“You lead a charmed life, my friend.”
* * *
The at-home seemed to go on forever. After Westbrook and Ravencroft left, Ashley had zero interest in the conversation. At last Aunt’s final guests took their leave and Ashley was able to rush upstairs. Sally had gone up when Aunt Eunice came to the parlour and she was no longer needed as a chaperone. She and Maggie had already packed two shopping baskets with items they needed to return to Gilroy, including Ravencroft’s toiletry kit and clothing.
“Everything go according to plan, getting Gilroy out the back?” Ashley asked as she tucked in muslin for bandages that she would no longer need, an extra tin of ointment she’d made, plus a jar of the honey and herb preparation and a letter with instructions on how to use them. She had written out the recipes in case they needed to make more of either. Folded inside that paper, she also returned the coins she hadn’t needed to spend. Westbrook had beenverygenerous with his friend’s money.
“He got out fine,” Maggie said. “But Mrs. Gillespie is upset at what I did. She says I’m dismissed.”
Ashley looked at Sally, eyebrows raised, silently asking if she wanted to know what Maggie had done to draw Mrs. Gillespie and Aunt Eunice to the kitchen.
Sally shook her head.
“I’ll remind Mrs. Gillespie that you work for me, not her or my aunt, and smooth things over.”
“Thank you, miss.”
With a pang, Ashley realized she hadn’t talked to David about when to take out the stitches, eight days from now. Gilroy would probably do that.
Someone else would now be taking care of David.
All of Ashley’s energy seemed to depart her at once.
“It’s later than you usually meet Gilroy,” she said, glancing at the clock. “Do you think he’ll still be at the coffee house?”
“We worked out a system in case one of us wasn’t on time,” Sally said, buttoning her cloak. “I’ll just send him the signal.”
“Do you want me to stay here, miss?” Maggie said, holding her cloak.
Ashley made shooing motions. “Go. Enjoy tea and biscuits. I’m just going to have a lie-down.” Up all hours at night tending and talking with David and still keeping to her regular schedule of social engagements with her aunt and uncle, all week she’d had far less than her usual eight hours sleep per night.
“Thank you, miss,” they chorused.
As soon as they left, Ashley pulled out the pins in her hair and slipped off her shoes. She eyed the sofa, still with its pillow and neatly folded blanket, then the bed.
Sally hadn’t changed the linens yet.
Ashley sat on the edge and hugged the top pillow to her chest. She inhaled rosemary ointment, exotic hair oil, and David.
Now that he was gone, she wouldn’t have to worry about treating his injuries, losing sleep, prevaricating with her aunt and uncle, or deceiving her friend Georgia. She could focus more on her employment search. Only six more weeks before her uncle and aunt were scheduled to return to Jamaica.
Ashley touched her lips, remembering her kisses with David. The kiss here on her bed yesterday. In her dressing room a few hours ago. Still hugging the pillow, she lay down, remembering the feel of David in her arms when they embraced. Picturing his lopsided smile. His rumbling voice. His protective nature that saved her from Rupert, Amber from Sir Peyton, and Maggie from her abusive pimp. He was going to have a long scar on his forearm when his wound healed. Would he still be able to play the viola da gamba? The pianoforte? It would be a crime if he could no longer accompany his singing.
Chapter 16
David sat down at the table across from Liam and poured himself a cup of tea while Gilroy filled a plate for him.
“Beg pardon,” Liam said, squinting and leaning toward him. “Do I know you?”
About to drop a lump of sugar in his tea, David lobbed it at him instead.
Laughing, Liam batted it away. “I forgot what you look like fully dressed. And shaved.”
David stroked his smooth chin. “Neither seemed worth the effort when I was just going back to sleep in an hour.” Since leaving Ashley’s bedchamber a week ago, he had spent most of his time sleeping or lounging about like a pampered pet, regaining his strength as the bruises faded, occasionally making use of the instruments in his room. Reliving every moment he could recall with Ashley. Well, at least the moments when he wasn’t in excruciating pain.
Gilroy was unfazed about changing David’s bandages. Didn’t blink when David requested soft-boiled eggs and drinking chocolate several mornings. Yesterday he’d removed the stitches in David’s arm. Afterward, David had finished off a partial bottle of whiskey and passed out as quickly as he could.
He preferred trying to recall his kiss with Ashley. Kisses. She’d kissed him first, he was fairly sure, though memories of that afternoon were fuzzier than the rest. She couldn’t blame him for his licentious behavior while inebriated if she was the one to initiate crossing that particular boundary. Though he couldn’t recall why she had done so. What had prompted her to kiss him?
