Robert could hear voices, several women if his hearing was not faulty, and he thought Willy. But he had to be dreaming or maybe he was dead and this was his own personal purgatory. At any rate he could feel someone wiping his face with cold cloths and sometimes cool liquid would be forced down his throat, but he would shove them away. He was probably in enemy hands and he couldn’t trust them not to poison him. He had no idea what they were doing to Willy. The boy wasn’t there all the time. No doubt they were keeping him prisoner.
He knew they were trying to do him in, and when one of his guards decided to poke at him and he felt pain like a fiery knife in his shoulder he lashed out at them with his other arm yelling. “Salga. ¡Déjele me solo cur!” He heard the quick intake of breath for someone and then all was silent.
As he was drifting off to sleep, he heard one of the women whisper. “I wonder where he learned Spanish. He has the accent of a native. That is very odd. I wonder if his is a spy for Napoleon’s allies.”
Rena and Emily drifted off to the other side of the room, neither wanting him to overhear their conversation, but both reluctant to leave the sick room for fear he would die while they were gone. Rena looked back at the man in the bed and remembered his voice when he had rescued her the week before. He had a strong authoritative voice, like he was used to giving orders and having them obeyed. He was handsome in a rugged sort of way. Certainly not a pretty face, but a face she would remember for the rest of her days. Oh come on girl, she chided herself, he’s just another member of the despised male half of the population. Get your head on straight and remember where he belongs and what you are going to do.
“Do you really think he could be an enemy spy?” She whispered to Emily, watching the figure on the bed for signs that he could hear them.
“Why else would he be speaking Spanish, and very good common Spanish. Almost no one in this country learns that language. We tend to learn French. I wonder if he speaks that too, come to think of it.”
“What exactly did he say?”
“I’m not sure, exactly, I don’t speak or understand a lot of it, but it is similar to French in some words. He seemed to just tell us to leave him alone, more or less.”
“He is a well put together man, I wonder what he really is, and I wonder why someone is trying to kill him?”
“What makes you think someone is deliberately trying to kill him?” Emily asked, sitting down in an arm chair by the fire and picking up some needlework she had been working on.
Rena had not had a chance to tell her the story that Willy had told on the drive to Blackthorne Manor. The doctor had arrived and removed the ball from the Gov’s shoulder, they had all taken to calling him that since that was what Willy insisted on calling him. Then the fever had set in and Rena and Emily had taken turns nursing him, always with Lady Angela’s housekeeper or one of the maids in attendance. But this was the first time in the five days they had been at the Manor that they had a few minutes together to talk privately.
“Willy told me that this was not the first attempt on his life, there had been two others that he knew about in London. Willy’s friend Tommy had been instrumental in foiling the other two tries, and Willy was instructed to guard the Gov while he was on this trip. How silly to entrust a seven year old with such a grave task as protecting the life of an adult.”
“But Rena, these children don’t think of themselves as children. They have been on the streets fending for themselves all of their lives. They have no concept of childhood, and innocence it is about survival and protecting what they perceive of as theirs. Tommy and Willy obviously perceive of the Gov and their property and they will do anything they need to do to protect him.”
“Why is it that children are left on the streets to fend this way. Isn’t there someplace for them to go to be taken care of?”
“Oh Rena, my innocent! Most of those places are worse than living on the streets. A goodly number of the street children have escaped from just such places and taken their gang of friends with them. They would rather face the horrors of the streets than the horrors of the orphanages and workhouses. And personally I don’t blame them.”
Rena shuddered, “Is it really that bad? Well, if I can get my money, maybe I’ll be able to do something about it. Children like Willy should have a better life than they have been dealt.”
“Well I think Willy, and maybe his Tommy, have found a better life with the Gov. We just have to make sure he makes it so he can continue to take care of them.”
“But, Emily, what if he is a spy? The boys could be in mortal danger.”
“Rena, that really is not our problem. Right now, our problem is to see him out of danger, and then to get on with your adventure.”
“Yes, I suppose so,” Rena said wistfully, gazing back at the figure on the bed.
“Rena, what are you doing, falling in love with this man?”
“No,” She said sharply. “I just have the feeling that I should know him. I have a sense of familiarity, like I’ve known him before, before he rescued me even. It is like our lives have crossed before but I don’t remember where or when. ”
“Rena, he is a stranger. You have not met him since I have known you, and prior to that you were still a schoolgirl. He is a goodly number of years older than you also.”
