“No note, and not so much as a penny piece left behind, neither,” the landlord said bitterly.“A few worthless bits and pieces, and a pile of female clothing—a young female at that!—and what am I supposed to do with them, I ask you?They won’t fit my missus, and Lord save me if she finds me tryin’ to sell ‘em down Petticoat Lane.Nasty suspicious mind my missus has.”He spat.“I ain’t never going to rent to a toff again—saving your presence, your honor.They always expect endless credit, and I can’t afford that.”
“Not all aristocrats are without honor,” Marcus told him coldly.“I will relieve you of the female clothing—and pay you handsomely.”He sent the maids and footman inside with orders to take anything that they thought might belong to Lady Hewitt; clothes, books, knick knacks—anything.
He waited downstairs, listening to the landlord’s complaints with a bored air.When his servants had finished packing up Tessa’s things and packed them into his coach, he pressed a couple of gold sovereigns into the man’s hand and left.
Chapter Seven
It was late afternoonwhen Tessa woke again, much refreshed.Her mind was clearer and the headache had gone—though she still ached at how her brother had betrayed her.Again.
She lay there, brooding about how both her father and her brother had used her—repeatedly—and how in her ignorance and her pathetic, needy belief that they loved her and wanted the best for her, she’d allowed it.The realization simmered like acid in her belly.
Never again.It was time to take control of her life.
She rang for Sutton to order a bath, but when the maid came in she was not alone.A small nut-brown dog with a white flag of a tail bounced in ahead of her, and perceiving Tessa, gave a happy yap and a mighty leap and scrambled onto her bed.
“Billy!”she exclaimed delightedly, laughing as the little dog wriggled and capered in an ecstatic reunion.
“So, he really is your dog,” Sutton commented, laughing at the little dog’s antics.“We did wonder.”
“Yes, but how did you know?And how did he come to be here?”She’d assumed he would have run off, back to his old life on the streets.Edgar wouldn’t have tolerated a dog in the house.
“The boy brought him, on Lord Alverleigh’s orders.”
“What boy?”
Sutton shrugged.“Joey, his name is.A street boy, I think, but his lordship’s taken him in for some reason.Oh, and his lordship said to tell you to keep the dog away from his aunt.She don’t like dogs.”She smiled.“Now, m’lady, what about that bath?You’ll want to prepare for meeting Lady Gosforth.His lordship’s had all your things brought here, so let me know what you’d like to wear.I’ll just have the bath and hot water brought up.”
Tessa cuddled her dog, so happy to see the little fellow again.Marcus had arranged it?And returned her belongings to her?How he had persuaded Edgar to let them go was a mystery, but she was grateful for it.
She slipped out of bed and looked into the wardrobe.Everything had been pressed and was tidily packed away: Sutton had been busy while she slept.
She recalled his comment as he left:You will wish to be properly attired when you meet my aunt.Something about the way he’d said it made her suspect his aunt might be somewhat of a high stickler.Most society ladies were, in her experience.Still, she wouldn’t be staying long.
After a long hot bath, she felt a lot better—almost ready for anything.She considered which of her dresses to wear to meet the aunt—Marcus had brought everything, even her favorite books and some of the little knick-knacks she’d had in her bedroom.So thoughtful of him—she wasn’t used to that.
Recalling that she was hoping for a recommendation from his aunt or one of her friends, she chose one of the dresses she’d altered to look plainer and more in keeping for a companion.
