“There’s also the piano,” Athena suggested. “Nobody plays it.”
He wondered why he’d not thought of that heavy piece of furniture himself. Its only use was gathering dust. But he supposed he’d been of the opinion that music rooms had their place in upper class homes, even if none of the family had any musical talent. It was all part of the show. His stance on that, however, was swiftly changing.
Mathis returned with tea, which was quickly poured and offered to Anthony. The sip he took was remarkably soothing. Just the thing to make a man feel like he might soon recover.
He thanked his butler, who left, and gave his attention back to his sister. “I’ve been contemplating my future.”
Her face paled. “You’re not that badly hurt, surely? I mean, you will recover from this, I assume.”
Anthony grinned, despite feeling like his entire foot had been turned in the wrong direction. “One can only hope, Athena, but I would imagine so.”
“Oh good.” She looked visibly relieved.
Eyeing her, he drank some more tea. “I was referring to long-term plans.”
“I’m not sure I follow.”
He wondered how best to proceed and decided to just spit it out. “I’ve met a woman – the loveliest lady in all of creation. After getting to know her better, I’ve considered asking her to be my wife.”
Athena clapped her hands and bounced in her seat. “That’s wonderful news. Oh, Anthony, I can’t wait to meet her. I’m sure Penny will agree.”
Anthony hoped so, because Athena’s sister, born ten minutes earlier than she, was known to be far more critical than her siblings.
14
Ada could not stop grinning. The memory of last night’s ball and what it had led to left her with a giddy sensation. Anthony had kissed her, and what an incredible kiss it had been. She sat at her work desk with Emily’s order packed and ready for delivery.
Chin propped on one hand, she stared at the wall while recalling her evening walk with Anthony. He’d been lovely – both charming and considerate. He hadn’t rushed her. If anything, he’d made sure she welcomed his advances. And he’d told her he’d call on her today.
She could scarcely wait for him to do so and kept hoping she’d hear the bell ring once more. It had chimed a few times already, though not to announce Anthony’s arrival. Which probably shouldn’t surprise her. He would have arrived home late last night after dropping her off, so he probably wouldn’t be by in the morning.
“Is Lady Emily’s order ready?” Uncle James asked when he popped into the room a bit later. “If so, I thought I’d take a quick run. It will give me a chance to deposit last week’s earnings with the bank.”
“All right. I’ve got the books right here but it’s quite a lot for you to carry.”
“No worries. I’ll have the baker’s son help me. He likes earning a few extra coins.”
Ada helped Uncle James bring the books to the front of the shop and waited while he inquired next door about Oliver lending a hand. When he returned with the boy, Ada saw the pair off and returned inside.
After locking the door, she placed the ‘Be Back Soon’ sign in the window and went to tidy the counter. Uncle James had left his ledger wide open with his spectacles on top. Various notes also lay scattered about while a stack of books still waited to be put away.
She folded his spectacles and placed them on a shelf beneath the counter, closed the ledger which she returned to its rightful spot, and gathered the notes into a neat little pile.
Once this was done, she grabbed the books and began putting them where they belonged. She was just squeezing a copy of Byron’s The Prisoner of Chillon onto a shelf when a movement beyond the shop window caught her attention. Ada gave the book a sharp push and, satisfied it was solidly wedged between Béranger’s Chansons I and Coleridge’s Christabel, she approached the window and looked out at the black carriage parked in front of the shop.
Ada’s heart leapt. Surely this must be Anthony.
She prepared to go and open the door, only to pause when she saw a young lady alight. Smartly attired, she stepped down onto the pavement with careful movements. It almost looked like she didn’t quite trust the step to carry her weight.
An older woman followed her. The pair shared a few words with each other and started toward the shop door, only to stop and stare when they spotted the sign. Glancing about, the young lady said something more to the older woman, whom Ada believed to be a servant serving as chaperone, judging from her simpler attire.
Ada frowned. Should she go and inquire if she could help them? They might prove to be valued customers. Maybe Uncle James had managed to advertise the shop last night and these women had come to see if the shop lived up to their expectations? Oh, if only he’d not gone out.
She bit her lip. She couldn’t serve them herself, but she could perhaps tell them the owner had gone out and allow them to browse the books while they waited for his return. If they questioned her presence, she could tell them she’d been cleaning while making it clear she had nothing to do with the daily business.
They were already starting back toward the carriage. If she was to act it had to be now.
She approached the door, reached for the handle, and froze when the two women suddenly turned, clearly alerted by something.