“I guess he just reminds me of someone I used to know. I’m going for a walk in the garden, would you care to come. Gov is asleep and should sleep for at least an hour. I gave him enough Laudanum to put him down for that long, at least.”
“No, I’ll stay here and watch in case he wakes up. He is still pretty restless.” She said, eying the tossing man on the bed. “Send in Milly and we should be able to handle him if he wakes.”
Rena found the maid in the kitchen and set her up to the sick room. Leaving the house by the garden door, she was unsuprised to find Willy by her side. He had taken to shadowing her when she left the house. She didn’t know if he just liked her company or if he had taken her on as one of his responsibilities. She didn’t mind really, it was pleasant to walk through the winter brown gardens with him. She had company, but he was not demanding, he allowed her space to think and wonder and dream. They walked in silence for quite a while before she said, “Did you know that Gov spoke Spanish?”
Willy looked at her strangely, “What’s Spanish?” he asked curiously.
Rena smiled to herself, she had forgotten that he was not from her world, he lived in a totally different world and the idea of a place where people spoke a different language was a foreign concept to him. “It is a different language. People in other countries speak different than we do, and we can’t understand them unless we can speak that language too. Gov speaks one of those other languages. I just wondered if you had ever heard him do it.”
“No Lady, I’ve only heard him talk like me or to be truthful, more’n like you.”
Rena pondered his answer. This was obviously not something that Gov like to have known. She wondered how many other languages he spoke. He really could be a spy, but for whom.
She noticed that there were buds on the trees, it was after all nearly the spring equinox. The crocus were pushing through the ground and the snowdrops covered the meadow like a blanket, spicing the air with their soft fragrance. It was always amazing to her how these flowers could bloom and flourish in the cold forbidding weather of later winter. She drew her cloak tighter about her and wished she had brought her warm muff out with her.
“Is Gov going to get better, Lady?” Willy drew her back from her musing.
“He is doing much better. His fever is down and he is not as restless.” She told him. To herself she wished he would wake up. He had been unconscious or delirious for five days now. She was beginning to be concerned that he had a head injury that the doctor didn’t catch. But to Willy she would always put on the bright smile and reassure him as best she could. “Is there someone we should notify that he has been injured?”
“Only Will.” Came the reply. “But I don’t know how. I only know him by Will. But he knew we were coming this way, and if we weren’t back a certain time, I’m sure he will come looking. We was supposed to talk to Lady Angela, and then go and pick up another Lady. I can’t ‘member her name, but I’m sure she’ll be a gettin worried about him by now too.”
“Why was he coming to see Lady Angela, she didn’t seem to know him?”
“It was about a pair of grays she bought. The man what wants him dead was drivin them when he hired the thug.”
Rena shivered, and it wasn’t from the cold air. How in the world could her friend be caught up in all of this mess. Lady Angela would never be in cahoots with a spy, would she. She had always been the pattern card of propriety when they were at school. Except for the fact that she had determined to not marry without love, she had been exact in following all the rules and obeying all the orders that came down to her. She didn’t want any scandal to touch her name and force her to marry before she wished to. So far she had been able to maintain that position. But a spy, or more precisely there could be two or more. The man who supposedly used her horses, Gov and Will. She looked forward to this man waking up and being able to talk to him herself.
“Come Willy, I think it is nearly time for tea. We have been out here for a very long time, and I’m getting cold.” She looked down at him and saw for the first time that he was shivering. “Come on, lets hurry back to the house. I want to find a fireplace and a cup of hot tea, and I would like for you to join me today.”
“Coor, Tea with a lady. Can I have some of those lemon biscuits they always talk about, and cake. We had some at the Gov’s the day we rescued him.”
“We will certainly ask if there are any available. But there should be scones and cream to go with our tea.”
Rena and Willy had just finished a substantial tea and Willy was licking the crumbs from his fingers when Emily hurried through the door. “He’s awake, and he wants to see Willy. He is nearly frantic, he thinks Willy is dead. Come on you too, before he does himself a terrible injury and reopens that shoulder wound.”
Robert was frantic, he just knew that Willy had been hurt and he feared the worst. He also still didn’t really know where he was or who the lady was who had been in the room when he woke up. He knew her voice, she had been here all along, but who she was and why here was here, was still not clear.
