Snow had fallen, and the air was indeed brisk. Striding out, Poppy avoided a patch of ice on the path. If her feet carried her by Lady Revel's home, then surely that was not her fault. After all, she could be simply going to the markets. Admittedly that was the long way, but no one need know that.
People like Poppy, who did not have the luxury of a carriage or horse, scurried about with her. Workers, sellers, they were all bundled into layers of clothing like her, but unlike her, most had a purpose. A place to be in the day. As this thought depressed her, she made herself smile. Nothing could come from gray thoughts; her mother had always told her that.
Lady Revel's house was a fifty-minute walk across town. Not as impressive as some she had seen, it was still a great deal more than she would ever have. Poppy often walked along the streets that housed the nobility, and dreamed about living in one of those grand places.
Standing on the path to one side, Poppy studied the house. Windows had curtains tugged shut still. When she'd worked with Lady Revel, they would have been opened by now.
"Good day to you, Miss March."
"Oh, Nigel, good day to you also."
Poppy had taken tea with Nigel, one of the Revel footman, and the other staff most days.
"Have you seen Lady Revel?"
The smile fell away. "No indeed, we have neither seen nor heard from her. He keeps a sour-faced woman sitting outside her door at all times. Lord Revel brought her into the house the day you left. She rarely leaves her post, and when she did, I tried the door to Lady Revel's room but it was still locked, and no sound came from within when I tapped."
"Oh dear, I do fear for Lady Revel, Nigel."
"As do we all, Miss March. But as we need our jobs, none of us want to question the new master."
"I can understand that, considering what happened to me."
The footman nodded. "We all miss you dreadfully, Miss March."
"Oh, I miss you all too, so very much," Poppy said.
"The air has a bite today; would you like to share a cup of tea with us then? I'm sure cook will have a piece of cake for you. Lord Revel has not yet risen. If you hurry around the rear he will not see you."
Poppy had been forbidden by Lord Revel to enter his house again, but Nigel was right, he would not know that she was in the servants' quarters. Just as she'd made her decision, she heard a carriage pull up behind her. She did not turn, but instead hid.
"Pretend I am not here, Nigel!"
Poppy ducked around him and down the side path, where she hid behind a row of lavender. The cover was sparse, but if no one was looking her way she would stay undetected.
Parting a few of the stems, she peeked out. Nigel had moved to open the carriage door, and Poppy saw a large, black-leather-clad foot descend. The breath lodged in her throat as she watched the man who owned those feet appear. It was him, the Lord of Night Street, Lord Dangerous.
He wore a heavy tan colored coat today; obviously, unlike her, he had more than one winter coat. It swung over his hessians as he walked passed Nigel. With a nod he acknowledged the footman, which was, Poppy had to admit, more than a lot of noblemen would do. His face was calm, and in the light of day she saw it was even more handsome than she had thought him last night. He wore a black hat and gloves, and looked every inch the wealthy nobleman.
Poppy slowly released her breath as she tried to get lower behind the lavender. She had no wish for him to see her today, not after he had told her to stay away from this house just yesterday.
He started walking toward the house, and it was as he drew level with her that he stopped. His eyes surveyed the house, climbing upward, and then he did a rotation, turning as he took in his surroundings.
Poppy drew a sharp breath and swallowed down her instinct to cough as the cold air caught in the back of her throat. Squeezing her eyes shut, she hoped that when she opened them, he would be gone.
"I believe I told you to stay away from here, Miss March."
Opening her eyes, Poppy looked up and saw he was now directly above her. Looming over her, the man looked extremely large and intimidating.
"I was passing."
"If that is the case, then why are you skulking down there behind the lavender?"
His words were polite, but his eyes told a different story. This man was used to people obeying his every word.
"Nigel asked me in for a cup of tea, and then your carriage arrived, and I feared it was Lord Revel."
"Nigel being?"
"The footman."
He looked around him, but it seemed Nigel had disappeared, and who could blame him, Poppy thought. She'd flee if she could.