Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
* * *
Despite herself, she had been hoping for some sort of communique from the duke before she left London. But all she’d heard of was twittering ladies and scandalized mamas. She had become a cautionary tale to the ladies of the Ton. The stuff of nightmares to their mothers.
* * *
A disgrace.
* * *
Janice knew she should feel ashamed or mortified but she did not. She knew what had transpired between herself and the duke was overly familiar and certainly not becoming of a gently bred young lady, but she was used to defying convention almost every day when she traipsed about the countryside in men’s breeches. She was no stranger to scandalized glances.
* * *
She just hoped that her father would not feel too disappointed in her. That would truly break her heart.
The thought of gambling away Avebury manor while the men around him made jests about his liaison with Janice was unpalatable to him. He, therefore, began avoiding the gaming hells, and instead spent his time at White’s where the discourse was more civilized.
* * *
Even after three days, he still had not come up with any solution to the dilemma he’d thrown himself and Janice into. He could not look her in the eye.
* * *
She must abhor the very thought of me by now, he thought miserably.
* * *
The urge to get out of London was strong. Even though Janice had no doubt taken the brunt of the Ton’s ire, people still looked askance at him as he went about his business.
* * *
“You should give them some time to forget,” Lord Sarandon advised.
* * *
Arthur was inclined to take that advice. He would not get far anyway in trying to gamble away his property now. Nobody wanted to deal with his notoriety at the moment. He decided to leave London.
* * *
He had not been to his seat in Hampton for quite some time. Not since his father’s funeral.
* * *
I should go back there.
* * *
He nodded to himself as he summoned a carriage and stored his luggage. He climbed into the carriage and sat down, without a backward glance at the rooms he usually rented while he was in the city. His father had properties in London, including a townhouse but Arthur avoided the place like the plague. His dearest wish was to donate it for use as a hospital for some of the lunatic patients at Bedlam but the neighbors would not have it and so he neglected it, hoping to run it down to the ground.
* * *
“Where to sir?” the coachman asked.
* * *
He opened his mouth to tell him ‘Hampton’. “We are headed for Nottingham.”
* * *
He surprised himself with the words, but didn’t bother to correct them. If he was being honest, he needed to know how Janice was faring. He had heard through the grapevine that she’d fled the city soon after their debacle.
* * *
He could not blame her. In her place, he’d have done the same. He wanted to see her and apologize sincerely but he didn’t know how he could possibly face her or her family that had been so kind to him.
* * *
I am truly cursed and my curse is beginning to affect the innocent.
* * *
“The best thing I can do is stay far away from her,” he murmured to himself. But he did not tell the coachman to change direction.
The house was uncharacteristically silent. Janice felt as if everybody was walking on eggshells. They spoke to her with hushed voices, asking if she needed anything and it made her want to scream.
* * *
She wanted to shout at them to stop but didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. She knew they were trying to help. The more she said nothing, however, the more mournful the household became.
* * *
On the third day after her return, she woke up feeling quite fed up with it all.
* * *
“This is ridiculous.”
* * *
Grabbing her brown leather breeches, she put them on, and then wore her hessians, a white shirt over her bodice, plaited her hair tightly, and tucked it beneath a hat before snatching up her whip and heading downstairs. She stood by the front door, hands on hips. “I’m going riding!” she announced loudly for anyone who wanted to hear before opening the door and skipping out towards the stables.
* * *
“Janice!” She turned to find her father standing in the doorway, frowning at her.
* * *
“Yes?”
* * *
He opened his mouth, hesitated and closed it, and then dismissively waved his hand. “Enjoy yourself,” he said.
* * *
She smiled wide. “I will father. See you at breakfast.”
* * *
He nodded and she could feel his worried gaze on her all the way down to the stables. She straightened her shoulders, determined to show them all that she was fine. She opened the door to the stable, smiling at the groom. “Good morning, Mark. Would you saddle Pegasus for me?”