“Nonsense!” Miss Watson interjected. “I was young once. And though it may not seem so now, I have seen my fair share of London. If you are shrewd, your past scandal will only serve to embellish your current triumph. You’ve come back from the ashes to claim a wealthy, handsome, titled man.”
“You’ve read too many novels,” Katherine replied.
Miss Watson squeezed her shoulders. “The gossips will eat you alive if you show any uncertainty.”
Katherine nodded slowly. Yes, she knew.
“Now, promise me you will show courage. I know you have it; I’ve seen it time and time again.”
“Very well.” Katherine’s tremulous smile filled with gratitude. “I promise.”
“I have seen the way he looks at you.” Miss Watson patted Katherine’s hand. “If you give the harpies no quarter, I am sure you will prevail.”
They embraced again, and Katherine took her leave. Outside the small cottage, she glanced up at the ominous sky. If she were lucky, she would make it home before being drenched. She started down the road toward the village with a determined stride.
Take London by storm, should she?
Perhaps she could.Shehadn’t changed, but her image of the ideal had. Wanting her flaws and all, Giles had set her free. He touched her as if she were the rarest blossom. He had made her feel valued and new. She’d been a disappointment to others, but not, miraculously, to him.
I see my future, he’d said. She saw her future in him, too. He exuded power and vigor, and together, perhaps, they could wrestle both their fates, and win.
Katherine tightened her coat against a sudden gust. One fat raindrop hit her cheek, rolling like a caress over her skin. Another followed, and then another, and suddenly she was standing in the center of a deluge.
Southford was more than a mile off. She exhaled in frustration and turned swiftly down the lane; she headed to the back entrance of The Pillar of Salt.
She swung the back door wide and then struggled to close it against the wind.
“Lady Katherine!” Lizzy grabbed the handle and helped her pull back the door. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, Lizzy,” Katherine said breathlessly, “might I stay in the kitchen until the worst passes? I promise I will not get in your way.”
“Busy night,” Lizzy said, with a glance toward the entrance to the taproom. She bit her lip and then, slowly, she smiled. “We can’t be sending you out in the rain, can we? Come upstairs. We’ve one room left. I’ll light a quick fire, and we’ll get you dry and warm.”
“Oh, thank you,” Katherine said with a swish of her damp overdress.
Lizzy grinned. “Thank me later.”
Chapter Nine
“Free and frolic we’ll couple gratis”—vulgar fun, these drinking songs—“thus we’ll show all the human race…” Bromton stretched his voice to hit the note. “That the best of the marriage state is…Blowzabella’s and Collin’s case!”
Like men surrounding the table on which he stood, Bromton celebrated the end of the song with a deep swig of gin.Ahhh. He cast his arms wide. Had he been bothered by something? He couldn’t quite recall. Blue ruin melted everything into cozy joll—jollity. He smiled at his tankard.
Nowthatwas good reason to cheer.
“Huzz—” He stopped mid-yell, interrupted by a fuzzy, feminine face scowling up at him.Scowl?Why would anyonescowl? Everything was fine. Justfiiiine.
“Enough, my lord,” the woman said. “It is time to get down off the table.”
“Aww, let ’em alone, Lizzy,” said Grizzly.
Bromton grinned at his new friend. But, wait. Grizzly was not his name. His name was Smitty…or Smithy…or, possibly even, Spitts. Then again, Hopkins sort of rang a bell as well. He shrugged. Salt of the earth, whomever the man was. BromtonlovedHopkins-Smitty-Smithy-Spitts.
“Your room is readied,” the grouchy woman said, punctuating her words with a surprisingly strong tug to his breeches.
Hold on a moment—he looked down at his leather riding breeches—one did nottuga marquess. Then again, he was not really a marquess, was he?
Persistently annoying, that realization, and, always intruding at precisely the wrong time.
