“Yes?” he intoned at last, drawing the word out and investing it with a decided frostiness.
The apparent contempt on his features raised her hackles, but Mary kept a firm grip on her temper and bobbed a polite curtsey. “How do you do, my lord?” She had quizzed her fellow passengers aboard ship about the correct way to address an earl. “I am Mary Bascombe, and I have come to see you on a very important matter.”
The man’s eyebrows shot up, disturbing the careful reserve on his face. “I fear you are mistaken. I am Mr. Hooper. The butler of Stewkesbury House.”#p#分页标题#e#
Mary flushed, aware of the titter that was running around the room. “Oh. I-I see. I beg your pardon.” She straightened her shoulders; she was not about to let her mistake intimidate her into forsaking her mission. “I am here to see the earl. It is quite important.”
“His lordship is not receiving,” the man answered shortly. “And I cannot conceive of any business that you might have that would necessitate speaking to the Earl of Stewkesbury.”
“My business with the earl is not your concern.”
“I am afraid it is. I do not allow strange young women access to his lordship whenever the whim strikes them. I can take care of whatever ‘business’ you think you have with his lordship.”
“I fear you cannot.” Mary set her jaw and regarded him steadily. “My business with the earl is personal. I do not think he would appreciate my sharing it with anyone else, including his servants.”
They stood, eyes locked, as the room around them settled into a hush. Mary suspected that few had ever dared stand up to this tyrant. Finally, in a carefully uninflected tone, the butler said, “If you will leave your card, I will make sure that his lordship receives it. If he wishes to make contact with you, I am sure he will.”
“My card?”
“Yes. Your calling card.”
Mary remembered the small white card Sir Royce had tried to hand her last night. No doubt it was another mark against her that she did not have one to produce.
“I don’t have a card. I shall simply wait for the earl.”
“I think not. It could be hours before he returns from his club.”
“Then I shall go there. Where is this club?”
This announcement sent a ripple of horror across the man’s face. “You cannot go to his club!”
“I don’t see why not. Just tell me where it is, and I—”
“Young woman!” The butler’s voice cracked like a whip. “It is time that you left this house. I suggest you go back to”—he cast a disparaging glance at her dress—“whatever village you came from and cease this nonsense.”
“I came from America!”
“Ah. That explains it, I suppose. Still, it gives you no reason to see the earl. Kindly take your leave.”
“I will not!” Mary wanted to scream in frustration. “I am the earl’s granddaughter.”
Her announcement did not have the effect she had hoped for. If anything, the butler’s face grew even more remote, and his voice was like ice as he turned from her. “James. Escort this person out immediately.”
The footman who had run her off from the front door strode forward now from the rear of the kitchen. There was a purposeful look on his face that left Mary in little doubt that the fellow would pick her up bodily if necessary and put her outside. In order to retain what little dignity she had left, Mary turned and stalked out the door. She heard it close solidly behind her.
Fighting back tears of fury and embarrassment, she marched back up the stairs and along the narrow walkway to the street. It was then that she realized that she had no idea how to get back to the Boar and Bear where her sisters were waiting.
Hiring another hack was not an option since she had no English money to pay for it. Nor did she know how to go about getting her American money exchanged for British. She would have to walk back to the inn. It had not been terribly far, but she had paid little attention to the route.
She set off in what she hoped was the right direction and stopped the first gentleman whose path she crossed to ask for directions. He looked askance at her, then shook his head and pointed vaguely, saying it was no doubt to the east. Next she approached a pair of women who were strolling along, parasols raised to ward off the sun, but they shook their heads and quickly skirted around her. The young boy sweeping the crossing was equally little help, though he was happy to talk. As Mary could understand less than half of what he said in his thick accent, she soon moved on. It was a woman pushing a cart full of fruits and vegetables through the streets who finally steered her in the right direction.#p#分页标题#e#