Free Forsters 04 - Romancing the Runaway by Wendy Soliman Page B

her. She must know that Miranda wasn’t a lady in the true sense of the word and yet she treated her as though she were. Few people had made her feel anything other than useful or inconvenient since the demise of her father. “You’re too kind, Jessie.”
    “I love sewing, miss, and I know you’ll look a real picture in this gown when it’s finished. A body like yours ought to be shown off.”
    “Will Lady Felicity mind?”
    “Lord above, no. She has no further use for the gown. That’s why it was in the attic, waiting to be given a new lease of life.”
    Jessie went back to her sewing and Miranda fell to thinking again as she finished her meal. Whatever had possessed her to tell Lord Gabriel about Louisa’s list of eligible gentlemen? Her face heated. He must think her foolish and immature, and Miranda prided herself on being neither of those things. The problem was that he’d made her nervous and whenever she got nervous, she had a tendency to chatter. It was a failing that she vowed to overcome.
    But not today.
    She found it difficult to come to terms with Lord Gabriel’s chivalrous protection of her interests, in much the same way as she was embarrassed by Jessie fussing over her. His lordship probably wanted to be rid of her. He definitely expected her to do as she was told, which presumably included remaining quietly tucked away here at the Hall until he deemed it safe for her to leave. He was right to assume that Mr. Peacock would have people looking for her, and Denby was one of the obvious places to do that looking.
    Even so, she had to risk going into Denby this afternoon. There was no help for that. She was very grateful indeed that she only had a six-mile round trip to negotiate rather than ten, thanks to Lord Gabriel obligingly pointing out the shortcut. The reduced distance would still place considerable strain on her ankle but she’d noticed a stand in the hallway that contained walking sticks. She’d borrow one on her way out and rely on its sturdiness to help her along.
    It was such a shame that she couldn’t borrow a horse as well. But if she asked, she would be required to explain her need for one. No adequate explanation was available to her since telling the truth was out of the question. She’d given her solemn word about that and so she and Tobias were left with no other option than to walk.
    Shrouded in her thick cloak, the hood covering her curls, she set off as soon as Jessie removed her tray and left her to rest. With a wistful glance in the direction of her soft, comfortable bed, Miranda set out. She met no one as she slipped down the stairs and even managed to snag a stout walking stick without being seen. She took a deep breath when she let herself out of the house, pausing to scratch Tobias’s ears and make sure no one was observing her.
    “Now we walk,” she told the dog, taking the long route round the stable block to avoid being seen.
    As she trudged along at a frustratingly slow pace, she cursed her stupidity for falling out of that wretched oak tree and injuring herself. How envious Louisa would be if she knew of Miranda’s current situation. Miranda managed a wry smile at the way things had turned out, glad it was her and not Louisa who’d finished up here. Unlike Miranda, Louisa wouldn’t hesitate to use the situation to her advantage. Well, that was all very well for Louisa. She was beautiful, charming and witty. Used to the company of the elite, Louisa was Lord Gabriel’s equal in all respects and had been born to expect that someone of his standing would eventually become her husband.
    Miranda certainly wasn’t beautiful and had been told repeatedly that she expressed her opinions far too freely. Apparently that was a bad thing. As a female, she wasn’t supposed to have a mind of her own, and being intelligent was worse than being a Whig. She often wondered what the point of a decent education was if she wasn’t supposed to emerge with opinions or intelligence