more lively events, but right now Iâm so unpredictably queasy. And I tire so easily, especially at the end of the day.â
Mara reached to squeeze her hand. âDonât distress yourself. And I have relief for you. Dare Debenham has invited me to drive out with him this morning.â
Instead of showing delight, Ellaâs face became blank. âAre you sure thatâs wise, dearest?â
âWhy ever not?â
Ella turned pink, waving the piece of toast. âYou know.â
âOpium.â Mara practically growled it.
âWell, yes. Very unfortunate for him, of course, but it could make him⦠unsafe. â
âIn what way? You think heâll froth at the mouth or try to ravish me?â
But then she wondered if Dare was avoiding society for a reason. Did he have fits? Or fall asleep? Or run amok?
âDo you have reason for concern?â she demanded.
âNo.â
âThen why say such a thing? You met Dare the other day. He was neither in a stupor nor a rage.â
âBut much changed.â
âSince Simonâs wedding?â Mara said, deliberately misunderstanding. âYes, he did look more robust, didnât he? Besides, weâre only going driving in Hyde Park.â
âMake sure he has a groom along.â
âElla, really! I donât need a servant to be safe with Dare.â
âNo, but I wish Simon were here.â
That reminded Mara uncomfortably that Simon seemed to regard Dare as cracked glass, to be handled with care at all times. But what could go wrong in a drive around the park?
âYou give your permission?â she asked, standing. âA drive in the park, no more than that, I promise.â
âWith a servant in attendance.â
âOf course.â Mara leaned to kiss her sisterâs cheek, then hurried back to her room.
Once there, she stood in frowning thought, then wrote a letter to her oldest brother. She chattered of this and that, asking when Simon would arrive in London. As promised , underlined. Then she mentioned meeting Dare in the park, and that he was shortly to take her driving, and perhaps to other venues on future days.
She consulted her guide book and listed some of the most highly recommended attractions: Westminster Abbey, the Egyptian Hall, the Tower of London, the Menagerie at Exeter Change, Dubourgâs cork models, Barkerâs Panorama.
If Simon believed that a round of activity would harm Dare that should bring him posthaste. She folded the letter, sealed it, and addressed it to The Right Honorable, the Viscount Austrey, Marlowe, Notts. The horrid house was so famous she could probably have addressed it to Marlowe, the Globe , and have it arrive. Simon should be grateful for escape.
She gave Ruth the letter. âI wonât wait for George to frank it. Have it sent to the post office. In fact, have it sent express.â
Ruthâs mouth pursed at such extravagance, but this issue was worth a pound or two. What else was money for but to take care of friends and family?
Ruth left on her errand, so Mara put on the tall hat unaided, fixing it in place with a couple of pins and then moving her head to be sure it would stay on. It added a foot to her height, not counting the curling feather, and she liked that.
Too impatient to wait in her room, she went downstairs. Halfway down she heard the knocker, and by the time she arrived in the hall, Dare was coming in. She paused for a moment, struck by how normal he looked. No, not normal. Remarkably handsome in a shaft of sunlight.
It occurred to her that he must be spending a fortune on clothes. Apparently heâd been emaciated when discovered, but heâd have needed clothes then. At the wedding heâd still been too thin, but his clothes had fit. Now his olive green jacket, fawn breeches, and cream waistcoat fit his strong, healthy body perfectly. But then, he was no more short of money than she was.
She continued down
Judith Miller, Tracie Peterson
Lafcadio Hearn, Francis Davis
Jonathan Strahan [Editor]