‘Bah!’ Imogen sniffed impatiently. ‘Just pass me that there bottle of pills from the mantelshelf and leave me in peace. I’ve decided to have an idle day so you might as well have it off. Go out and get some fresh air. It’s not right that a young woman like you should be stuck in with an old biddy like me day after day. You need to make some friends of your own age. And I dare say you should be going home to see how your mother’s getting on as well soon.’
‘Very well, I’ll just take this gown you wore yesterday down to the laundry room and then I will go out for a while if you’re sure you don’t mind? But if you do need anything be sure to ring for Aggie, won’t you?’
‘Oh, stop fussing, girl,’ Imogen retorted irritably. ‘You’re like an old mother hen. Now get off with you and leave me in peace.’
Left with little choice, Emmy handed her aunt her pills and lifting the gown she left the room and almost collided with Aggie who was just passing the door.
‘Ah, Aggie, you’re just the one I wanted to see.’ Emmy glanced at her aunt’s bedroom door and lowering her voice to little more than a whisper she went on, ‘I don’t think Aunt Imogen is very well today, although she’d die rather than admit it, of course. I’m just going to wash this gown and get it hung out to dry and then she’s given me the whole day off, but you will keep an eye on her, won’t you?’
‘Here give me that.’ Aggie’s plain little face broke into a smile as she took the gown from her. ‘I’ll launder that for yer. You go an’ get yerself ready an’ go an’ enjoy yerself. It’s a really lovely day.’
‘Are you sure?’ Emmy gave her a grateful smile. ‘I think I might go into the city centre and do a bit of window-shopping then have a café lunch somewhere.’
‘Don’t blame yer,’ Aggie answered good-naturedly. ‘See yer later.’ And with that she was off down the stairs as Emmy went to her room to fetch her bonnet.
An hour later she was strolling along Oxford Street enjoying the window displays and wishing that Jake could be there with her. Apart from her Sunday outings with him she hadn’t ventured too far from her aunt’s house and she felt quite strange being there all alone. Suddenly she heard someone call her name and turning she saw Jasper and another young man hurrying towards her.
‘Jasper.’ She smiled at him as he drew close. ‘I didn’t realise you were still in London. I thought you would have gone home by now.’
He shook his head, ignoring her hand and leaning in to kiss her cheek in a very familiar way, making her blush. ‘No, I’ve told Mother and Father I shall be staying here for the summer. They’re not too happy with the idea, mind. Toby here is kindly putting me up. Toby, this is my cousin Emerald. You’ve met her sister Abigail at the club. Emerald this is Tobias Bisset.’
His friend bowed courteously from the waist and Emmy inclined her head towards him.
‘Where are you off to then?’ Jasper enquired when the introductions were out of the way.
Emmy had to think quickly. The last thing she wanted was to have Jasper hanging on to her skirts so she chose to tell a white lie. ‘I’ve come into town to get some things for our aunt,’ she said, crossing her fingers behind her back.
He pouted like a spoilt child. ‘Does that mean that you have to rush back?’
‘I’m afraid it does.’ She kept her fingers tightly crossed. ‘And I’m in rather a hurry so I shall have to get on, but it was nice to see you.’
‘I was hoping to take you to lunch. I’m sure you could find something to do to entertain yourself, couldn’t you, Toby?’ he said pointedly, turning his attention to the young man at his side.
His friend nodded. ‘Of course I could, old chap.’ He didn’t blame Jasper at all for wanting to spend some time with this young woman. She was very attractive, although not quite as beautiful as her sister.
‘That would have been very nice, but as I explained I really do have to get on.’ She gave a little curtsey and hurried on, not daring to look back until she had gone some way.
Thankfully there was no sign of Jasper or Toby when she did and feeling like she’d had a lucky escape she turned into a side street and went where it led her. Soon she found herself in a labyrinth of narrow streets that led off into courtyards where grubby, undernourished children played in the gutters. Lifting her skirts, she quickened her steps, painfully aware of how closely they were watching her. She realised how out of place she must look to them in her fine gown and bonnet when most of them didn’t even have shoes on their feet, and now she longed to come to a main road again. She could only begin to imagine how horrified her mother would be if she could see her now. At home, unless it was to go for a leisurely walk about the village or in the countryside, she hadn’t even been allowed into the town without a chaperone. The thought brought a smile to her face, just as she emerged gratefully on to yet another busy road. This one she saw was dotted with clubs with lewd pictures of girls outside, some of them in a semi-undressed state. Blushing she hurried by as she realised that she must now be in the notorious Soho. The question was, how did she get back to the centre? It was lunchtime by now and as she paused to think what to do for the best, her heart suddenly skipped a beat as she saw a handsome-looking couple walking towards her. They were arm in arm and totally absorbed in one another but as they drew closer, she gasped with delight. She had thought the young woman looked familiar and now she saw that it was her sister. She let out a cry as she lifted her skirts in a most unladylike manner and began to race towards her.
‘Abi .?.?. Abigail!’
The girl looked up and when she saw her sister bearing down on her a mixture of emotions crossed her pretty face. Of course, she was happy to see her, but not if it meant losing precious time with Hugo.
‘Oh, Abi, I’msoglad I’ve found you. I’ve beensoworried about you,’ Emmy cried as she drew close enough, and quite forgetting her manners, she flung her arms about the girl.
Nonplussed, the young man released his hold on her and stepped aside as Abi weakly returned the hug and forced a false smile to her face.
‘I don’t know why, I’ve been perfectly all right and I’m quite capable of taking care of myself,’ she told Emmy churlishly. ‘I’m not a child any more, you know?’
‘No, of course you aren’t,’ Emmy agreed quickly. ‘But it was just not knowing where you were that worried us all.’ It was then that she remembered the young man at Abi’s side and turning to him she apologised, ‘I’m so sorry for interrupting.’
He bowed his head as Abi reluctantly told her, ‘Emmy, this is .?.?. my friend, Hugo.’
‘How do you do.’ Abi gave a little curtsy and again he inclined his head.
‘And, Hugo, this is my sister, Emerald.’
‘A pleasure, I’m sure.’ Raising her hand, he kissed the back of it lightly and Emmy felt a shiver run up her spine as he lifted his head to give her an arrogant smile. The young man was clearly upper class, immaculately dressed and quite handsome but Emmy took an instant dislike to him for no reason that she could explain.
