“I am fine, thank you. Just a little busy, that’s all,” she replied crisply.
She stopped to cross the road, hoping he would have to continue walking, but he didn’t. By the time there was a gap in the traffic, Brampton had his elbow out in a gentlemanly fashion that was at odds with his satisfactory smirk. She eyed his elbow hesitantly. If she didn’t take it, she would snub him. If she took it, she would give the gossips something to talk about.
“Thank you, but I am perfectly capable of walking across the road,” she reported and proceeded to do just that.
&
nbsp; “I am sure you are, Ursula.” Brampton frowned off into the distance for a moment. “How is your Aunt? Is she in good health?”
“She is well, thank you,” she replied, wishing he would go away. “I am here now,” she reported from the posting office doorway. “Thank you for your escort. I am sure you have things to do, so I shall bid you a good day.”
“Not really,” Brampton replied cheerily, clearly determined not to be dismissed so easily. “I shall wait around to escort you home.”
“That will be alright. I am not heading straight home,” she replied, wondering where Trenton was. “Please don’t let me keep you.”
“I rather suspect that I have upset you in some way,” Brampton declared, having followed her into the mailing room.
“Really?” She asked with a frown. “I hardly see how you get that impression,” she sniffed and turned her attention to the man behind the counter.
To her consternation, Brampton lingered far too close for comfort and watched her post her letter like a hawk. Even to the point that he craned his neck to see who the letter was addressed to as she passed it over the counter. She frowned at him but he didn’t take the hint, merely smiled at her with a rather calculating look in his eye.
Like a dog trotting after a juicy bone, he followed her all the way out of the posting office and even had the audacity to accompany her back across the road. As soon as she reached the pavement, she turned to him, thoroughly annoyed, and determined to rid herself of him once and for all, no matter how rude she had to be.
“Thank you, once again, but I am perfectly capable of finding my own way now. Good day to you,” she said crisply and flicked him a rather insincere smile. “Come along, Molly,” she snapped.
As she turned away she saw his brows lift in surprise, but didn’t bother to wait to hear what he had to say. At the end of the road, she glanced back down the road and heaved a sigh of relief to see that Brampton had taken the hint and not followed them.
“He is over there, ma’am,” Molly reported and nodded toward Brampton, who was climbing into a large, black carriage parked on the opposite side of the street.
Ursula couldn’t see who was inside, but watched as the carriage rumbled past.
“I wonder whose carriage that is?” she mused aloud as she studied the nondescript carriage. To add to the mystery, although it was the middle of the day, the shutters drawn up preventing anyone from seeing who the occupants were.
“Disreputable rogue,” she muttered as it turned out of the end of the street. As soon as it had vanished, she heaved a sigh of relief and felt some of her earlier enjoyment return.
Unfortunately, it didn’t last long.
“Yoo-hoo. I say, Miss Proctor? Yoo-hoo.”
Ursula closed her eyes on a sigh, but didn’t stop walking. She scoured the pavement in front of her for the source of that hideous racket, but suspected that she must be behind.
“Molly?”
“Yes, miss?” the maid asked cautiously.
“Keep walking but quicken your pace. Pretend we didn’t hear her.”
“She is coming this way, miss, out of the road beside you,” the maid replied quietly.
“Don’t look that way, just keep walking.” Ursula knew it was rude to slight the woman, but just didn’t want the odious creature to ask pointed questions that were none of her business. The overly familiar manner was offensive enough, but to have to fend off unwanted questions was the last thing she wanted right now. She rather suspected that Mrs Sinnerton’s first question would be to ask where Adelaide was, and she wasn’t prepared to discuss that at the side of the road. If she was honest, it wasn’t just Mrs Sinnerton she was trying to avoid, but Alfred as well. Alfred Sinnerton gave her the creeps; not least because his continual staring was outright rude, and his conversational skills were sadly lacking too.
Unfortunately, because they hurried so much in an attempt to avoid both Brompton and the Sinnertons, they reached Adelaide’s house far earlier than Ursula was ready for.
“Do you know something, Molly? I don’t want to go back just yet,” she declared, eyeing the front door with something akin to distaste. “It’s too nice to sit around inside all by myself.” She suddenly stopped in the middle of the path and looked at the maid. “Do you have chores waiting for you?”
“Given that I am escorting you at the moment, miss, the other maids will do some of my work for me,” Molly said enthusiastically, clearly relieved not to have to go back to work.
“Good, then let’s walk the Ladies’ Mile while we are out. I have so wanted to do it, but Adelaide just can’t walk that far. If you are amenable, let’s try it.”