Rogues, Rakes & Jewels

It dawned on Elizabeth then, and she silently chastised herself as she said softly, “Ah, of course, it is Ryker.” A small, sweet smile curved Elizabeth’s mouth. “What was I thinking? I should have immediately realized …”

Jewels sighed. “Yes, it is Ryker, and I have been a fool, for he is no more than … than a rogue and a libertine and—”

“Oh, I think you are wrong, so very wrong. He is the best of good gentlemen, and I don’t see him playing fast and loose with a woman, no, I don’t,” Elizabeth said gently.

“Don’t you?” Jewels sighed. “You don’t see it, but I know otherwise …”

“Well, I suppose you might think you know better, but I believe that sometimes when we are too close to a situation we often do not see at all.” She said with conviction while patting Jewel’s hand, “And it fits so I shall use the old cliché, you have missed the forest for the trees, my dear.”

“Well, as to that, I don’t know what that really means … never did, but this tree is a libertine.”

“Do you really think so, or is that what you fear?” Lizzie forced her cousin to look at her.

Jewels felt a moment’s confusion. Her heart told her there was more to this than met her usually discerning eye, but her mind demanded that she look at the cold, hard facts. She sighed heavily and said, “Never mind, angel mine—what I need is a little time to myself … go on, do. I shall be down in a few moments, as suddenly I am quite ravenous.”

“Good girl, that is what you need, a little food, for, Jewels, you are looking too thin …” Lizzie stood up. “Right then, I shall expect to see you shortly. Otherwise I am coming back to fetch you,” she warned.

Jewels smiled, gave her cousin’s hand a squeeze, and sighed sadly. Well, at least she would see Ben and dear Elizabeth happily engaged before l

ong …

*

“Well, you shouldn’t wear it! Makes you look a coxcomb.” Jimmy snorted out the words between a laugh and a shake of his head.

“No, it doesn’t, James—really, that is too bad of you,” Arthur answered in shocked terms. “’Tis the highest kick of fashion.”

“No, it isn’t—at least, not in that quantity and manner. I mean, just look at all that stuffing, Art …” Jimmy cast his eyes disparagingly over Arthur’s shoulders. “Ain’t seemly, ol’ friend—give you my word. Look at any man of Corinthian fashion, and you won’t see him using all that buckram and wadding!” He grinned. “Did you have a good look at Ryker? Did you see any padding at his shoulders? No, you did not!”

“Well, he has shoulders, after all,” Arthur answered, grumbling. “And ’tis easy for you, Jimmy. You ain’t condemned to round shoulders. I am. Don’t like the look of my shoulders stooping. Buckram and wadding fixes that right and tight!”

Jimmy shook his head, but something else had taken hold of his attention. They approached a milestone indicating that Trowbridge was some thirty miles, and he frowned. Something from his youth clicked, and he turned to frown at his friend. “Trowbridge? Odd that—are you sure we are heading in the right direction?”

“Of course … read the guide, didn’t I?”

“Hmm … here, give it over a moment,” Sir James said, reaching.

He scanned the guide map with his finger tracing a line before he released a disgusted exclamation. “Clunch … damn it to bloody hell! We are heading in the wrong direction!” He traced the map with his finger again and sighed. “We should have taken the last fork to Swindon. Fool … we need to get to Swindon, where they have a station set up to receive entrance fees.”

Arthur’s eyes opened wide, and he said in an abashed tone, “Yes … I remember now … Swindon.”

“Dolt, if ever there was such a Noddy … well, never mind then—we’ll backtrack.”

“Happen it is a good thing,” Arthur said thoughtfully.

Jimmy looked as though he were about to rip through him but settled for rapping his friend across his buckram and wadding. “A good thing?”

“We will take ’em by surprise now …”

“Take who by surprise …?” Jimmy regarded his long-time and dearest friend as though he had lost his mind.

“I know you haven’t taken me seriously, but … the hairs at the back of my neck don’t lie, Jimmy. Someone is following us …”

Jimmy eyed him suspiciously. “Art, never say you made us go the wrong way on purpose just to prove this theory of yours?”

“No, no never thought of it. Not needle-witted like you, but seems to be … expedient.”

*