Free Vixen by Jane Feather Page B

hitherto.
    Now, that was an interesting thought.
    “Anyway, my plan is that we shall both go to London, and I can have my come-out, and you shall find a wife and I shall find a convenient husband,” she finished.
    “Leaving aside any plans
I
might have for my life,” hesaid, still humorously, “just how do you intend we should establish ourselves in London?”
    “In your house, of course. We can use my fortune to make it habitable and to pay for my come-out, which I believe is excessively expensive, what with a court dress and a come-out ball and everything.”
    Hugo took a deep breath. “My child, there is an extremely unpleasant word for a man who helps himself to his ward’s fortune.”
    “But that’s not what would be happening at all!” she exclaimed. “We would be using my money to benefit me. I have to have somewhere to live and a come-out. This is the simplest way of doing it, and if it benefits you, too, then all the better.”
    Hugo’s patience ran out with his sense of humor. “I have never heard such arrant nonsense,” he stated. “I have absolutely no intention of going to London, and if you wish to do so, then you will have to find yourself a suitable chaperone.”
    “But you are a suitable chaperone.”
    “I am not. Even if I wanted to be, it’s absurd. You need a respectable lady with entrees into the first circles.”
    “Don’t you have entrees?”
    “Not anymore,” he said shortly. “And if I hear another word of this idiocy, you’ll spend the rest of your ward-ship in brown serge.”
    Chloe closed her lips tightly. She had planted the seed, and maybe that was as far as she could expect to go in one day.
    B ack in the courtyard, Dante continued to howl. He’d been tied to the pump to keep him from following his mistress and strained desperately at the leash, nearly choking himself.
    A man in laborer’s smock sauntered into the courtyard. “What’s the matter with ’im?”
    “Oh, ’e can’t abide being wi’out Miss,” Billy said. “You want summat?”
    “Casual work,” the man said, continuing to look at the dog with interest. “What’d ’appen if you let ’im go?”
    “Reckon ’e’d be off afta ’er, like as not. Should’ve ’eard him ’owling last night, when Master wouldn’t let ’im in the ’ouse.”
    “Powerful attachment that’d be,” the laborer mused. “’Appens like that sometimes, though.”
    “Aye,” agreed Billy. “If’n you want work, ye’d best talk to Samuel. ’Ell be in the kitchen, I reckon. Back door’s thataway.” He gestured with his chin toward the back of the house.
    “Thankee, lad.” The man followed the directions.
    W hen they entered the city of Manchester, Hugo led his ward to the George and Dragon, where they left their horses.
    “We’ll go to the bankers first,” Hugo said as their horses were led off to the stables.
    “Immediately?” Chloe looked wistfully toward the open door of the inn, from whence emanated the most enticing aromas.
    “Yes … why, what’s the matter?”
    “I’m hungry,” she said. “And something smells wonderful.”
    Hugo sighed. “Of course, you didn’t have your eggs, did you? Well find you a meat pie or something in a minute.” He chivvied her ahead of him out of the inn yard and into the street.
    A troop of men in the jerkin and britches of the laborer were gathered in the town square, marching and wheeling to the orders of a drill sergeant. A crowd hadgathered to watch, shouting encouragement and good-humored jeers as the marchers stepped on one another’s feet, lost tempo and straggled out of line, or skipped to catch up with their neighbors.
    Chloe jumped on her toes, looking over the heads of the spectators. “What’s it for?”
    A man wearing ail unusual white top hat turned toward her. “They’re preparing for Orator Hunt, miss,” he said in cultured accents. “The reformers have invited him to address a meeting on manhood suffrage next month. They’re expecting a