Page 41

With a glance down the hall, he saw Orris standing in the doorway. As he expected, she was no longer dressed like a lady. Instead, she had pushed her hair into a hat and was wearing the outfit of a footman. One of her mother’s footmen, to be exact. She also had his hat and gloves ready for him, which she passed over.

Samuel let out a sigh and walked in her direction. “What are you doing now?”

“What does it look like I’m doing? If we are not to have the ladies at our disposal, then I need a way to blend in and not attract attention to myself. This is the best way. I will look as if I am your servant accompanying you on your errands about town. No one will bat an eye. Most of the people in London don’t even notice the working class. Clever, yes?”

“What if someone were to recognize you? This is all wrong. You are wearing a hat, and only drivers wear—”

“Are you listening to me? Samuel sent a footman to fetch you the other day. They have seen you in town with one of our servants. No one will think anything of it. I must have the hat to conceal my face and hair to some degree. And there is not a single person in the ton who looks twice at servants. It is the one thing I can trust in this town. Now let us leave. We must go to the mews and fetch a carriage.”

“No, no. I won’t steal one of your mother’s carriages. She will be livid if she finds out. So will Samuel.”

“If you hurry, she won’t find out. And Samuel is always livid with me.” Without another word, she turned and cut across the ballroom to the doors leading to the gardens.

Abram followed her like a small child. He was hopeless when he came to her. She was able to lead him around by his nose.

They made it to the carriage house, and there he helped her connect the horses by the harnesses to the carriage. She climbed into the driver’s seat.

“What are you doing?” she said to him. “You cannot ride up here with me. We’ll look even more out of place.”

“I will not allow you to drive a carriage alone. Again,” he lamented, but from her sniff, he knew she did not care.

“Abram, this is how things are done. I thought you did not want to attract attention.”

“I am not known as a nobleman. At least not in London. As you say, no one will pay attention to us as long as we are not part of the aristocracy.”

“Fine. Let us be off.”

They made it across town to Abram’s apartments relatively fast. Given the time of day, there were very few people on the streets. And those who were looked to be rushing off to someplace or another. That was the way of London. No one gave a second glance. London was a fast-moving city, and everyone had things to do.

They drove up to the landlord’s quarters, and Abram saw the man in question standing outside his establishment.

“Now what?”

“I’ve been thinking,” Orris said. “You should walk up to him and tell him there was something written on the envelope that you gave him with the last bit of rent. You should tell him that you need it back. And he will give it to you, being none the wiser.”

“Why would he have kept it?”

“I have no idea, except that you mentioned he is a very messy man. I would imagine that he doesn’t throw things away very often. This way, I can stay here out of the way. I will be safe, and I imagine that will make you feel better.”

Abram considered her solution. It did indeed make him feel safer to know that she would not be causing some type of diversion in the streets. “I think you should get inside the carriage and pretend you are cleaning the inside. That way, no one will see you propped out like a pigeon on the roof.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, if that will make you feel better. Now go on. Need I remind you, alterations do not take very long. We need to head back soon.”

Abram climbed down with a nod. He waited at the bottom, and as soon as she came down, he offered her a hand.

She shook it off. “Footmen do not need a hand getting on and off carriages.” She kept her voice low, so none of the passersby heard her statement.

She was right, of course. But he had not wanted her to fall. There was no way to turn off his chivalry when it came to her. Instead of standing our arguing, he turned and walked over to the man.

“Good day, sir,” Abram said.

“Good day, my lord. Have you returned so soon?” He had been sweeping, a thick coating of dust covered his shoes.

“Yes. It is just that when I paid you the other day, there was a message written on the paper that contained the coin. I wondered if you might have that piece still?”

For a moment, the man looked flummoxed. Scratching his head, he squinted his eyes as if thinking back to the day. “I might have it, indeed. Come in.” He opened the door, and Abram followed him down the same dusty hallway he had as the morning he’d paid him. Once they got to the room that served as his office, the man went to the desk and looked in one of the drawers. Then another. He scrambled around for the paper, forcing journals and pens to fall out onto the floor.

“How about I take a look for you, sir?” Abram suggested. “I remember what it looks like, perhaps better than you. Might make the job easier.”