Chapter Twenty

 

A rumbling woke Anna with a start. Was the building shaking? Sitting up in bed, she rubbed her eyes as she wondered where she was. Then she recalled she was in London.

Then the sound came again. It was a knock on the door.

She hurried over and answered it. “Colin?” she asked in amazement. Although she had given him the clothes he wore, it took her a moment to realize who he was.

“These clothes are magical!” he said as he stepped into the room without invitation. “Not even you recognized me! Not a single person took any notice of me. I even passed a gentleman with whom I’m acquainted, and he turned his nose up at me! Can you believe it?”

“I most certainly can,” Anna replied, smiling. The masculine display before her had been well deserved for her efforts. Everything fit him quite well. The trousers were snug and showed off a well-turned calf, and the coat allowed for a better view of his wonderful form. Likely, he thought it too tight, but she did not. Not at all.

“I’m afraid I just woke from a nap,” she said. “Did you get the opportunity to sleep?”

“No, there was no time. But I did write a letter to the Earl of Leedon. I should expect to hear a reply in a couple of days.”

Without thinking, Anna threw her arms around Colin’s neck. “Oh, thank you! To think that my father will be reading your letter before the sun sets!” She kissed his cheek and took a step back to assess him once more. “I cannot believe how different you look.”

Colin turned about. “I think I look rather handsome. And the cap suits me well. The clothes could use a bit of letting out, however. Do you think I should find something else that fits better?”

Anna shook her head. “No, you can’t!” she found herself blurting. She liked the idea of seeing his muscular form so well. When Colin tilted his head and frowned, she added, “What I mean is that this is the style of the working class. No one will believe you are other than who you seem to appear.”

That seemed to appease him. “I think you’ll be happy to know that I’ll be staying in the next room.”

“Here?” Anna asked, shocked. “You’re staying here for the night? I thought you had a house here.”

Colin grasped her by the waist, and the familiar heat coursed through her body. “Not just tonight. Tomorrow night, too. In fact, I’ll be staying here the entire week! So, what shall we do first? I would like to go out and explore London as Colin.”

Anna was pleased with his sense of adventure. He reminded her of Henry when they planned a day out in the forest. “I suppose the first thing we should do is leave.” She glanced down. “Unless you wish to kiss me, then remain holding me instead.”

“Must you tempt me with such a decision?” he asked, grinning. “Both would please me greatly, and thus I can’t decide which I would prefer.”

Anna’s breath came in short gasps. “Then why not do both?”

Colin honored her request, and they shared in a short yet powerful kiss. Once it ended, he took a step back.

She smiled. “Now that the matter’s been settled, we should go. Have you not heard it’s improper to be alone with a woman? And in her room of all places! Even those of the working class have their standards.”

Laughing, Colin opened the door and allowed her to leave first.

They made their way past the empty counter. “I know this week is meant for you,” Colin said. “But I cannot help but feel happy for myself, as well.”

Anna stopped and turned to face him. “You have every right to be happy, Colin. This is our week, not just mine. Both of us are meant to seek out our dreams.”

He puckered his lips in thought. “You know what? You’re right. And we shall both realize them, won’t we?”

“Indeed.” For a moment Anna wondered if there was not a dream that they could both possibly share…

Colin looked first left and then right. “I say we go. I would hate for my stomach to rumble and draw unwanted attention.”

She studied him for a moment. “There’s one more thing.” She walked over to a nearby flower pot, took out a handful of dirt, and rubbed her hands together. “You’re far too clean to be a laborer.” She placed the palms of her hands on his cheeks and finished with a finger alongside his nose. “There. Now you look proper.”

Colin laughed as he peered into the bubbled glass of a nearby window. “Oh, yes, that is much better.”

They made their way down the narrow lane and out to a busier street. The foot traffic had eased but some were still making last-minute purchases before the shops closed. A lone carriage ambled past them, a dog chasing after it.

Ten minutes later, they crossed over to another street. “There’s a tavern up ahead,” Colin said. “Should we see if they serve food?”

Anna went to reply that they should, but the door flew open, and a man came stumbling out. Behind him stood a large man with beefy arms and a red face. “Ye come back tonight an’ I’ll give ya a proper wallopin’, ye ‘ear?”

The patron pulled himself from the ground and swiped at his trousers. “Come’n fight me like a man!”

The larger man took a step forward, and the drunk turned and ran.

“How amazing,” Colin said. “A proper argument in a tavern. I’ve never actually witnessed a man being thrown out before, but I’ve heard about it.”

Anna understood that Colin wanted to experience the life of the lower class, but this would likely be far more than he could have handled.

