What Happens in Piccadilly - Chasity Bowlin Page 0,28
him,” William said. “Put me down.”
“I’ll put you down if—if —you promise not to kick him again,” Winn said.
“He deserved to be kicked!”
“Possibly, but you don’t need to defend Miss St. James that way. Drawing more attention to his curiosity is not the way to preserve her reputation,” Winn admonished as he settled the boy on the ground.
They’d just reached the entrance to the Arcade and had ducked inside when Miss St. James emerged from a shop, the maid behind her carrying several packages, and the footman as well, and one each balanced in Claudia’s and Charlotte’s hands.
“I’m sorry, Miss St. James. Our outing has been cut short. I’ve recalled an important business matter I must take care of,” Winn said. To the footman, he added, “I’ll take those, Maisey, while you go and let the coachman know we need to leave. Immediately.”
“Is something wrong, my lord?” Miss St. James asked. It was clear from her rather dubious expression that he was fooling no one.
“Just an urgent matter,” he said.
“We met a very bad man, Miss St. James,” William offered. “He was very loud and very rude and I kicked him.”
Miss St. James’ eyes widened with alarm. “Oh, dear. Oh, dear, no. Oh, William, you mustn’t simply kick people. Why, it just isn’t done!”
“He wasn’t nice,” William insisted. “You shouldn’t have to be nice to not nice people!”
Miss St. James stooped down until she was eye to eye with William. “I know that sometimes it seems like being violent is the only way to make people to listen to you, especially when you’re small or young. But not nice people will never learn to be nice if we only ever respond to them in kind. You must be nice so that they can learn by observing you.”
William ducked his head. The footman scurried off to retrieve the coachman and carriage and Winn was breathing a sigh of relief. “If there is anything else the children require, we’ll have tradesmen come to the house.”
Miss St. James smiled. “Did shopping with William prove too much for you, my lord?”
As that excuse was far more palatable than the truth, and far less dangerous, he smiled in agreement. “Certainly. Tell me, Miss St. James, what else will these children require?”
“Claudia needs music lessons. I know the girl who works as a governess next door. I’m certain that their music teacher would take Claudia on, assuming he has availability.”
“See that it’s done,” he said. “And if he doesn’t have availability, we will pay him enough that he will be inclined to make room.”
Winn was breathing easier, thinking for the moment that they had averted disaster, that they were home free. That perhaps, just perhaps, things would go his way for the moment. Then he heard it. That booming, overly jovial voice that sounded like a death knell.
“There you are! I was wondering where you’d gotten off to so quickly!” Burney all but shouted as he came up behind them.
“Burney,” Winn said. “I’ve got to get the children and their governess home. I’ll meet you at the club later.”
“I’m afraid I can’t get to the club… otherwise engaged! A million things to do before my sister’s debut. I say, you are coming to the ball Saturday night, aren’t you? Mother will be over the moon to have an earl in attendance!”
Winn grimaced. It was no secret that Burney’s mother was hoping for a match between Winn and her young daughter. It was not going to happen. “Yes, yes. I’ll be there.”
“Children, I have the distinct feeling that your uncle and this man need to have a word in private,” Miss St. James said. “We shall walk down to the Arcade entrance and await you there, my lord.”
And that was it. That moment, when she spoke in those lovely dulcet tones that were cultured, genteel and yet utterly pragmatic, that was the moment Burney looked at her and recognition flared in his gaze. “I say, you look terribly familiar!”
Miss St. James smiled. “That seems to be the theme of the day. You are the second person to comment on it. Good day to you, sir.”
With that, she took the children and strolled toward the end of the row of shops and waited. Burney looked back at Winn. “Where do I know her from?”
“She’s a governess, Burney. You can’t know her from anywhere.”
“But I do. I’ve seen her somewhere before.”
“She just has one of those faces,” Winn lied.
Burney guffawed. “There’s not more than one face like that in