***
The next morning, Della rose early, full of resolve to write an entire chapter even if it killed her. She was going to finish the section on shops today.
Signing that contract had made everything seem real, and not just because it was a binding legal document with a lot of unnecessarily obtuse wording that she’d only understood half of.
Besides that, there was Lord Ashton to think of. A few weeks ago, he would’ve been all barbs and scorn to see her out of her depths, but yesterday he’d been so thoughtful about the contract. Kind, even. Della didn’t think she could bear it if she had to tell him she’d failed. Her heart had been pattering his name, right up until he’d cast her aside for some foolish idea of propriety.
What a disappointment.
The worst part was that sheknewhe was wrong, not only about her, but about himself. Lord Ashton had relished every minute of their too-brief time together. He’d brought her to climax effortlessly. He’d moaned and curled beneath her touch like a man in ecstasy.
Why deny them both such pleasure, unless he was the sort of person who only knew how to be miserable? And if so, why? Della wanted to argue with him until he saw reason, but her pride wouldn’t allow it.
If he didn’t want her, then she didn’t want him. That was the end of it.
Their agreed-upon deadline for a draft manuscript was now only four weeks away, however, and Della would be damned if she let Lord Ashton know she had nothing more to show for her efforts than an outline and some notes on the view from Waterloo Bridge that she couldn’t work into a proper text without a distinct feeling of regret.
Actually, the notes on the view were all she had to show. She’d lost the outline two days ago. Never mind. She remembered what most of it had said, and what she didn’t remember could still be found. It had to be somewhere in her desk, she was sure. Perhaps she should take everything out again? It might have been in that bottom drawer with her petit point…
You’re supposed to focus on writing your chapter today!
She could hunt down the outline later.
If she left straightaway, Della could use the next two hours to takean inventory of all the most fashionable places to spend one’s money; then she would come straight home to write up her findings withno distractions; and finally she would eat a quick bite and change into evening attire before she went to Bishop’s to supervise the rest of the night. She should have just enough time to manage it all. And once she did, she would set herself another goal for the next chapter, and so forth and so on, until she had an entire book.
She could do this. She only needed to be disciplined.
Della made it exactly as far as the landing when Annabelle found her.
“Where are you off to so early?” she asked, taking in her sister’s burgundy walking dress and matching gloves. “If you’re going to meet Lord Ashton, you have to bring me along.”
“I’m not, so I don’t.” Della tried not to wince at the mention of his name.
“Did Peter scare him off yesterday?”
“Quite the opposite. He invited him to dine with us and attend Mama’s rout the Friday after next, without so much as a by-your-leave from anyone, including Lord Ashton himself.” Della was fuming just thinking of it. Peter hadn’t even checked if she was free! What business did he have trying to steal her friends? Particularly when her relationship with the friend in question was so tenuous. “By the way, how did your tête-à-tête with Miss Greenwood go the other night? I was hurt you left without saying goodbye to me.”
“Because you wereembarrassingme,” Annabelle moaned.
“Just as you’ve been embarrassing me with Lord Ashton every week? You reap what you sow, my dear.” Della was not too mature to stick out her tongue at this juncture.
“You were worse,” Annabelle insisted. “Youtried to make me look foolish, whereasImerely enjoy watching you be foolish of your own volition. Anyway, where are you going?”
“To the shops, if you must know. For research for my book, not for buying things.”
“May I come?”
“No.”
“Don’t be mean.” Annabelle’s lower lip was dangerously close to a pout, her eyes imploring. “I want to buy a present for Eliza. She likes all those frilly ribbony trimmings that you wear, which you know I could never select for myself. Anyway, you can hardly go alone. We can help each other.”
Della let out a huge sigh to make it clear what an imposition this was, though she’d secretly decided to relent as soon as Miss Greenwood’s name was mentioned. If their romance had already reached the gift-giving stage, she was going to have to reassess the odds she’d staked on Annabelle’s failure. Things were getting interesting.
“IfI let you come, you must let me set the itinerary and promise not to delay my progress. I’m on a strict schedule.”
“You won’t regret it! Let me just fetch my bonnet and gloves.”
“And I wasn’t going alone,” Della called after her sister’s back as she raced up the stairs. “Reva Chatterjee is meeting me there, and I was planning to invite Jane and Hannah Williams on the way over.”
