Chapter 4 #2
One of the young ladies, whom I assumed to be the woman’s daughter, shot a confused glance in her mother’s direction. “We passed Miss Sharp just up the street.”
Her mother cast her a pointed glance, as if to scold her for leading me in the direction of another lady.
“She was wearing a pale yellow gown,” the daughter continued, eyes fixed on my face. “I believe her lodgings are above Newbury’s.”
I cast the young lady a grateful smile before remembering that I was not to be overly friendly. Her cheeks flushed pink.
“That is very helpful, thank you. I wish you all a good morning.” I gave a nod before leaving them there by the shop door. I had no idea what Newbury’s was, but I would surely see a sign of some sort if I paid attention.
Tall, dark hair, dark eyes, and a pale yellow gown.
Moderately attractive , as Colin had said.
I searched the crowd amid the rolling carriages, the clip of horse hooves, and the constant bells ringing guests in and out of shops. I dodged tightly connected groups of people as I walked over the cobblestones. I stopped abruptly at the sign above my head.
“Newbury’s,” I said aloud to myself.
The window displayed several pairs of leather gloves. Would it be strange if I stood outside the shop until Miss Sharp returned? If her lodgings were above it, then she would have to come home eventually.
I considered my options for a long moment, but then I saw a flash of yellow fabric.
Across the street, my eyes collided with a pair of dark brown ones.
A tall young lady in a yellow gown seemed to have already been staring at me from the other side of the street.
Two curled strands of dark hair framed her face, and a parasol rested on her right shoulder. Deep in my bones, I knew it was her.
Miss Arabella Sharp.
And what a sharp gaze she had.
A carriage and two horses stood between us, yet her eyes cut straight through my skin. Colin had been convinced that she wanted his fortune the most, but from the way she was looking at me, it seemed that there was something else she wanted more.
His demise.
She was glaring at me. It was no ordinary stare. It wasn’t curious or flirtatious, but filled with pure distaste. As Colin had recounted, he had rejected her during their last interaction. How was I supposed to recover from that?
I had no choice but to try. Keeping my gaze on the woman I believed to be Miss Sharp, I walked in a straight line across the street.
A carriage had stopped between us, so I circled behind it.
As I took my next step, I felt my boot sink into what I had expected to be solid ground.
I looked down, the putrid stench of horse manure rising to my nostrils.
Dread dropped through my stomach—much like the horse’s droppings had fallen to the cobblestones just moments before. It was fresh and hot, and my foot was nearly covered from toe to heel.
I jumped aside quickly, cursing under my breath as I shook the excrement from Colin’s freshly shined boot. I scraped the sides on the edge of a cobblestone, and finally glanced up to see if Miss Sharp had noticed.
She had.
Her eyes gleamed with delight. She whispered something to her companion, who smiled with equal satisfaction.
Colin must have been a complete boor to have deserved such lack of compassion.
I searched my brain for any idea of what he might do in this situation.
He would remain calm, I knew that. And he would immediately return home to change his boots.
But I didn’t have time for that.
Miss Sharp stood right in front of me, and I had her full attention—for better or for worse. I couldn’t waste it.
“I should hope you ladies will forget what you just witnessed,” I said in a voice loud enough to carry across the street.
Once I was certain the last of the manure was scraped from the sole of my boot, I strode forward.
“May I beg your mercy this once? Please don’t let it become a subject of conversation at afternoon tea.
” I thought my remarks were charming enough, given the circumstances, but Miss Sharp watched my approach with a lifted chin, the smile wiped clean from her face.
She appeared bored by the spectacle, as if she saw gentlemen march through piles of manure daily.
I stopped in front of her with a bow. The young lady beside her must have been Mrs. Kate Ollerton. Colin had described her accurately. But his assessment of Miss Sharp was questionable. I tried not to react to her beauty, but it was as obvious as the stench rising up from my boot.
“I cannot promise that,” she said in a dismissive voice. “We must amuse ourselves with something. And I trust a new pair of boots won’t be too great a burden on your ledgers.”
I cleared my throat. “A new pair? They are soiled, not ruined. With a quick wash and polish they will look entirely new again. They have seen worse days than this.”
Miss Sharp adjusted her parasol on her shoulder.
Beneath a canopy of thick lashes and two expressive, dark eyebrows, sunlight caught the coffee brown of her eyes.
A singular freckle marked her left cheekbone, and her full lips were a deep shade of pink.
Moderately attractive? I had always known Colin’s standards for beauty and accomplishments were excessive.
Miss Sharp was more than moderately attractive. She was dangerously so.
She eyed me carefully. Had I been caught in my admiration?
For a moment I worried that she could tell I wasn’t Colin.
Instinctively, I brushed at the freckle on the base of my ear.
Surely she hadn’t studied Colin closely enough to know he didn’t have one.
But her eyes seemed sharp enough to catch everything.
“What are you doing on Milsom Street this morning?” I asked. My voice was too friendly. I corrected my expression, leveling out my smile.
Miss Sharp exchanged a bewildered glance with her friend. Awkwardness hung in the air, making me wonder what exactly Colin had said to Miss Sharp the night before. She seemed to have no interest in speaking to me. In fact, she seemed shocked that I was trying to start a conversation at all.
Finally, she met my gaze again. “We are searching for a new reticule for Mrs. Ollerton.”
“And what brings you to Milsom Street, Mr. Campbell?” Mrs. Ollerton asked in a polite voice.
Miss Sharp’s look of contempt was difficult to ignore; I felt it on the side of my face as I addressed her friend. “I am visiting my tailor.”
“I thought Weston’s was the only suitable tailor?” Miss Sharp interrupted.
I met her gaze. “In most circumstances, yes. But Weston’s is not here in Bath, so I’ve had to make other arrangements.”
Her nose twitched with obvious irritation. Colin must have spoken to her about his tailor before. Of course he had. His clothing was one of his favorite topics of conversation, and Miss Sharp must have taken notice of that in her efforts to pursue him.
“Hmm.” Miss Sharp lifted one eyebrow slightly.
“First you are keeping a pair of soiled boots, and now you are visiting a mediocre tailor. Take care, or you might find yourself falling low enough to court a woman of my desperate situation and repulsive manner.” She tugged on Mrs. Ollerton’s arm, who looked mortified.
“Good day, Mr. Campbell,” she finished in a swift voice as she turned away.
I watched her back as she hurried away, leaving me and my soiled boot alone on the cobblestones.