smiled.
“ I could not leave you to
make it back to Mayfair on your own. It is far too
dangerous.”
This was a side of Lord Bentley she
had not seen. “Thank you.”
He clicked the reigns and pulled out
into the street. “Why don’t you have a maid with you?”
It was a reasonable question. A lady
wasn’t supposed to leave the house without one. “Because I have to
sneak away, if you must know.”
His head pivoted and an eyebrow shot
up. “Pardon?”
“ I learned early on that if
I made my destination known, my grandparents came up with a reason
for me to remain with them. They don’t feel it is necessary for me
to visit my family as often as I do. So, I leave when I have the
chance. A lady’s maid would alert them before I could be
gone.”
Lord Bentley chuckled. “While I admire
your ingenuity, it is dangerous for a lady to go about alone in
London.”
“ I do what I must,” Eleanor
bit out. She would not be censured. She didn’t care what risks she
took to see her family.
“ How is your
brother?”
“ Resting.” She glanced back
one more time to make sure Leigh or Mrs. Hartley were not coming
after her. “I hate to leave him.”
“ Is it serious?” The
concern in his voice was almost her undoing, but Eleanor held tight
to her emotions.
“ It seems to be a minor
case, but I will worry until he is on the mend.”
“ If you wish to stay with
him I can take you back and deliver a note to your
grandfather.”
Oh, if only that were possible. “I am
not allowed. Grandfather insists I attend functions and reside
under his roof. He would be furious, if you must know.”
“ If it is any consolation,
I’ve never liked your grandfather.”
Eleanor chuckled at the honesty.
“Neither do I. But, as he is my guardian, I am left with little
choice.”
“ If you wish, I can bring
you by tomorrow, so you can check on him.”
The kindness was her undoing and tears
sprang to her eyes. “I should have let them stay in the country.
Benjamin wouldn’t be sick if I had.”
“ Nonsense, Miss Westin. I
suspect you would have worried more, whether anyone became ill or
not.”
He spoke the truth. She would have
gone mad wondering how they were getting along without her. They’d
never gone a day without being with each other. She could not have
stood weeks of not being around them.
They arrived before her grandfather’s
townhouse. “About tomorrow—”
“ That is very kind of you,”
Eleanor stopped him before he could finish. “But I never know when
I can get away. Some days it is a near impossibility and others,
the visits are early morning or late in the afternoon. I would not
have you disturbing your schedule to accommodate my uncertain
one.”
He simply nodded and she was surprised
the disappointment that came over her. What did she expect? Lord
Bentley was far too busy to wait around until she was free. Yet, it
was very kind of him to ask.
“ Are you going out this
evening?”
“ Yes,” she answered,
dreading the night ahead. “We are expected at the Hamilton’s
ball.”
He smiled. “Then I shall see you
there.”
*
Eleanor closed her eyes and allowed
the cool breeze from the open windows to wash over her heated skin.
A headache was forming at the base of her skull, creeping up from
her neck and would soon spread throughout her head, or so she
feared. But, she couldn’t stand here with her eyes closed, wishing
everyone would go away, or that she could go home and be with Ben.
She would be at this event for a few more hours at least and she
would force herself through it.
Straightening she looked around at the
throng of people milling about between the dances. To her left, her
grandmother gossiped with her friends. To the right, a group of
gentlemen discussed the Health and Morals of Apprentices Act that
passed some ten years ago. While it was a good plan, there was
nothing in place to insure the employers followed the law.
Regardless, the topic was certainly more
“ I could not leave you to
make it back to Mayfair on your own. It is far too
dangerous.”
This was a side of Lord Bentley she
had not seen. “Thank you.”
He clicked the reigns and pulled out
into the street. “Why don’t you have a maid with you?”
It was a reasonable question. A lady
wasn’t supposed to leave the house without one. “Because I have to
sneak away, if you must know.”
His head pivoted and an eyebrow shot
up. “Pardon?”
“ I learned early on that if
I made my destination known, my grandparents came up with a reason
for me to remain with them. They don’t feel it is necessary for me
to visit my family as often as I do. So, I leave when I have the
chance. A lady’s maid would alert them before I could be
gone.”
Lord Bentley chuckled. “While I admire
your ingenuity, it is dangerous for a lady to go about alone in
London.”
“ I do what I must,” Eleanor
bit out. She would not be censured. She didn’t care what risks she
took to see her family.
“ How is your
brother?”
“ Resting.” She glanced back
one more time to make sure Leigh or Mrs. Hartley were not coming
after her. “I hate to leave him.”
“ Is it serious?” The
concern in his voice was almost her undoing, but Eleanor held tight
to her emotions.
“ It seems to be a minor
case, but I will worry until he is on the mend.”
“ If you wish to stay with
him I can take you back and deliver a note to your
grandfather.”
Oh, if only that were possible. “I am
not allowed. Grandfather insists I attend functions and reside
under his roof. He would be furious, if you must know.”
“ If it is any consolation,
I’ve never liked your grandfather.”
Eleanor chuckled at the honesty.
“Neither do I. But, as he is my guardian, I am left with little
choice.”
“ If you wish, I can bring
you by tomorrow, so you can check on him.”
The kindness was her undoing and tears
sprang to her eyes. “I should have let them stay in the country.
Benjamin wouldn’t be sick if I had.”
“ Nonsense, Miss Westin. I
suspect you would have worried more, whether anyone became ill or
not.”
He spoke the truth. She would have
gone mad wondering how they were getting along without her. They’d
never gone a day without being with each other. She could not have
stood weeks of not being around them.
They arrived before her grandfather’s
townhouse. “About tomorrow—”
“ That is very kind of you,”
Eleanor stopped him before he could finish. “But I never know when
I can get away. Some days it is a near impossibility and others,
the visits are early morning or late in the afternoon. I would not
have you disturbing your schedule to accommodate my uncertain
one.”
He simply nodded and she was surprised
the disappointment that came over her. What did she expect? Lord
Bentley was far too busy to wait around until she was free. Yet, it
was very kind of him to ask.
“ Are you going out this
evening?”
“ Yes,” she answered,
dreading the night ahead. “We are expected at the Hamilton’s
ball.”
He smiled. “Then I shall see you
there.”
*
Eleanor closed her eyes and allowed
the cool breeze from the open windows to wash over her heated skin.
A headache was forming at the base of her skull, creeping up from
her neck and would soon spread throughout her head, or so she
feared. But, she couldn’t stand here with her eyes closed, wishing
everyone would go away, or that she could go home and be with Ben.
She would be at this event for a few more hours at least and she
would force herself through it.
Straightening she looked around at the
throng of people milling about between the dances. To her left, her
grandmother gossiped with her friends. To the right, a group of
gentlemen discussed the Health and Morals of Apprentices Act that
passed some ten years ago. While it was a good plan, there was
nothing in place to insure the employers followed the law.
Regardless, the topic was certainly more
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