Just then he heard footsteps in the hall and the heavy door to his room banged open as a small whirlwind flew across the room and leaped for the bed. Robert caught him with his good arm and checked him all over for injuries. “Are you sure you aren’t hurt, lad?”
“Nah, I’m fine, chased the highwayman off with the pistol and stood guard until Lady and her man came and brought you here. She’s been nursing you, and bullyin me.”
Robert ruffled his hair and looked up at Willy’s Lady. He stared in surprise. She was beautiful. Her hair was deep auburn, thick with curls that seemed to defy the pins she had used to try to tame it. It was probably very long and he suddenly had the desire to see it flying free. Her eyes were a honey brown, warm and inviting. And her skin was flawless, the pale color that redheads often have, but kissed by just a hint of color. She was tall for a woman, very slender, and graceful. He suddenly wanted to know her a lot better.
“You are the one I rescued at the inn the other day.” He stated. “Willy seems to be saying that I am now in your debt. But could you tell me where I am, and how I came to be here.”
“You are not in our debt, we did nothing that anyone wouldn’t have done. You were wounded and we couldn’t possibly have left you lying in the middle of the road.”
He liked her voice. It was low pitched and rich, not the squeaky childish voices that young ladies always seemed to prefer. He always found that those young ladies grated on his nerves after only a minute or two of conversation.
“I beg to differ. Now where am I please.”
“You are at Blackthorne Manor, the residence of Lady Angela, Countess Blackthorne.”
“Am I to understand that you are Countess Blackthorne? I am Lord Richard, Earl of Fairchild, at your service.”
Richard noticed a slight jerk of surprise in this lovely paragon, but she caught herself quickly and answered him, “I am pleased to meet you Lord Fairchild. My name is Regina Roxbury, and this is my companion Amanda Darcy. We are traveling to the coast to research my newest book.
Come, Willy, we must let Lord Fairchild rest now. I will tell Lady Angela that you are awake. Willy said you wanted to talk to her. I will have the maid bring you up something to eat, and then you really much sleep.”
“No Lady, I’m going to stay right here, Gov needs me now.”
“It’s alright, Miss Roxbury, we will both sleep better knowing we are together.” And with that, he allowed Willy to adjust the blankets, and he closed his eyes and to all appearances he seemed to be asleep.
Rena hurried out of the room with Emily in tow. Now what was she supposed to do. If Richard found out who she was, she would be off to the marriage mart within days. As soon as he could travel, which now that he was awake would probably be in about a week. His wound had not been that serious, it had been the loss of blood and the infection that had leveled him. Now he would be able to eat and drink and exercise and he would be up and ready to go in a very short span of time. Oh bother. Her new man of business had only found that one little estate on the edge of the lake country. “I guess that will have to do.” She muttered to herself. She would tell him to purchase it tomorrow. She didn’t think it would be big enough, but she didn’t have time to continue to look. She had to leave right away.
“Go pack Emily, we have to be out of here at first light. There is no way I want to be here when he is up and around and learns who I am.”
“Oh my, he’s that Robert, Earl of Fairchild.”
“Silly Goose, there is only one Robert, Early of Fairchild. Willy told me that he was coming here to talk to Lady Angela about her horses. Something about them being used by the man who hired one on the assassins who tried to kill him in London. When he was finished here he was going to pick up a Lady. Probably that lady was me, although with his reputation – well deserved if the look in his eye was any indication today – he could have been off to collect his new ladybird!”
“Now Rena, calm down. He’s nothing to you now. We will leave tomorrow, or the next day at the latest but where are we going to go?”
“I’m going to instruct Carter to purchase that Manor he found.”
“Rena, you can’t buy something sight unseen. It might be totally run down and uninhabitable. We have to at least look at it. Why don’t you tell him to keep looking and we will go and have a look at this manor. He can meet us there and hopefully have a list of available properties in the area.”
“What would I do with out you, Emily,” Rena said, hugging her friend. “You keep me from doing really dumb things. Do you think this adventure has the makings of a book plot?”
“That’s the other thing I want to talk to you about,” Emily said, pulling Rena down the hall and into her room. “What is this taking Regina Roxbury’s name like that? You could get into a lot of trouble pretending to be someone you are not.”
“But I am Regina Roxbury.”
“What in the world are you talking about? You can’t be Regina Roxbury! She writes those lurid romances and you have never been out of your home county before or met that many men for that matter. How could you possibly be writing about such things.” Emily sputtered.
