Eleanor Tatum

Egad!

Last week I introduced Lord Coffman, who hunts for an heiress bride to save his neglected estate in England. Trevor travels by train from Boston to the swamps of the Carolinas with his future brother-in-law to an elitist hunting camp.

To Continue…

Trevor glanced back at the vision offering him a needed cup of warmth. He took the small tin and savored the liquid gliding down his throat. He smiled at her over the lip of the cup and would have missed her surprise, if he’d been his usual self-absorbed gentleman. Returning the cup, he thanked her and hesitated. He wanted to hear her voice again.

Instead loud and irritating American manners ran ragged fingernails down his spine. “Let’s go and impress some of these swamp people with your title.” Edgar Cranfield jauntily walked ahead, ordering the staff out of his way, using his walking stick and his worst arrogant style.

“Please excuse him,” he begged of the vision. “He slept through our Oxford manners class.”

She gave him a short-crisped bow of acknowledgement that could have meant absolutely nothing, but Trevor found he wanted it to mean something. He slightly shrugged his shoulders to shake off his suffocating loneliness and started to follow his traveling companion into the fog and steam.

He surprised himself by stopping and turning. “Miss, I’ve changed my mind. May I have the muffin too?” He offered a friendly smile when she handed it to him. The muffin reminded him of those he would steal from Cook when he was a small lad. “This is delicious. Did you bake it?” He wanted to hear her voice again and to talk to her about anything. This was indeed a morning of surprises. He had never liked idle chatter.

“Yes, I did. Thank you for the compliment, sir.”

Her speech was clear, but not loud, not gaudy, but educated. Was this beautiful woman truly a servant? Through the fog in his mind and spirit, his loneliness and confusion, he heard, “Come on now, Coffman, don’t worry about the likes of her. Mercer provides plenty of enticing entertainment .” Edgar had returned with an irritating laugh.

He wanted to apologize to her. Why? She’s a servant. Was she also entertainment? He nearly blushed at the thought. Good God. That will not do.

“Thank you again,” he nodded and reluctantly walked away.

Enough! for now.