“No,” Georgiana replied solemnly but saw no reason to tell this total stranger why not. It was none of his business. She hoped her silence assured him of her reluctance to tell him anything. Unfortunately, he ignored the hint and nodded thoughtfully as he looked out of the window. Then he tried again.
“My name is Henry Parker,” he announced with a kindly smile.
“Georgiana Bentley,” she murmured politely, but that was all she was going to divulge.
“Do you plan to alight at Tensign?” he asked thoughtfully.
Georgiana shook her head. “No.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him of her destination but then she closed her mouth with a snap and turned her attention back to the scenery outside the window. She hoped that by keeping her answers short and succinct he would take the hint. After several moments of silence, she heaved a sigh of relief that he wasn’t going to keep prying.
“That is a deep sigh, young lady,” Mr Parker murmured gently. “Far too deep for someone of your age.”
“My age?” she asked incredulously.
Mr Parker leaned forward. “Not married,” he corrected politely.
“How do you know I am not married?” Georgiana asked pertly.
“Because no sane man would leave a delightful young woman such as you to travel alone,” Mr Parker informed her bluntly. “You seem pensive. Are you expecting someone to come looking for you? An errant lover perhaps?”
Georgiana lifted her brows at him. The slight twinkle in his gaze assured her that he was teasing her in an attempt to break the silence so she forced herself to relax and enjoy the conversation. After all, there was nothing else to do during the journey except stare outside of the window and become increasingly aware of how uncomfortable she was.
“Should I?”
“Oh, come now,” Mr Parker murmured as he ran an assessing gaze over her. “I don’t mean to be impertinent but you are a well-dressed young woman who has obviously come from a loving home. You are out here, unchaperoned, going Heaven only knows where. Are you running away?”
“I don’t see how that is any of your concern,” Georgiana snapped.
Mr Parker lifted a placatory hand up. “I don’t want to overset you. I am just making observations. It is what I do; observe people. They can be the most interesting species sometimes; people.”
Georgiana nodded. “They can be overbearing, rude, and stupid too.”
Mr Parker nodded thoughtfully. “So it is best to try to avoid them,” he mused aloud.
“I shouldn’t expect you to understand,” she replied quietly.
“Oh? Why is that?”
Georgiana looked at him. “Because you are a man and have the ability to make decisions for yourself. Just because I am a female people immediately assume that I am incapable of, well, everything.”
“So you are here to prove a point,” the man replied matter-of-factly.
“No, I am here to do something for myself for a change. I am t
ired of having my life decided for me and being ignored for the person I am,” she huffed.
Georgiana realised from the silence that followed her outburst that she had said far too much and forced herself to stay quiet when she would have said more.
“So you are going on this little adventure to find your own way,” Mr Parker replied with a wry smile. “Might I enquire where you intend to go?”
Georgiana scowled at him. “Why? I cannot see that is any of your business.”
Mr Parker shrugged. “I am just making conversation. I find these journeys frightfully boring.” When Georgiana didn’t reply, he tried another tack. “I am here because I am returning from a journey by the sea. I have been to visit my son who has just had a child. Well, his wife has. While I have enjoyed my time there, I will be pleased to return to my home. I never sleep properly unless I am in my own bed, and can never relax completely unless I am in my own home.”
“I have never encountered any such problem,” she mused. “In fact, I don’t care where I sleep as long as I don’t have to spend my days looking at material for dresses and being told what to do by Cecily.”
“Cecily?” Mr Parker looked at her enquiringly.