‘So, this is your little cousin, is it?’ The man took her hand and bowing over it he gallantly kissed it, sending shivers up her spine. He was at least a head taller than Jasper with thick fair hair that had a tendency to curl and his eyes were the most remarkable shade of blue she had ever seen, reminding her of the bluebells in the woods back home. His voice was well modulated and his clothes impeccable and she knew instantly that this was a young man of class.
‘Yes, this is the one.’
Jasper’s voice seemed to be coming from a long way away as Abi tore her eyes away from the stranger’s and looked back at him with her heart racing.
‘Abigail, this is my dear friend, Lord Hugo Medville.’
‘I-I’m delighted to meet you, sir.’ Abi curtsied in a billow of ivory satin as he held on to her hand.
‘And the feeling is mutual, I assure you,’ he answered, tucking her small hand into the crook of his arm. Then glancing towards Jasper, he told him, ‘I shall entertain your cousin while you and the rest of the chaps go and have a game of cards.’
He was clearly a young man who was used to getting his own way and without even asking permission he led Abi to a table in the furthest corner and snapped his fingers for a waitress. One appeared at his elbow almost immediately and he told her, ‘A bottle of your finest champagne.’
‘Yes, sir. Right away, sir.’ The little waitress bobbed her knee and scurried away as Abi sat staring at him as if she were in a trance. For one of the very rare occasions in her life she was utterly speechless.
‘So Jasper tells me you’ve only recently started to work here?’
Wetting her lips Abi said throatily, ‘Yes .?.?. yes I have.’
‘And do you like it?’
She shrugged as he eyed her cleavage unashamedly. She was a very tasty little piece, there was no doubt about it. Jasper hadn’t mentioned how pretty she was and she had come as a pleasant surprise. He wanted her more than any other young woman he had set eyes on for a very long time, and what Lord Hugo wanted he usually got.
‘It’s all right,’ she forced herself to say. ‘Although the unsociable hours can be very tiring and some of the men can be .?.?. shall we say – less than gentlemen?’
He knew then that he would have to take his time wooing this one into bed. She was a cut above the girls he usually took his fun with, but she was so pretty that he was prepared to wait – as long as it didn’t take too long!
The waitress returned with the bottle of champagne in an ice bucket and shooing her away, Hugo popped the cork and poured their drinks into the crystal glasses provided.
‘To us! I have a feeling we are going to see a lot more of each other in future. At least – I hope we are.’
Abi was so enamoured of him that she took a great gulp of her drink without even thinking about it. Normally she would make one glass last all night but Hugo made her feel reckless and suddenly she didn’t care.
The noise Jasper and his friends were making at the card tables echoed down the club to them, but Abi hardly heard them; she was too busy staring into the eyes of this beautiful man.Could this be love at first sight?she wondered. She had read about it in novels but never having loved before she had no way of knowing. Whatever the feeling was she was ready to embrace it. She just wanted the night to go on forever with him gazing across the table at her with those incredible blue eyes. Occasionally their hands would brush together on the table and her heart would start its loud beating again, making her glad of the piano music, which masked the sound.
Eventually Hugo began to ask her about her life and she poured her heart out to him as he listened avidly. There was nothing she wouldn’t have told him.
‘And what about you?’ she asked in a shy voice eventually. ‘Are you really a lord?’
He chuckled as he swiped a lock of heavy blonde hair back from his forehead. ‘I am indeed. I’m staying with my parents in their London home at present but they also have a large estate in Essex. But let’s not talk about that. Could I possibly take you out for a meal one evening?’
Abi looked crestfallen as she shook her head. ‘I’d love to but I’m afraid I work every night apart from Sunday and most of the restaurants are shut then.’
‘Then how about I take you out for lunch?’
Her eyes glowed as if a light had been turned on within her. ‘Thank you .?.?. that would be very nice indeed.’
At that moment Maria passed the table and as she glanced towards Abi and saw the way she was staring all starry-eyed at the handsome young man sitting beside her, she felt sorry for her. Abi may like to make out that she was worldly but Maria had soon discovered that she was, in fact, an innocent, as pure as the day she had been born.
But I bet she won’t be for much longer, Maria thought sadly as she hurried by on her way to her next customer.
Chapter Nineteen
To her surprise, when Emmy told her aunt later that day about her mother’s letter and that Abi had run away from home, her aunt merely smiled.
‘And what are you so worried about?’ she questioned her as she sipped at her customary glass of sherry following dinner. ‘I did just the same when I was about her age and things turned out all right for me, didn’t they? From what you’ve told me, Abigail is a very pretty girl so she won’t go hungry.’
‘But she isn’t seventeen years old yet.’ Emmy couldn’t help but worry despite her aunt’s assurances. ‘And we don’t even have an address to contact her.’
