Chapter One #2
“Because I was too learned for his liking.” Tabitha made a face as Helena rolled her eyes. “Bluestockings are not particularly sought after by gentlemen of the ton, as I am sure you know.”
Helena tutted her displeasure.
“I was sure that there would be some gentleman somewhere who would be willing to consider me, even with all of my learning,” Tabitha continued, stopping now to take out a book off the shelf. “My father did not agree, however. Therefore, I am not to read anything of interest.”
“And has that stopped you?”
With a grin, Tabitha caught the glimmer of laughter in Helena’s eye. “Indeed it has not. I have found ways to read just what I please. My maid has been taken into my confidence and has proven herself very trustworthy indeed.”
“That is good.”
“There was one moment when I feared I would be discovered some time ago,” Tabitha told her, turning over the pages of the book in her hand.
“I was out walking in the woods near to my father’s estate, for it was one of the places I went to read.
Whilst walking there, I came across two gentlemen having a heated encounter.
I was utterly shocked, as you might imagine, and when one began to come towards me, I turned on my heel and ran…
and left my basket and my book behind me.
” When Helena’s eyes rounded, Tabitha nodded as if to confirm that this was precisely what had happened.
“A stable boy found the basket and the book and was on his way to return it to the house. Had I not been walking to the stables at the time, I am sure my father would have heard of it.”
“And would have been most displeased.”
“As would my brother have been, for he has also been almost angry at the thought of my being a bluestocking. Even though his estate is near two days ride from my father’s, he will still involve himself in the smallest matters.”
Her friend pouted. “That is most disagreeable for you... and trying, I am sure.”
“It has been difficult.” Tabitha pushed back against the lump in her throat. “You are here now, however, and I am very grateful for that. It will bring me great joy to have you here in London!”
“And I can chaperone you also,” Helena reminded her, as Tabitha snatched in a breath of joy. “I am a married lady and, if your mother wishes to put all of her time and effort into Prudence’s upcoming marriage, then I can very easily go with you wherever you might wish to go.”
Filled with joy, the lump in Tabitha’s throat faded to nothing as, in only a moment, the Season stretched out before her with a great deal more happiness than it had previously.
She would have her friend beside her, able to then go wherever she might wish without her mother or father’s concern.
Perhaps she might even be able to make a match of her own after all!
“That is wonderful. I shall inform my mother of it the moment I return home. Mayhap she will be relieved that she does not have to stand beside me and can concentrate instead upon Prudence!” She laughed softly, only for a loud voice to break into their conversation.
“If you might excuse me? I have been standing here for some minutes and neither of you ladies have made room.”
A gasp broke from her lips as she stepped back at once, twisting around to look at the gentleman behind her.
He was tall, with broad shoulders and a dark countenance given the scowl that pulled at his expression.
The edge of his lip was curled in either disdain or frustration, his blue eyes tinged with shadows.
Without a word of appreciation or acknowledgement, he moved past them both.
Helena kept her gaze trained upon him but Tabitha, her breath swirling in her chest, kept her gaze down low.
There had been that single moment of recognition when she had caught his gaze although she could not tell whether or not he recognized her.
“A very rude fellow indeed!” Helena exclaimed, loudly enough for the gentleman to hear although he did not either respond or turn his head to glance at them. “All he had to do was clear his throat politely and we would have noticed him.”
“Do you know who that was?” Tabitha asked, her chest heaving with quick, unsteady breaths. “Are you acquainted with him?”
Helena looked back at her, puzzled. “No, I do not. Goodness, I did not think that you would be so affected by him, are you quite all right? He was very rude, I quite agree, but...”
“That was the gentleman I came across in the woods,” Tabitha told her, dropping her voice low so that the gentleman would not be able to hear her, even though by now he was very far away.
“Recall what I just told you? I came upon two gentlemen fighting and he was the fellow with one arm against the other’s throat.
He laid on him a rain of blows to the face, which is when I cried out.
That was the reason the other fellow escaped.
” Swallowing thickly, she closed her eyes for a moment to gather herself.
“That gentleman advanced upon me and which then, I turned on my heel and ran as hard as I could away from him. I have not seen him since that moment.”
Her friend’s eyes rounded. “Goodness.”
“I must know who he is,” Tabitha said, her eyes searching for him in the bookshop but not spying him anywhere. “Not because I want to become acquainted with him, of course.”
“Why, then?” Helena wanted to know. “Why would you wish to know who he was?”
Tabitha looked back at her. “So I can make sure to stay out of his way entirely,” she said, a little hoarsely. “He is dangerous, I am sure of it, and I want nothing whatsoever to do with him.”