Page 44 of The Truth about the Viscount
Her mother had already stepped out for the morning, going to take tea with an old acquaintance, leaving Patience and Christina still at home. Christina had not even risen to break her fast as yet, and Patience knew that her mother would not mind in the least if she went to visit Eleanor for a time. She would need to return in time for dinner and, thereafter, the preparations for Miss Spearton and Lord Milthorpe’s betrothal ball, but that was many hours away. Making her way to the front of the house, Patience quickly pulled on her bonnet, leaving the ribbons loose and, her maid at the ready, stepped outside. A hackney was quickly found and, after stepping inside, as her maid gave the jarvey the instructions on where they wished to go, Patience settled back as best she could, wondering whether or not she would be able to convince Eleanor that she had no need for a new gown, and that it could be repaired instead. Though, she considered, her lips twisting for a moment, that would entirely depend on just how bad the tear to the gown was, andwhereit was also.
“My Lady?”
Patience, having been lost in her contemplations, turned her head to see her maid frowning.
“Yes?”
“I don’t know where we are going, but I am quite sure that this isn’t the road we want to take.”
A surge of uncertainty tugged at Patience’s stomach.
“Mayhap the jarvey has been forced to take a different road,” she suggested, trying to ignore the worry that ran through her. “There might have been some reason for his choice of path.”
“Except that we are going in the opposite direction,” the maid replied, her eyes rounding. “Lady Patience, I don’t mean to question you, but it seems to me as though he isn’t taking you where you want to go.”
Patience turned her gaze to the window, the streets now unfamiliar. Her hand pressed to her stomach as she fought against the dread which filled her. Surely the driver was not deliberately taking her the wrong way? Mayhap he was mistaken or confused or…
Or mayhap Lord Newforth is not as gone from London as we were led to believe.
Fear made her stomach lurch, and Patience gripped the edge of her seat with both hands, trying to think of what to do. Could the hackney have been waiting for her to step in? But if he had been, how would he have known that she would be making her way from the house and that her mother had already taken the carriage?
Unless he has been watching me?
She closed her eyes and shuddered.
“My Lady?” The maid’s voice was high-pitched, and her eyes filled with concern. “Where are we going?”
“Listen to me.” Leaning forward, Patience caught the maid’s hand, looking into her eyes as a steadiness burst through her, despite the fear in her veins. “When the hackney comes to a stop, you must run.”
“Run?” The maid shook her head. “I can’t leave you, I must–”
“You will go out through this door,” Patience interrupted, gesturing to the one on her left. “I will remain by the window on the right. Once you set foot outside, you must run as fast as you can away from the hackney. Do all that you can to avoid beingseen or noticed by the jarvey… or by whoever else is waiting for me.”
“Waiting for you?” The maid had now gone very pale indeed. “I don’t understand.”
“You must go to Lord Hastings’ townhouse at once and tell him where the hackney took me,” Patience continued, grasping the maid’s arm with her other hand, trying to keep her calm enough to listen. “Do you understand what I am asking you to do? You will not be punished or berated for leaving me behind, I assure you. If you want to keep me safe, then this is what youmustdo.” Slowly, the maid began to nod, just as the hackney began to slow. Patience released her, swallowing hard against the fear that once more rose within her. “You recall what you must do?”
Again, the maid nodded, edging closer to the other side of the hackney.
“Run from here, go directly to Lord Hastings’ and tell him where the hackney took you.”
“Here.” Patience pushed her purse into the maid’s hands. “Use all that you require to get you to Lord Hastings. Do not delay. Hemustcome to find me.”
The maid squeezed her eyes closed and dragged in a long, ragged breath just as the hackney came to a slow stop – and Patience flung one arm out towards the maid.
“Go! Now!”
With a startled squeak, the maid threw open the door and escaped from the hackney, only for the Patience’s door to open – and none other than Lord Newforth to smile up at her. The darkness in his eyes made her shudder.
“I think it would be best, Lady Patience, if you could step out of the hackney.”
Patience drew herself up as tall as she could whilst, at the same time, holding onto the edge of her seat with both hands.
“I do not think that I shall, Lord Newforth. I do not know what it is that you have done in arranging to get me here, but I have no intention of stepping out of the hackney for you.”
Lord Newforth smiled and the trembling in Patience’s frame returned.
“Then if you do not, Lady Patience, I shall be forced to remove you myself. It is not as though the jarvey is going to make his way from this place at your request now, is it? As you can see, I have been able to ask him to do whatIwish, and it will only be at my command that he will drive the hackney away.”
