Page 33 of Lady Charlotte and the Lending Library
A burly, hawkish featured man was stationed on the other side of the front door of the library. The man looked straight ahead, apparently trying to give the impression he hadn’t seen Ashford.
“Good afternoon,” he said cheerily to the ruffian.
The man looked at him and gave a brief nod.
Ashford turned towards the thug, taking up an indolent pose, and proceeded to watch him. A faint sour odor drifted to him. The beefy man needed a bath. It took several minutes before the man turned and looked at him.
“Do you have a problem?” the hulking man asked with a scowl.
Although, admittedly, Cecil was the most intimidating member of their set, Ashford could be quite menacing when he chose to be. Right now, he chose to be.
“I do have a problem. I have a vested interest in this establishment. You shouldn’t be standing outside this shop attempting to intimidate patrons.” His tone was ominous, although he kept his facial features under tight control.
The man shrugged and looked straight ahead again. “What can you do about it?”
Ashford stood away from the wall. “There is an alleyway further down this side of the street. Someone of your social status should be well acquainted with it. We can proceed there, and once I have beaten you to a pulp, you may tell your employer Mr. Landry that he should leave Thorne’s Lending Library well alone.”
When the man heard Landry’s name mentioned, he opened his mouth in a wide circle. His eyes bulged.
Ashford smiled grimly. “Yes, I know why you are here and who sent you. Shall we proceed to the alley?”
The man turned on his heel and stalked away down the street. Despite his irritable mood, Ashford was relieved. He might have been able to best the man, but he didn’t relish a street fight. Not in such a public area.
He entered the lending library, the jingle of the bell over the door announcing his entry. His gaze automatically went to the seating area in the shop. It looked as if someone had been rearranging furniture in the library. There was no sign of Lady Charlotte or her friends.
“Good day, my lord,” a smiling Robbie said cheerily. “It is a pleasure to see you again.”
Ashford inclined his head and asked, “Your employers are here?”
“In the back room. I can fetch Mr. Thorne for you.”
He shook his head. “I’d rather not worry him with this matter. Robbie, have you noticed a large man standing outside of the shop?”
“I have.” He added in a low voice, “So has Mr. Thorne. He and his missus enter the shop by the lane in the back, so Mrs. Thorne hasn’t seen the man yet. Mr. Thorne would like to keep it that way.”
“The man is gone now. If he should return, send a note to my home. You can read and write?” When Robbie nodded in reply, Ashford retrieved a calling card from the pocket of his greatcoat. He handed the card and two guineas to the boy. “One guinea is for you, and the other is for a delivery boy if you should need one.”
“Thank you ever so much, Lord Ashford. I will let you know if the man returns.” The young man pocketed the card and coins.
“If you see anything else that troubles you, send word to me immediately.”
“Yes, my lord.” Robbie gave a mock salute. “I will notify you of anything untoward.”
When Ashford exited the shop, the large man was nowhere in sight. If he heard of any more problems at Thorne’s Lending Library, he might just hire a Bow Street Runner to keep an eye on the shop. He really didn’t have an appointment in Berkeley Square today. He’d gone to Thorne’s because he was concerned about the safety of the library’s clientele.
He told himself he was merely worried about the public. A nagging voice he chose to disregard told him there was a much more personal reason for his concern.
Chapter Twelve
“Lady Charlotte!”
In the sitting area at Thorne’s, Charlotte had given up reading Romance of the Forest and instead was enjoying the first volume of Waverly. Louisa sat nearby, perusing her periodicals. Charlotte turned in her chair to see Alicia Tilford approach the seating area, her orange blossom scent announcing her presence.
She got to her feet to greet the woman. Accompanying Alicia were Lady Julia and an elegantly dressed gentleman that she guessed was Alicia’s brother Nathaniel.
“How lovely to see you here.” Charlotte took the other woman’s hands in her own for a light squeeze. She released Alicia’s hands and turning to the man, asked, “Is this the brother you’ve told me about?”
The other girl smiled brightly. “Yes, this is Nathaniel. Or I should say, Lord Harbury. And you’ve already met Lady Julia.”