“If you want my opinion, I say we stay away from there,” Anna said when he started toward the pub. “It’s your decision, but don’t you think a tavern with the name ‘The Polite Highwayman’ may be a bad omen for trouble? Plus, we’ve just seen a patron bodily removed from the premises.”

“This is exactly what I need,” Colin replied. Then he turned to Anna. “You don’t mind, do you?”

She laughed. “Not at all. As long as you don’t mind.”

He straightened his shoulders and drew in a deep breath. “Have you any advice for me before we enter? I don’t wish to give away that I’m not one of them.”

Anna took a moment to consider this. “First, if anyone asks, you work as a gardener. No one discusses the latest trees or what types of plants they tend. Oh, and don’t make any mention of the ton or how you lost your coat to me. If you adhere to that, you’ll earn their respect soon enough.”

“Good advice,” Colin replied. “This will be quite an experience.”

“I imagine it will be,” Anna said, hiding a laugh.

They pushed through the red double doors. The tavern was dark from the haze of smoke and the minimal light that filtered through the dirt-encrusted windows. A dozen or so men sat scattered among the line of tables along one wall, and three men sat at a polished bartop on the other. Two barmaids wiped off empty tables, and the beefy man they had seen from outside had joined a group of three others. All were men of the working class. No gentleman would likely enter today. Or any day, for that matter.

As they approached the bar, the first thing Anna noticed was the barkeep’s bloodshot eyes. The second was the stench of liquor on his breath.

“What do ya want?”

“A claret sounds lovely,” Colin said.

The barkeep squinted. “Come again?”

Anna let out a nervous laugh. “My friend’s just teasing. Two ales, please.” When the barkeep left, she turned to Colin, who wore a frown. “Cheer up. You did nothing wrong.”

“What was I thinking?” he asked. “Perhaps when we order our food, I should leave it up to you. I don’t want to start a riot.”

When the drinks arrived and Colin had paid, Anna led them to a table near the front windows. Two men close to Anna’s age sat three tables away, and one of them seemed to have taken an interest in her, for he had yet to drop his gaze. She would have to keep an eye on that one.

As they sat, Anna glanced at Colin and could not help but laugh. “You seem to be enjoying yourself,” she said. “Is this everything you wanted?”

He grinned at her. “Oh, it is and more!” he replied. “My chair wobbles.” He moved it back and forth to demonstrate. “As does the table.” Ale splashed over the rim of their mugs. “Drat!” He glanced around them. “I’ve often wondered about those who choose to drink in such squalor. I don’t judge them, however. In fact, there’s a sense of authenticity to such a setting, and I’m pleased to join them!”

Anna sighed in relief. If he was ever given the opportunity to see her home, he would not find it far different from this tavern.

“If I’m able to converse with one of these men by the night’s end, my dream will be completed.”

“I’m sure you’ll speak to many of them,” she said, amused that he could be so excited over the idea of speaking to commoners. “Men do little else in such places— prattle on about whatever comes to mind.”

Although she did not frequent taverns, she and Betty had on occasion visited the local pub in Wilkworth. Men there spent a great deal of time boasting about all sorts of things— fights in which they had participated. Schemes that would one day make them rich. Or the women they had supposedly conquered.

The last she found highly unlikely. Some of the names they mentioned were women who would not have given them the time of day! Regardless, she found most of their discussions silly.

If they were simply trying to impress their companions, she would have been less critical. But why did men believe that women were impressed by men who enjoyed fighting? It amazed her how little men truly understood women.

More patrons entered the establishment as they sat at their table. When their mugs were nearly empty, a barmaid with bright red curly hair walked up to them, her apron dotted with wet spots. She was not much older than Anna, and by her smile, she had eyes for Colin.

“Two more ales?” she asked, placing a hand on her hip. “And will you be eating, too? The stew’s nearly ready. The cook makes the best in London.”

“Indeed, Miss,” Colin said. “I’m quite famished. The sooner I eat, the sooner I’ll stop being quarrelsome.”

“Miss, is it?” the barmaid asked as she placed an all too familiar hand on Colin’s shoulder. “I’ll make sure you’re served first, handsome.”

As soon as she was gone, Colin said, “You see? It’s just as I told my cousin Paul. If you speak to those of the lower classes with respect, you’ll be rewarded for it.”

Anna leaned forward. “I don’t think your manners are the culprit in this case. It appears you have an admirer.”

Colin’s eyes went wide. “Who?”

“The barmaid,” Anna replied. “She’s clearly smitten with you.”

“Well, she’ll be left heartbroken, for I have eyes for no one but you.”

Anna’s cheeks heated. Why did he continuously speak as if they had some sort of future together? Surely this week would be their last.

But what if he wished to take their future further? She refused to become any man’s mistress, so if he had no intention of marrying her, they would be going their own ways once they returned to Wilkworth.

