The Husband Hunt Page 0,2

Gentle ladies simply did not travel unescorted in London.

Sighing, she finally nodded. "Very well, you may accompany me."

"Thank you," Bet said dryly and fell into step beside her as soon as Lisa began to move. "Now, where are we going?"

"To visit a friend," Lisa answered, a smile slowly claiming her lips. Now that she was on her way, she was actually looking forward to the visit. She had found Mrs. Morgan's company stimulating and entertaining in the country and expected it would be the same in the city.

"Is it far?" Bet asked with interest.

"No. Mrs. Morgan promised to have her carriage wait around the corner," Lisa admitted, biting her lip.

"Mrs. Morgan?" the maid asked with a sudden frown. "Not that lady what had her carriage break down at Madison Manor back three years ago? The one the men were all goggling over until his lordship had them take her and her carriage into the village to be repaired?"

"Yes," Lisa answered, her chin rising in response to the maid's obvious disapproval.

"Are you sure we should be visiting her?" Bet asked with a frown. "Mrs. Simms said Mrs. Morgan wasn't proper company for young ladies when she was at the house. She said - "

"I'm not interested in Mrs. Simm's gossip," Lisa said with a frown, wondering why the housekeeper would disapprove. She didn't know the woman had given her the banned book. In fact, Mrs. Simms had barely met Mrs. Morgan in passing when her carriage had broken down on Madison land and been brought to the house.

"But - " the maid said with a frown.

"Hush. There is the carriage," Lisa murmured as they reached the corner and she spotted the black carriage with the dark drapes at the windows. "Come."

Leaving the maid to hurry behind her, Lisa rushed to the carriage.

"Lady Madison?" The driver asked, moving to open the door even as he asked the question.

Lisa smiled and nodded, then quickly climbed into the carriage.

"Say, I was, only told to expect just the one lady today," the driver said, blocking the way when Bet made to follow her in.

"She is with me," Lisa said with a frown, half rising from the bench seat she'd just settled on. "It isn't proper for a lady to travel without her maid."

The man hesitated, but then moved out of the way with a sigh, and muttered, "All right, but Mrs. Morgan isn't going to like it."

Lisa frowned at the claim, then smiled encouragingly at her maid as she climbed in to claim the bench seat opposite her, "I'm sure she wouldn't expect me to come completely alone."

The man merely shook his head and closed the door.

Lisa and Bet exchanged an uncertain glance at that reaction and then the coach rocked as the driver reclaimed his perch. When the carriage began to move, they could do little but settle back in their seats. However, Lisa was suddenly a tad nervous, worried that Mrs. Morgan would be annoyed with her for bringing Bet along on this visit. Though, she couldn't imagine why.

While Lisa had often left Bet to shop in the village while she'd visited Mrs. Morgan at the inn during the five days the woman had been stranded there waiting for her carriage to be repaired, she had taken her with her a time or two as well. And what was proper, or at least ignored, in the country was different than what was allowed in London. Surely her friend wouldn't expect her to come alone in the city? While it had been her original intention, now that Bet had made her comments about what was proper here, Lisa had to agree her first plan of going alone had been rather foolish and thoughtless. That sort of thing could ruin a girl's reputation, and really, the family had narrowly escaped several scandals now as it was.

The ride to Mrs. Morgan's took a surprisingly long time. At least it seemed a long time to Lisa who sat fretting in the back of the carriage with an obviously worried Bet. It didn't help that the drapes were closed and they had nothing to look at to pass the time. But they didn't dare pull them open and look out for fear of being recognized and the news of this excursion somehow making it's way back to her sister and brother-in-law.

Lisa grimaced at the very idea, her hands tightening around the gift she'd brought for Mrs. Morgan. It was a small thing really, a book she thought