Views from the Tower Read Online Free PDF Page A

terrier had been entirely to blame for that debacle.
    At the moment, Lucinda’s plans for finding adventure were not very grand. The consisted merely of sidling her way around the crowded ballroom and through the glass doors that led out onto a large patio for a breath of fresh air. By herself. Away from the watchful eyes of her mother. Away from the suitors who were more interested in her father’s position than in her. Away from the gossipy whispers of her fellow debutants. If she could grasp five minutes out of the entire night just for herself, she would feel like she had won a small victory.
    Lucinda kept a wary eye on her mother as she edged her way ever closer to the doors. She should be fine if she could get back before the next set started and whoever she was engaged to for the dance came looking to claim her hand. She didn’t bother to check her dance card to see which gentleman’s name was beside the dance. None of the gentlemen sparked her interest at all, so it did not really matter which name was next, it promised to be a dull exercise.
    She breathed a sigh of relief as she slipped out of the door and closed it quietly behind her. The air in London was nothing compared to the clean, crisp air at her father’s country estate, but it was still fresher than the inside of a ballroom. The patio was wide and blessedly empty, as was, it seemed, the large garden that sprawled out in front of it. Lucinda lifted her face up to the night sky. She wished more than anything to be back home, where no one cared about her occasional little mishap.
    Lucinda stiffened as she heard the handle of the glass doors turning behind her. She didn’t want to be caught out here by herself. If it was her mother or one of her mother’s friends looking for her, she could be in serious trouble. If it was one of her suitors, she could be in even more trouble. Before she could order her jumbled thoughts, her feet started moving. She ran down the few steps into the large garden.
    Stupid, stupid, she silently berated herself. It would be infinitely worse to be caught alone in a darkened garden than on a well lit patio, but her feet didn’t seem interested in listening to reason. They fled, her dancing slippers making no sound, down one of the many pathways in the garden, into the darker recesses of the garden.
    She could hear voices behind her—the lower rumble of a man’s voice, and the higher pitched laugh of a woman. It sounded as if they’d left the patio as well. Oh, wonderful! Had they decided the garden would be the perfect place for an assignation? Lucinda grimaced in frustration.
    She could still hear the voices coming ever nearer; it felt like they were chasing her farther into the garden. So she skirted around the fountain in the center of the garden and headed for the darkest path, hoping to stay out of sight. The man’s voice was louder now, sounding urgent and almost angry. Lucinda paused, straining to hear. They weren’t moving toward her anymore; they must have stopped by the fountain. She couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, so she crept back the way she had come.
    The man was definitely angry. He seemed to be repeating a question over and over, but Lucinda could only pick out a word here or there. The woman’s replies were more quiet and completely indecipherable. Both voices sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place them.
    There was a bright flash of light. It caught Lucinda so off guard that she let out a squeak of surprise. She clapped her hand over her mouth as she furiously blinked in an attempt to dispel the colored shapes dancing across her vision.
    There didn’t seem to be anyone left near the fountain. Lucinda glanced around furtively before walking around the fountain and back toward the path she’d originally started down. She heard a splash and jumped about half a foot in the air before whirling around. A frog sat on the edge of the fountain. Lucinda let out a small laugh. The frog