Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
‘With what?’ the Duke asks.
‘Clara and the stable boy.’
‘Oh, that.’
‘Yes, that.’
‘And what would you have me do?’
‘We,’ Eliza says quietly, looking at me, her eyes telling me to let her handle it. I am absolutely all right with that. ‘Frank and I, that is, think it is best to ensure Clara cannot see Benjamin any more, for she will not listen to our pleas.’
‘Send him away,’ the Duke states. ‘It is the only way.’
‘I’m glad you agree.’ I nod, and Eliza closes her eyes. I can see she is having a hard time of this too, but she knows as well as I do that it is for the best. As I have said and thought numerous times, this is merely calf-love, nothing more.
‘I will speak with Fitzgerald,’ Johnny says.
I nod and leave, going up to my bedroom and finding my piece, reading it again, chewing my lip, quite satisfied, if only because my suspicions about one of the highwaymen being a woman are nearly certainly confirmed, before dressing and getting on my way to the printworks.
Chapter 12
The next day, the rest of Eliza’s story about the Winters was published and London went positively daft for it. Naturally, I was more than proud of her for capturing the imaginations of the masses. Naturally, too, I felt immense pressure when I was kindly informed by Grant that sales broke records, topping an incredible, and quite unbelievable, sixteen thousand! It is a great starting point for me, but, of course, it sent the printworks into a blind panic and the employees were asked to work through the night to accommodate demand, for which they were compensated handsomely. This also, of course, meant Johnny had to pull his finger out and get us that new machine pronto, which he did within just two days.
‘To sixteen thousand!’ Papa sings, pouring champagne for all. ‘I cannot believe it!’ With the help of Dalton, he fills everyone’s hand with a glass. ‘To Eliza!’
‘To Eliza,’ we all sing, toasting and sinking our drinks, smiles all round; but mine, inevitably, falls when I catch the eye of Taya Winters. I quickly look away, but before I can walk away, avoid her, she is approaching, and I am a frozen form of a man.
‘Congratulations,’ she says, and I hold my breath, blocking off my sense of smell. I nod and smile my thanks. ‘I hear you have quite a story to launch with.’
And where did she hear that? I turn curious eyes onto her, always curious, just as she lifts the glass to her lips and sips. Slowly. ‘Yes,’ I all but whisper.
‘Is that the paper I found on the floor of the carriage? The one you always carry in your pocket?’
‘Perhaps.’
‘How thrilling.’ She looks truly excited for me, and I am thrown. We’re supposed to be hating each other. It’s so much easier than this … this … this … what? ‘And what is the story about?’
Lust. It is just lust, as I have felt it time and again before. I cannot risk my life as well as the family fortune for lust. But love? I blink and look away, catching the eye of Sampson Winters who appears all too interested. ‘It was very lovely talking to you.’
‘We’ve hardly talked.’
‘It’s for the best,’ I murmur, wandering over to Papa, breathing easy once again when I have put some space between us.
‘The machine is up and running, Frank. I do so hope it has not been a waste, for your sister has set quite a bar.’
I laugh nervously. ‘No pressure, huh?’ I say once again, catching a wicked glint in Eliza’s eye.
‘None at all,’ she muses, all too casually for my liking, flicking some non-existent lint from her dress too. ‘Sixteen thousand. Can you believe it?’
I know she wants me to succeed, as I did her, so, really, these games are a bit pointless. Nevertheless, I shall continue to play, if only to entertain my sister while she is busy growing in belly. Who am I to remove all fun from her life? Besides, I believe I should appreciate how brilliant she is, because Fleming insisted that twenty thousand copies was the magic number, and my darling sister has boosted the chances of me meeting that target.
‘I have delivered my story to Grant, and it shall be printed tomorrow.’ I nod, raise my glass and drink.
‘Excellent.’ Papa toasts with me.
‘Tha––’ I am cut short by an almighty wail and a door slamming.
‘Good heavens,’ Mama cries, leaving the drawing room to go investigate the commotion. My eyes instinctively move to Johnny, and he nods, telling me I am suspecting right. ‘Clara,’ Mama calls. ‘What has happened?’
‘I hate him!’ she yells, bursting into the room, now with Mama chasing her.
‘Hate who?’
Clara’s finger comes up and points at me. ‘Him! I hate him!’