Free Bexley-Smythe Quintet 01 - Flight of Fancy by Catherine Gayle Page A
Authors: Catherine Gayle
because he has what I want and you do not.”
She could feel Monty wince as they kept walking, but he stayed by her side until he’d returned her to Pippa and the Casemore brothers at the supper box.
Monty gave a slight, formal bow. “Lady Georgianna,” he said stiffly.
He left before the tear slipped past her eye.
Good heavens. What had she done?
Georgie might not be willing to tell Cedric just precisely what it was that she wanted—that elusive something which only Haworth supposedly—but he’d be damned if he wouldn’t do everything in his power to discover what she was dabbling in and what sort of harm she could come to as a result.
Whether she wanted his help or not, he would be sure she was safe. He had to. Because, devil take it, he loved her. He couldn’t stop loving her simply because she was too proud to admit she needed his help, or too scared to admit she might love him as well. Love had never worked that way. Neither had Cedric.
No, despite her refusal to include him in her plans, he wouldn’t give in so easily.
After leaving her in the care of the Casemore siblings, he stalked off into Vauxhall Gardens, in search of Haworth. If Georgie wouldn’t give him the answers he sought, Haworth damned well would.
At least, that had been Cedric’s plan. In his concern, he’d neglected to remember just how big Vauxhall was. It was huge. Massive. Enormous. He should have remembered that simply for the hour or so he’d already spent in search of Georgie. In all honesty, it was a miracle he’d come upon her at all. The odds had not been in his favor.
He spent the entire night marching through the garden, scouring every inch of the place for a sign of the viscount, but he never caught even the slightest hint of his presence. The dark did not aid his cause, nor did his growing fatigue.
By the time the sun began to rise, Cedric was ready to admit defeat—at least for this battle. He was not prepared to give up on the war. He would never give up, when Georgie’s wellbeing was at stake.
Still, a bit of sleep would do him a great deal of good.
Seeking that end, Cedric left Vauxhall Gardens and headed to his bachelor lodgings on Curzon Street.
As he drifted off to sleep, he prayed that whatever Georgie intended to do with Haworth would not happen before noon, at the very earliest.
Georgie’s heart hammered a rapid beat. It was nothing short of a miracle that Eloise couldn’t hear it, but Georgie had no doubt that if the maid could hear it, she’d demand to know what might possibly be the cause.
Eloise helped her to slip on her pelisse. She did up the buttons while Eloise took care of her own. The whole time this was happening, she kept rehearsing her act in her mind, hoping Eloise wouldn’t suspect something was amiss. Everything simply must happen according to plan, or all of her efforts would be in vain.
Eloise picked up a parasol and smiled. “I doubt we’ll have any rain today while we walk, but it’s best to be prepared for any eventuality. Are you ready now, my lady?”
“ Yes!” Well, that was a bit more enthusiastic than she’d intended. Georgie took a breath and tried to calm down somewhat, so she wouldn’t reply so hastily again. She smiled. “Let’s be off, shall we?”
Together, they left Georgie’s chamber, made their way down the stairs, and all the way to the front entry hall. The butler and footmen were off in the blue drawing room, rearranging the furnishings just the way Mother wanted them.
Georgie couldn’t ask for more perfect circumstances. “Oh, drat. Eloise, would you be a dear and fetch my new gloves? The ones with the pretty lace trim—they’d match this bonnet perfectly, I believe. I think I left them on the writing table in my chamber.”
“ Right away, my lady.” The maid dipped into a quick curtsey and then scurried up the stairs, without the slightest hesitation.
It was going to work. Without even exerting herself at all, Georgie’s
She could feel Monty wince as they kept walking, but he stayed by her side until he’d returned her to Pippa and the Casemore brothers at the supper box.
Monty gave a slight, formal bow. “Lady Georgianna,” he said stiffly.
He left before the tear slipped past her eye.
Good heavens. What had she done?
Georgie might not be willing to tell Cedric just precisely what it was that she wanted—that elusive something which only Haworth supposedly—but he’d be damned if he wouldn’t do everything in his power to discover what she was dabbling in and what sort of harm she could come to as a result.
Whether she wanted his help or not, he would be sure she was safe. He had to. Because, devil take it, he loved her. He couldn’t stop loving her simply because she was too proud to admit she needed his help, or too scared to admit she might love him as well. Love had never worked that way. Neither had Cedric.
No, despite her refusal to include him in her plans, he wouldn’t give in so easily.
After leaving her in the care of the Casemore siblings, he stalked off into Vauxhall Gardens, in search of Haworth. If Georgie wouldn’t give him the answers he sought, Haworth damned well would.
At least, that had been Cedric’s plan. In his concern, he’d neglected to remember just how big Vauxhall was. It was huge. Massive. Enormous. He should have remembered that simply for the hour or so he’d already spent in search of Georgie. In all honesty, it was a miracle he’d come upon her at all. The odds had not been in his favor.
He spent the entire night marching through the garden, scouring every inch of the place for a sign of the viscount, but he never caught even the slightest hint of his presence. The dark did not aid his cause, nor did his growing fatigue.
By the time the sun began to rise, Cedric was ready to admit defeat—at least for this battle. He was not prepared to give up on the war. He would never give up, when Georgie’s wellbeing was at stake.
Still, a bit of sleep would do him a great deal of good.
Seeking that end, Cedric left Vauxhall Gardens and headed to his bachelor lodgings on Curzon Street.
As he drifted off to sleep, he prayed that whatever Georgie intended to do with Haworth would not happen before noon, at the very earliest.
Georgie’s heart hammered a rapid beat. It was nothing short of a miracle that Eloise couldn’t hear it, but Georgie had no doubt that if the maid could hear it, she’d demand to know what might possibly be the cause.
Eloise helped her to slip on her pelisse. She did up the buttons while Eloise took care of her own. The whole time this was happening, she kept rehearsing her act in her mind, hoping Eloise wouldn’t suspect something was amiss. Everything simply must happen according to plan, or all of her efforts would be in vain.
Eloise picked up a parasol and smiled. “I doubt we’ll have any rain today while we walk, but it’s best to be prepared for any eventuality. Are you ready now, my lady?”
“ Yes!” Well, that was a bit more enthusiastic than she’d intended. Georgie took a breath and tried to calm down somewhat, so she wouldn’t reply so hastily again. She smiled. “Let’s be off, shall we?”
Together, they left Georgie’s chamber, made their way down the stairs, and all the way to the front entry hall. The butler and footmen were off in the blue drawing room, rearranging the furnishings just the way Mother wanted them.
Georgie couldn’t ask for more perfect circumstances. “Oh, drat. Eloise, would you be a dear and fetch my new gloves? The ones with the pretty lace trim—they’d match this bonnet perfectly, I believe. I think I left them on the writing table in my chamber.”
“ Right away, my lady.” The maid dipped into a quick curtsey and then scurried up the stairs, without the slightest hesitation.
It was going to work. Without even exerting herself at all, Georgie’s