when the little imp had sneaked into her room for Prinny’s “lessons,” and what she would do without Tom when he was gone. She’d miss him terribly, she admitted, a deep sadness settling in her bones.
That sadness only grew worse when she spied Garrick outside. When Tom was gone, so would Garrick be. Then it would be back to her normal humdrum life. There would be no more swashbuckling heroes. No more dreams of being kissed by a fair prince. It was back to plain, silly, frumpish Dear Harry. The end of her adventure.
And back to the man she knew she could never love, or marry.
6
They arrived at the outskirts of London as dusk fell, the sticky fog surrounding them as they rumbled over Westminster Bridge. A few streamers of light poked golden fingers through the brown-gray haze, periodically illuminating the interior of the coach.
Lady Cornelia’s town home was located on Arlington Street, near St. James Square, and as they drew nearer, Lucy felt her heart beat more rapidly. She’d been on edge for the duration of the trip, perhaps in response to Tom’s dire words earlier, but more probably because of the discouraging sight of Garrick on horseback when she’d stepped out of her aunt’s house that morning. She had no idea where he’d gotten the new horse, his other one having been buried that morning, but she’d been so depressed and hurt at his obvious attempt to avoid her company that she’d been tempted to tell him not to kill this one, too.
She hadn’t, of course. Instead she’d held her tongue, telling herself he didn’t
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