Rena smiled, she didn’t think she had ever flustered Emily before. “You don’t have to have first hand knowledge to write a good story Emily, you just have to have a vivid imagination. For the kind of stories I write, the vivid imagination is usually more than enough.”
“But how did you do this without your father or I realizing what was going on? I thought you were just writing in your journal. You didn’t seem to spend THAT much time on it.”
“It was enough. And Mr. Bingley has been very helpful with the editing.”
“But how are you communicating with him. You rarely leave the estate.”
“I leave it often enough,” Rena said indignantly I wasn’t a hermit there, or even a recluse, I left when I wanted to. You were usually with me when I sent off a manuscript.” She added gleefully, just to see Emily’s reaction.
“I was not!! I never saw you send off a large package.”
“I had a contact in Fairview that saw to it getting to Mr. Bingley. And you saw me hand off the parcel many times.”
“You don’t mean the Vicar!! But why would he help you to publish those stories. I mean he’s a Vicar!”
“He’s also my friend, and he wanted to help me after Mama died. Writing help to make me forget my grief for a while, so he agreed to see they got to a publisher. And he has been doing it ever since.”
“I can’t believe this. You are Regina Roxbury.” Emily shook her head sadly, “and I never ever guessed the truth.”
Rena reached out to pat Emily’s shoulder. “It’s alright Emily, I didn’t want anyone to know. It was my secret and it will provide the money we need now to get by. I can write more books and what I have set aside is secure, we won’t be wealthy, but we won’t lack for anything either.”
“I can understand why you told Lord Fairchild that you were Regina, but why did you have to tell him my name was Amanda Darcy. She’s the heroine in one of your books isn’t she?”
“Well it was the only name that pop into my head on such short notice.” Rena replied with a grin. “She was one of my spunkiest heroines too, you should be honored.”
“But why? I hate all this deception.” She cried, ruthlessly suppressing the little voice that reminded her of her own deception where her name was concerned. That did not matter in this discussion.
“Don’t you realize that if Lord Fairchild has been talking to his lawyer, he has heard your name mentioned. If I had introduced you as Emily Proctor, he would have figured out very quickly who I was. I couldn’t take that risk. Now we need to go down and inform Lady Angela that we will be leaving tomorrow. But first I need to write a note to Carter concerning the property and when to meet us. Why don’t you meet me down in the parlor in 20 minutes and we will talk to Angela.”
When Rena had left the room, Emily drifted down into a chair by the fire to mull over these new developments in her life. She had been a Lady once with a title, then she was Emily Proctor by her own choosing, now she was Amanda Darcy, a spunky heroine from a book, pretty soon she was not going to have any idea who she really was. Why did life have to be so complicated? She thought she had everything under control. She believed that her old life was in the past and her new life as Emily Proctor was set and ordered. Now suddenly, everything was in turmoil again, and she felt all the panic and helplessness she had felt six years ago. Oh she knew it wasn’t Rena’s fault. Rena was caught up in a situation and Emily couldn’t blame her at all for her actions. And she also knew in her head if she herself had remained Emily Proctor, that Rena would have been found and forced into a life that was totally unsuited to her. But Rena as an author. Well she certainly hadn’t foreseen that complication. Not that it was a complication really, as it would provide them with a means of support, but it also would thrust her in the public eye when it became know just who she was, and it might also bring Emily to someone’s attention. And she certainly didn’t want that. She didn’t really know how much power the males in her family still had over her at her advanced age of seven and twenty, but she didn’t want to risk herself to find out.
She rose and crossed the room to the dresser and absently began removing the pins from her hair and sat down in the delicate chair before the mirror. Picking up the gold handled brush that had been a gift from Rena one Christmas, she dragged it through her long blond curls. She knew she had been considered a Diamond during her season, and she should have had her pick of the eligible young men. She studied her face in the mirror, but she was so familiar with it’s features that she could see no reason why anyone would think her beautiful. She was pale and colorless, blond hair, pale blue eyes, porcelain skin, granted her features were regular, no bulging eyes or protruding nose, her mouth was the right size for her face and her lips, well they did seem a big larger that normal, but not overly so. Her face was oval and the lines were soft. Her ears were small and lay close to her head. She was small boned, petite and she guessed you could call it fragile looking. Maybe that was what attracted the men, she looked so helpless, maybe that was why the men in the family acted so stupid where she was concerned. She had no idea, and she really didn’t have time to ponder it any longer if she was going to meet Rena in the Parlor. Now Rena, there was her idea of beauty. All color and passion and flamboyance, simmering under a façade of manners and convention and carefully controlled.
