Page 63 of Sacrificing the Untamed Lady Henrietta
Lord Averson smiled, his relief clear as day. “Excellent, then I shall send word to the Old Bell once we have the arrangements.”
“Whilst I am gone, might you keep an eye on Mr. Booth? I should like to know what he is up to.”
“Of course, Ewan. Although, I really do hope your suspicions are incorrect.”
“Either way, having him surveilled is a sure way to maintain his innocence or capture him in the act of something underhand.”
* * *
Henrietta arrived at the front door of the Averson residence, just as Ewan was leaving. She had successfully deposited her letters at the postal office, with the correct addresses and postage upon them this time, and had hurried straight here.
“My Lady, what on earth—” Ewan froze on the steps as he looked at her. She almost delighted in his displeasure, for she felt he deserved to feel a little uncomfortable after the way he had spoken to her.
“I thought I might join you after all, for I found myself feeling greatly refreshed,” she replied coquettishly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Naturally, your guard hound attempted to prevent me. Both of them, in fact.”
He tilted his head in confusion.
“Mr. Chambers and Gerome,” she enlightened him. “Apparently, you’d asked to put a hold on all of my outgoing letters. Curious, is it not? Here I was, believing that you had a fragment of faith in me and my dreams.”
“We have been over this,” he replied darkly. “Now is not the time to argue. You do not know who may be watching us.” He gestured towards the house, making it clear who he meant.
“Then why don’t we both get back into the carriage and discuss it on the way back. I imagine I am too late for your rendezvous with Mr. Booth?”
“You are, which is why I told you to remain in your rooms until I returned. You are of no use here, for he would not have said a word with you in his presence.”
Henrietta gave a wry smile. “So, the old devil still despises me?”
“It would appear so.”
“Might I know what he has said about me?”
“Get back in the carriage,” he ordered. “I will tell you of it on the way into town.”
It was Henrietta’s turn to frown. “Into town?”
“Yes, there is some business I must attend to, regarding our friend here.”
“And I may accompany you?”
Ewan sighed. “Well, as you seem incapable of following any sort of instruction, I suppose you will have to.”
“Might I have an apology whilst we discuss what has happened?”
“For what?”
“For your attempt to censor me.”
“I did it for your own good, Henrietta.”
She snorted in derision. “Is that so?”
“You may find this difficult to believe, being as stubborn as you are, but I would not see you wounded in any way. Nor would I see you ridiculed by the men who run those establishments,” he said, his tone softening. “I have come to care too much to see that happen to you. Although, it has not affected my ability to see your potential. I have no doubt that, one of these days, you will succeed where no lady has before. We may not have known each other all that long, but that is one thing I may be certain of—your fierce determination.”
Henrietta looked at him with thoughtful eyes, her anger towards him dissipating slightly. After all, she had written her own name on those letters because of him. Now, if she was accepted, she would be accepted because of who she was, not who she was pretending to be.
“And why are we going into town?”
“I have some leads to follow, regarding your old friend Mr. Booth.”
