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Chapters (44)
  1. Table of Contents
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Chapter One
  6. Chapter Two
  7. Chapter Three
  8. Chapter Four
  9. Chapter Five
  10. Chapter Six
  11. Chapter Seven
  12. Chapter Eight
  13. Chapter Nine
  14. Chapter Ten
  15. Chapter Eleven
  16. Chapter Twelve
  17. Chapter Thirteen
  18. Chapter Fourteen
  19. Chapter Fifteen
  20. Chapter Sixteen
  21. Chapter Seventeen
  22. Chapter Eighteen
  23. Chapter Nineteen
  24. Chapter Twenty
  25. Chapter Twenty-One
  26. Chapter Twenty-Two
  27. Chapter Twenty-Three
  28. Chapter Twenty-Four
  29. Chapter Twenty-Five
  30. Chapter Twenty-Six
  31. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  32. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  33. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  34. Chapter Thirty
  35. Chapter Thirty-One
  36. Chapter Thirty-Two
  37. Chapter Thirty-Three
  38. Chapter Thirty-Four
  39. Chapter Thirty-Five
  40. Chapter Thirty-Six
  41. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  42. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  43. A word about the author...
  44. Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

She shook her head. No, she had made a new life here. The business brought in enough money to live on. There was no need to run from danger and difficulty. After all, she had returned to London determined to make Joseph tell the truth about the secret marriage. She had escaped his clutches once before. The horror of seeing her tormentor in the flesh and hearing that uncouth voice again had been shocking, but at least, now, Philomena had found her enemy.

She peered through the gloom before entering the lodgings, anxious to make sure there was no sign of Joseph. He had not followed. Maybe the threats were empty words and he did not know where she lived.

Her shivering stopped. Joseph was as dangerous now as he had been before, but Philomena was stronger. An independent woman, making her own way in the world, needed no help. It was time to face up to Joseph. Philomena began to make plans.

Joseph was dishonest. He had cheated customers in the past, and there had been other clues to his duplicity. How could he afford several pints of porter each day, and amass so many kerchiefs to sell and pockets full of loose change? He gambled, it was true, but was too stupid to win honestly. Philomena was convinced he picked pockets—or worse.

A scheme formed itself. To catch Joseph in some criminal act would give her a weapon. She would threaten to inform the peelers, and force Joseph to tell the truth. At last, she would find out the identity of the man with cold green eyes, and be free of Joseph, forever.

As Philomena planned, she sewed, the tiny needle dipping rapidly in and out of the delicate tissue. She loved sewing Selena’s gowns. Service to Selena felt like a service to Hugh. Every stitch Philomena made was a gift. She worked hard, late into the night, to complete the dresses. She shook them out, thrilled to imagine Selena wearing the elegant, soft blue costume to the next ball.

She packaged the gowns, folded neatly in tissue, into boxes tied with pink ribbon. Cherry would call round the next day and deliver them.

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One

Hugh and Selena did not quickly forgive one another after the Marchant’s Ball. Hugh spent the whole of the next day away from the house but did not explain his errand to Selena. Dark circles hinted at his lack of sleep and the bruise round his eye, the result of the mill in the Park, quickly turned yellow.

He glowered at breakfast, hardly touching the bacon or kidneys.

Selena was the first to speak. “I am not a schoolgirl anymore. There is no need for you to be so rude when I talk to Mr. Muldrow. Surely, I may choose my own friends.”

The footman retreated to the end of the room to pretend he could hear nothing of the conversation.