Putting aside her musings, she repined her hair and added the small cap of lace she had taken to wearing. It didn’t hide her hair, or make her seem old, it just set her apart as not interested in marriage. And she wasn’t really. Giving one last pat to her hair and brushing the few wrinkles out of her soft blue woolen day dress, she made her way down the main staircase and headed for the parlor that Lady Angela had set aside for their use.
She heard voices as she neared the room. “We were so worried about him for a while, Lord Allenton, but he is awake now and seems to be on the mend.” She heard Lady Angela say. “Miss Roxbury and Miss Darcy nursed him faithfully since he has been here.”
Lord Allenton, oh no, it couldn’t be!! She couldn’t let him find her. He would recognize her, he would want her to run away with him. Oh dear, she wanted nothing more than to run away with him. But he wouldn’t run away with her 6 years ago, what made her think he would want to now. She backed away from the parlor, hands out in front of her as if to ward off the blows from the memories. Memories of his sweet tender kisses, memories of his declarations of love, memories of his rejection, memories of his desertion. She couldn’t handle the pain of those memories and with a muffled cry, she turned and fled back upstairs and reached her room before the storm of tears she had held back for six years caught up with her and she collapsed in a heap of tears, sobs wracking her small frame.
Rena heard the small sound in the hallway and wondered what it could be. Emily was late getting to the parlor, but she knew she was upset at the change in her life and may have taken a few minutes to get used to it. Then she heard the swish of skirts and footsteps hurrying away and knew that something had happened. Turning to Lady Angela, she said, “I want to go see if something has happened to Amanda, she isn’t normally this late and I hope she is alright.”
With that she hurried out of the room and followed the sounds of fleeing footsteps up the staircase and down the hall to Emily’s room. Listening at the door, she heard definite sounds of weeping, and she opened to door to reveal Emily curled up in the center of the huge four-poster bed, looking for all the would like a little lost waif. Her sobs shook her small body and Rena thought that the grief would tear her apart. She had no idea what had happened, but she closed the door tightly and turned the lock. Then she climbed up on the bed and took her friend in her arms and gently rocked her murmuring soothing nothings until she sensed that the peak of the storm had passed. When Emily had quieted some, Rena went and poured some water into a bowl and got a washcloth and towel and carried them over to the bedside table and proceeded to wash away some of the ravages of the storm. She knew the familiar act would be soothing and would cool her heated skin. She made Emily lay down and pulled the folded coverlet over her and told her to rest. Then she pulled the bell pull to call the maid and moved a chair over beside the bed.
When the maid knocked softly at the door, Rena ordered tea and a light repast and a small carafe of brandy. Then she returned to her vigil by the bed. She had no idea if Emily slept or was just too spent from her private storm to move, but Rena did not think now was the time to question her. She would wait quietly until the tea and brandy could do their work. She had no idea what could have brought this on. Emily had been fine when she left her. Upset with the name change, Rena smiled, Amanda Darcy was a bit more spunky than Emily had ever been, but maybe she could learn to live up to the name.
When the maid had delivered the tea tray with bread and fresh creamy butter and an assortment of jam and scones, Rena prepared Emily a cup laced with brandy and sugar and forced her to sip the bracing brew.
“Come on Emily, you have to drink this. You are in shock and I don’t like your coloring at all. Pure white does not look good on you.” She murmured. “That’s a girl, drink a little more.” She encouraged when Emily had taken a sip.
Finally she had taken most of the cup, her color started to improve and Rena helped her sit up in the bed and propped pillows behind her to make her comfortable. Rena refilled the cup with just tea, and handed her the plate of bread and butter. “Eat something, it will help.”
As Emily picked a slice of bread to crumbs and ate a nibble or two, Rena tried to piece together the clues.
- First, Emily had a secret, that she knew because Emily never talked about her past.
- Second, Emily had been fine when Rena left her room.
- Third, Emily had been in the hall before her private storm hit.
- Fourth, She must have heard something, or someone from her past
- Fifth, this someone must have been very important to her, a lover, a betrothed, someone she was being forced to marry.
- Sixth, Lord Allendale was the only new addition to the household who was in the room when she was in the hall.
