“I shall try to do so, sir.”
Ella poked out her tongue at her father, and the other occupants of the carriage laughed.
They drove into the square before the tea shop and parked. The door was opened, and they all stepped down.
The day was fine and the sky blue, so there were many carriages and horses about. People milled around, most eating treats from Gunter’s teashop, some seated at the tables outside. Waiters carried trays and appeared to be serving patrons in carriages. It was an extraordinary scene.
“Have you been here before, Miss Knight?” Mr. Michael Deville said.
“I have not, no.”
“Well, you are in for quite a treat.”
“And here are Gabriel and Dimity,” Mr. Howarth said.
Ruby watched the earl’s carriage stop beside theirs. He then stepped down, and turned to help his beautiful wife do the same.
“Lordy, I’m now in complete sympathy with heifers.” Lady Raine arched her back.
“Extremely beautiful heifers,” Lord Raine said.
“It’s my hope you don’t expect too many of these.” She rubbed her belly beneath the fabric of her pretty pink dress.
“Only the seven we discussed, my love.”
Much to Ruby’s shock, the Countess of Raine punched her husband hard in the shoulder.
“It gives me comfort to know that when I am not there to do that, you can, my dearest sister-in-law,” Mr. Zachariel Deville said.
“I second that,” Mr. Deville said.
They walked to the tea shop, which was a short distance away.
“Now would you look at that fool Blimley?” Mr. Zachariel Deville stopped. “He has two loves in life. Food and preaching.”
Ruby turned to see what he was looking at and found a large man standing on a wooden box.
“I am a god-fearing man as are my family, Miss Knight. But Mr. Blimley will whip out his Bible at the drop of a hat and read from it, loudly. Again, I have no problem with the Lord’s word, but I have no wish to be roared at whilst taking tea,” he added.
“In Genesis19, God destroysSodom and Gomorrah with a rain of fire and brimstone!” the man began, fist raised. His voice rang out.
Ruby shuddered. Her father had made them read each day and night for two hours from the Bible.
“Are you all right, Miss Knight?”
She managed a nod for Mr. Howarth. She was no longer living under that man’s roof, and hoped with everything inside her he never found her and Adam and took them home. She would fight him if he tried, with everything at her disposal.
“I don’t like that man yelling like that, Papa.” Ella moved closer to her father and leaned on his legs.
“He will not harm you, my sweet. He is merely reading from the Bible and wishes for us to hear.”
Ella didn’t look convinced, and Ruby couldn’t blame her.
“Look after Ella and Miss Knight, family.”
Ruby didn’t need looking after, but before she could state that fact, Mr. Howarth had walked away, up to the closest waiter carrying a tray laden with delicious-looking iced buns.
“Come to uncle, Ella.” Zach lifted the child into his arms, and they watched her father.
