Lady Elizabeth was certain she’d cast up her accounts at any moment.
She’d never done anything so reckless or bold.
The hackney rattled through the older part of the city, away from the wealthy streets of her townhome.
Covent Garden, it was a place she’d never been, not even to visit playhouses.
Her father did not approve of any of the antics which might allow her to see the darker sides of London life.
It was a great note of regret, for she dearly loved to read plays and hoped one day to attend one.
Truthfully, she was allowed to go to so few places outside of the west of London, where only the hallowed members of the ton lived.
It was all she could do not to press her face to the glass and gape. But she did not wish to be recognized and so she pulled her hood further over her face and wound her hands tight in her lap.
The only thing that had made it possible for her to be riding in the middle of the night alone in a hired conveyance was sheer terror at the way her future was rattling out of control, and the fact that her father had gone out to see his mistress.
She always recognized the change in his step when he went to visit his lady of the night.
And she’d been grateful, for he always took his time with the Cyprian.
In fact, Elizabeth was certain she would have a few hours of time.
Her papa would not come back till dawn and he would not bother to check her room. After all, such blatant disobedience on her part would never occur to him.
But, bolder than she’d ever been, she had slipped out the servant’s entrance.
Thankfully, the servants were all asleep and even the hall boy too had slipped into slumber knowing that his lord would not return for some time.
It was madness what she was doing.
Elizabeth grabbed at her reticule, adjusting it nervously before she stared out at the dark night lit only by the moon overhead.
She was risking all with this endeavor.
But she had to!
This night had made it clear.
Truly, she could not continue to live as she had been.
After Turnbridge? It had been made absolutely clear to her, she could not trust lords.
Not even marrying another lord would save her from her father or the sort of tyranny he employed. For how could she pick the right one?
To continue to believe that finding therightlord would protect her was utter foolishness.
Her father wanted her to marry a man just like himself. She thought she had found someone good and then he had…
She held her breath, willing the painful memory away.
The hackney rattled to a stop.
Just as Courtney had said, the driver had known exactly where to take her, though he had looked at her most oddly when she’d said the name.
She peered up at the elegant building, golden light spilling out of its windows.
She shoved the door open and jumped down to the pavement. The stones bit through her delicate shoes.