- Seventh, from the torrent of the storm, she had to conclude that Lord Allendale had meant a lot to Emily in one way or another.
Therefore, she had to conclude that Emily and Lord Allendale had known each other six years before. She also had to conclude that Emily had probably loved him very much, since women didn’t normally have that much emotional pain when they were angry. Angry tears were very different. She wondered if Lord Allendale had returned the affection, or if that was the root of the problem.
“Rena, I have to get out of here, tonight, right now! If he finds me, everything will be lost. Everything I’ve worked for will be gone. You have to help me. Please.” She pleaded softly.
“I’ll take care of everything. I’ll tell everyone you are indisposed and will not be down for dinner. I’ll see to the packing and we will be on our way in the morning. But dear, I do need to know, is he going to cause us trouble and should I be careful around him?”
“Just be careful of your heart. And since you only know me as Emily Proctor/Amanda Darcy, then no you don’t have to be careful. He will know me only if he sees me, and I will stay in my rooms and as soon as I have the strength, I will start my packing.”
“I’ll send one of the maids up to help you. You rest for now. I’ll order Jamie to have the coach ready before dawn, and I’ll tell Lady Angela that we will be leaving early.”
Emily smiled a wan smile and closed her eyes. The brandy had done it’s work and she slept almost instantly. Rena slipped out the door and found the maid who had been serving them coming out of Robert’s room. After sending her to Emily to start her packing, she returned to the parlor to inform Lady Angela that Amanda would not be down for dinner as she had taken ill. “Just a megrim,” she explained when Angela wanted to send for the doctor. “She will be fine in the morning. She was sleeping now. Where is Lord Allendale?” She asked looking around the pleasant sunny room.
“He’s gone up to see Lord Fairchild.” Lady Angela said with a knowing look. “Did you know he was Lord Fairchild before you brought him here? I suspect if you had known you wouldn’t have stayed this long.”
“No I didn’t know it was Robert. Although there was something familiar about him, like I should know him. But it has been 13 years since I’ve seen him, and he has changed a lot. Besides being older, he has a look of experience about him. He’s been through a lot I would suspect. He is bigger than I remember, and has muscles in all the right places. I doubt that he recognizes me, I was only ten and an ugly duckling. I have changed a lot since then. That is why Emily and I have to leave first thing in the morning.”
“If he doesn’t recognize you, and you have given him a different name – I do need that story one day, my dear – then there is no problem with you staying on until your plans are set.”
“It’s not me.”
“Your Emily knows Lord Allendale, and doesn’t want him to find her.”
“You’re quick Angela.”
“No I’m a woman, and a woman looking for love. When I heard her in the hallway – oh yes, I heard her before you did – I came to only one conclusion, she didn’t want Lord Allendale to see her. Does she really have a megrim or is she hiding?”
“She was a devastated heap when I found her. She literally cried herself ill. I gave her tea and brandy and made her eat something. She’s asleep now and I’ve sent a maid to sit with her and start her packing.”
“Why don’t you and Emily go to my Lake house. It isn’t as big or as grand as this mausoleum but it will be a safe place for the two of you. If you leave very early tomorrow you will get there tomorrow. I will send my groom Conklin up with a message to the staff to expect you.”
“You would do this for us?”
“My dear, you are my friend, and you are trying to escape a loveless marriage as is you darling friend, I would suspect. I will do anything I can to help you along in that regard. You are welcome to stay there for as long as you need to.”
She rose and walked over to her desk, wrote out the orders right there and then, sealed them and called for Conklin to come to her.
When he arrived, she gave him the note with orders to take it to Longthorne Cottage. He said he would leave immediately and left the room. She returned to her desk and wrote out detailed instructions to reach the cottage and handed them to Rena. “I will not tell anyone where you are going. And I wouldn’t tell Jamie until after you are on the road. Just to be on the safe side. You know the grapevine that can operate in a big house like this one. Take care of yourself, and when this is all over, I’m going to have a big house party to introduce my friend Regina Roxbury to the world.”
With that she gave Rena a scented embrace, “I’ll have trays sent to your rooms this evening, so you can pack and retire early. I wish I was going on this adventure with you, but maybe you will include it in your next book.”
With that she left the room and Rena was left in awe. She had no idea that Lady Angela thought of her as that good of a friend.
© 2002 by KayDee Ward
All rights reserved