Summoning her courage to ask him outright, she nearly growled in frustration when the barmaid returned and slammed two mugs of ale on the table. A moment later, the same woman set down two steaming bowls of stew with a generous portion of bread. Well, her questions would have to wait.

“This stew,” Colin whispered, his voice filled with awe, “I’ve never tasted anything as wonderful. I must request the recipe so my cook can prepare it for me.”

Anna laughed. “It’s a simple stew eaten in many homes across England every night. I often make it for my family.”

As they ate, more patrons arrived until no more could enter. They picked up bits of conversation that included the usual with a few grumblings about prospective employment.

Anna stifled a laugh. Were these the same men who frequented the pub in Wilkworth? How odd that different men would have the very same topics of discussion.

Soon after their empty bowls were removed, Colin was working on his fourth ale. Anna feared he would become drunk if he were not careful. She was only on her second.

She started when the two men she had observed earlier pulled out the two extra chairs and sat across from her and Colin without so much as asking permission.

The blond man who had been ogling her lifted his mug. “Here’s to better days and better pay. ‘Cause if I don’t get a pay rise soon, I’ll starve.” His nose was crooked, as if it had been broken at least once and not mended. A long, thin scar ran down the side of his neck, and one of his earlobes had a nick out of it.

His companion, a man with thinning brown hair despite his young age, lifted his mug and took a generous drink before wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his threadbare coat. The black around his fingernails and in his hair said he likely delivered coal.

Colin raised his mug. “May we all increase in wealth.”

Anna took a polite sip, finding the blond man’s gray-eyed stare disconcerting.

“Name’s Johnathan. Johnathan Bowemont. This here’s Alan Stickler.”

Colin grinned. “I’m Colin, and this is my friend Anna.”

Anna cringed, wishing he had not used that term for their relationship. Now this man would pester her all night!

“Friend is it?” Johnathan asked, his eyes raking her up and down. “I thought maybe the two of you were married or somethin’. You’re far too pretty to be without a man.” He scooted his chair closer to hers. “Are you sure you ain’t married?”

Anna went to respond, but, to her joy, Colin stood to glare down at Johnathan.

“Perhaps my choice of words was poor. Anna is with me. Now, I suggest you move your chair back where it belongs before I decide to move it for you.”

“Apologies,” Johnathan said as the chair scraped the floor in his haste to return it to where it had been.

Winking at Anna, Colin returned to his seat and signaled to the barmaid. “Did you truly think that I would allow this lovely woman to fall prey to another man?”

Anna sighed and considered leaping into his arms right there and then.

The barmaid returned with four more mugs of ale.

“Ah, here are our drinks!” Colin reached into his pocket and pulled out a note. “This one’s on me, gentlemen!”

The men clapped Colin on the shoulder, and soon the trio was speaking amicably to one another. After a while, his newfound friends excused themselves, much to Anna’s relief.

Colin placed his hand atop that of Anna. “You’re more than a friend. I’ll choose my words more carefully next time.”

If they were not friends, Anna wondered, what were they? Did his words mean that they were a couple? And if so, what sort of couple could they possibly be?

She went to ask him outright, but her words were drowned out as half a dozen men began to sing. Those around them broke out into deafening applause when they finished, making being heard impossible.

“What great people there are here tonight!” Colin shouted. “Even those two who sat with us were harmless.”

Anna leaned in close to Colin and said, “Be careful they don’t try to take your money. Men such as they are quite crafty in their ways.”

Colin threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, you worry too much. I’m wise in the ways of men. My tutors taught me everything I should know.” His words were slurred, and Anna wondered if he would collapse from intoxication before the clock struck nine.

When the barmaid lifted her skirts and began moving her feet to the beat of a man playing a lively tune on a fiddle, Anna could not stop her brows from rising. Not for the barmaid’s antics, for she was doing what women in her position did. No, her surprise— and dare she say annoyance— came from the way Colin gawked at her.

Well, this was his first encounter with the livelier people of the lower class. Just because the redhead batted her eyelashes at him and showed off her stockings did not mean he would rush to her side.

“I must join her!” Colin shouted to be heard above the noise. “You see? She’s calling me over!” Indeed, the barmaid crooked a finger at Colin. “Wait here. I’ll return in a moment.”

Anna frowned as she clenched her hands into fists in her lap as Colin stumbled over to the barmaid. How dare that woman be so brazen!

Her ire was short-lived, however, when Colin began to dance. If that was what one would call the way he moved his feet— in a most awkward manner— as ale sloshed over the rim of his mug. He moved from foot to foot using steps that nowhere matched the rhythm of the music.

But when his gaze met hers, her heart swelled. Time came to a standstill. For the first time, Anna truly considered if she were falling in love with him.