Petticoat Rebellion Read Online Free PDF Page A

gentleman, it deepened to a scowl. It didn’t take some men long to sniff out a lightskirt. The circus was not even set up yet, and already this one was making his assignation for after the show.
    He lifted his curled beaver, smiled, and said, “Good afternoon, ma’am.”
    After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “Good day,”in a curt voice, and hurried on.
    The man followed close behind her. “Is there some trouble?”he asked. “You seem—harried.”His voice was a well-modulated, deep drawl.
    She stopped walking and turned to face him. She
already had a general impression of a tall, well-
built man in a blue jacket. On closer inspection,
she noticed that the jacket was of finest Bath cloth,
hugging a pair of broad shoulders. The cravat was
immaculate and intricately arranged. A glint of
gold at his waistcoat hinted at an expensive watch
in his pocket.
    When he removed his curled beaver,
his raven hair glinted with iridescence in the sunlight. Something in his general appearance reminded her of O’Leary. He had O’Leary’s flashing
eyes and encroaching manner, but a closer look
showed her his eyes were a deep, huckleberry blue, while a certain stiffness, a sense of condescension, told her his social position was quite different from a circus manager’s.
    “There is no trouble, thank you.”
    “Then, I suggest you not linger about here. A circus under construction is no fit place for a lady—especially unchaperoned.”
    “Nor is the dancers’tent a fit place for a gentleman,”she retorted, and brushed past him.
    When she heard him following behind her, she felt a little thrill of triumph. Despite her plain suit and uncurled hair, this dasher was interested enough to follow her! He put his hand on her elbow and drew her to a halt. “I must take exception to that speech, miss! There are plenty of gentlemen loitering about the dancers’tent.”
    As she shook off his hand, she looked over his shoulder to the tent and replied with great condescension, “The ones peeking at the naked women are mostly ragged ‘gentlemen’ten or twelve years of age.”
    “You are right to be annoyed with them. A gentleman of any age ought to see to his toilette before calling on a woman.”She sniffed but did not deign to reply to this. “You must be a local lady,”he said. “Do I know you?”
    She turned and walked away. He followed. “Apparently, your circle of female acquaintances does not extend so far as Maidstone,”she said.
    A throaty chuckle came over her shoulder. “Au contraire! To Maidstone and considerably beyond, though I have not seen you there, or I would remember. So you are from Maidstone. Are you visiting locally?”
    “In a manner of speaking,”she replied vaguely, for to tell him she was visiting Penfel might give him an unrealistic notion of her social status. She was only there as a working guest.
    As they moved beyond the throng, he stepped up beside her and glanced down at her in a flirtatious manner. “But how intriguing! You must be visiting the vicar. I heard he had a niece visiting.”
    “Why do you think that?”
    His bold eyes darted over her bonnet, her gown, and back up to her eyes. “An educated guess.”
    So that was his assessment of her toilette! Suitable for a vicar’s niece. Well, at least he had not taken her for a schoolmistress. “No, I am not acquainted with the local vicar.”
    “Would your host be Mr. Rogers, the solicitor?”he ventured. She ignored him. “One more guess. One is always allowed three shots in the fairy tales. I have it! You are Sir Harry Felcombe’s new governess!”
    “Actually, I am a guest at Penfel Hall,”she said, omitting “in a manner of speaking”this time.
    His raised eyebrows suggested not only disbelief, but amusement. “The quality of guests at Penfel Hall has certainly improved since last I was there!”
    She stopped and looked all around.
    “What are you looking for?”he asked.
    “A dog.”
    “Any particular dog, or do you