Realm 06 - A Touch of Love Read Free Page B

knew his father held no desire to travel, but the baron would not thwart his wife’s desires; and, likewise, Fernalia Lowery would neverrelent. The baroness meant for each of her children to know the solace of their father’s absence, and for that simple gesture, Carter thanked her.

    A cold January wind barreled between the closely packed buildings to send the rotted twigs and leaves skipping along the street. Hundreds of feet smashed everything upon which they trod, as the people rushed to work and errands. Lucinda Warren stepped from the boarding house’s front door. Despite the chill, she kept her head high. Her father’s voice reminded Lucinda how people never accosted a person who appeared in charge. Glancing about the street, she certainly hoped the colonel had known of what he spoke. Her new quarters had been a major step down from what she had left behind, but she had possessed no choice. She must know economy if she were to survive.
    She caught the child’s hand and started forward. In the week the boy had remained with her, she could count on one hand the number of conversations they had exchanged. It was not as if the child was disrespectful or even withdrawn. Simon said “thank you,” “please,” “you are welcome,” and “pardon me” on a regular basis; yet, Lucinda knew very little of the boy’s early years or of his home. It was as if the person who had deposited the child upon Lucinda’s doorstep had instructed the boy not to disclose any information.
    “Are you warm enough?” Lucinda glanced toward the child beside her. He half hid in her skirt tails as he scrambled to keep up with her pace. Regretting her haste, Lucinda slowed her step.
    Dutifully, the boy said, “Yes, Ma’am.” The child had carried a small satchel when she had discovered him outside her door. It contained only two shirts, but Lucinda had taken one of her older gowns and made the boy several serviceable shirts of a dark green color. With each, she had created a lining of a sleeveless shirt for Simon to wear beneath his new ones for an extra layer of warmth. London could be quite brutally cold during the winter months, especially for someone unaccustomed to its dampness, and from the way Simon sat close to the hearth for its warmth, she suspected the boy had known kinder weather in his former home.
    She tightened her grip on the boy’s hand as they reached the cross street. “Today shall be a short jaunt into our new environs,” Lucinda said as she leaneddown to assure the child. Flat wagons and horses rushed past in a whirlwind of drab colors. With the boy by her side, Lucinda would require a larger opening to cross through the workday traffic. The child’s shorter gait would cause her to adjust her step. “Stay close,” she said softly to the child’s ear, “and be aware of all the moving carts.” The boy nodded his understanding as his eyes grew in size. “After the next wagon,” Lucinda announced.
    As she stepped from the curb–in anticipation of the their sprint, Lucinda tugged gently to nudge the boy into action. When the wagon cleared their position, she set a quick pace. Thankfully, the boy followed her example. Within seconds, they reached the opposing side, and Lucinda released the breath she held. Pausing briefly, she straightened her shoulders before entering the side street sporting several makeshift stalls, which displayed less than fresh vegetables. She sighed with resignation as she inspected the offerings. The life she had known as a child, one of the country gentry, often felt as if she had been another person completely. When Matthew Warren had announced his intention to buy a commission in the British military, Lucinda had not blinked a lash. Instead, she had accepted her duty, first to finish her years in the schoolroom, and then to follow her husband’s unit; after all, she was the daughter of Colonel and Mrs. Roderick Rightnour. Her mother, the fourth daughter of Viscount Ross, had