The Formidable Earl (Diamonds in the Rough #6) - Sophie Barnes Page 0,17
her, and studied the clock. Her shoulders sagged. It was only a few minutes after nine – a measly hour since she’d woken. At this rate she’d soon be rearranging furniture out of sheer boredom.
Unless of course she used her time productively.
Turning her back on the odious clock, she went to the study and took a seat at the escritoire. It didn’t take long for her to locate the items required to pen a letter. All the necessary supplies were in a drawer.
With a quick inhale, she dipped her quill in the ink well.
Dear Philipa,
Upon reaching Windham House last night, I learned that Guthrie has travelled and will not return for the next three weeks, so I have sought help elsewhere. Please do not fret, for I am perfectly safe, though I prefer not to say where in writing.
Hopefully, I shall see you again soon.
With love,
Ida
Happy with the message, Ida blotted the ink, folded the paper, and sealed it with a blob of red wax. She’d have to ask Fielding to have it delivered, today if possible.
Refusing to look at the clock when she re-entered the hallway, Ida averted her gaze from it as she went to collect her knitting. There wasn’t much work left on the second half-glove she was making for herself, but the eyelet pattern had challenged her skill from the very beginning, and every once in a while she caught herself miscounting the stitches. Even so, she still managed to complete the accessory in just under an hour and proudly tried the pair on. She gave her hands a satisfied smile. The gloves would serve her well come winter.
Right. What next?
There was always the library.
Venturing into the neat room where four large bookcases stood against one wall with a loveseat opposite, Ida scanned the shelves and was happy to find a couple of cookbooks. They weren’t on prominent display but stuffed into a corner like surplus items from another household in hasty need of a new location.
To Ida, they were like gold, for she loved discovering new recipes. Her mother had been an excellent cook and she’d taught Ida everything she knew. After she died, Ida had cooked for herself and her father, then occasionally for Philipa and the rest of the girls at Amourette’s whenever the cook there was sick or needed a rest.
Leafing through the pages, Ida made a mental note of the recipes she’d like to try. She was especially fond of baking, so the tea buns and shortcakes tempted her most while the soups held less appeal. Recalling the escritoire, she pursed her lips and went to fetch some writing utensils. It was now just after eleven. By the time she’d finished jotting down all the ingredients she’d need for the buns and the stew she’d decided to try, it was half past twelve.
Returning to the foyer, Ida stared at the front door and willed Fielding to open it – to arrive so they could get on with the day. Instead, the clock kept ticking away the seconds at an infernally slow pace. To her annoyance, Ida realized she was starting to get hungry again. All that thinking about delicious food had not been the best idea after all. Reading something tedious like The Canterbury Tales might have been wiser. It would at the very least have put her straight back to sleep and saved her from standing here, hoping a man she barely knew would add some excitement to her day.
When he still hadn’t shown up half an hour later, she made her decision. With the money she’d brought along from Amourette’s stashed in her pocket, she exited through the back door and set off at a brisk pace. If Fielding showed up before she returned, then he could wait for her for a change.
Chapter Four
As was his custom, Simon rose early. He was always up before eight because he enjoyed taking his time getting ready, eating his breakfast, and reading his paper before his daily meeting with Winthorp, his secretary. By eleven-thirty he’d managed to go over his most urgent correspondence and information pertaining to a few investments.
“I’ll be stepping out for the rest of the day,” he told Winthorp. “Do you think you can manage without me?”
“Of course. I’ll make sure The Rockport Company is made aware of your suggestion regarding the acquisition of iron from the colonies.”
“It will be a heavy shipment, but I daresay it will be worth it with industry on the rise.”