Truce (Neighbor from Hell #4)(7)

An hour later, Elizabeth and her maid carried several large parcels out of the shop. She stopped in front of the store and looked around. Toby was nowhere to be found.

“I told you, Elizabeth. You’re far too trusting,” Heather said with a sniff as she walked past her carrying nothing. She walked arm in arm with their mother towards their next destination. A footman carried their large pile of parcels to the carriage.

“I was sure he would remain, m’lady,” her maid said with a smile that said otherwise.

“I was too,” she said, sighing heavily as she held the parcels higher. “No use fussing over it. What’s done is done.”

In truth, she didn’t mind one bit. If he’d returned, she would have found a way to give him more money without insulting his pride, but if he needed to leave then that was fine. She had no doubt the boy would use the money to fill his tummy and that was all she cared about.

“M’lady!” a small voice called out, sounding anxious and out of breath.

Elizabeth looked over her shoulder to see Toby running towards her. His brown hair was windblown and his pale grey eyes were as round as saucers. “I’m so sorry, m’lady!”

She nodded and handed her packages over to the boy. “That’s fine. You’re here now,” she said, smiling down at the boy, pleased that he’d returned.

“I was so worried you’d find another lad. I swear that I tried to get back sooner, m’lady.”

“What took you so long?” her maid rudely asked.

Elizabeth threw her a look of warning. That seemed to work, but unfortunately not before Toby’s hopeful expression turned worried.

“I'm sorry. Timmy isn’t used to a full stomach so I had to see him home," he explained in a rush.

“That’s fine, Toby. I quite understand. Shall we be off?” Elizabeth said with a smile, hoping to change the subject so that Toby would stop worrying about being replaced.

He nodded. “Which one is your carriage, m'lady?”

She gestured to the black carriage across the busy street that bore her family’s seal. With a nod, Toby took off running across the street and nearly gave Elizabeth heart failure when he narrowly missed getting struck by a passing carriage. He quickly handed the packages over to the coachman, ran back to take her maid's packages and delivered them to the carriage. When he was done, he returned to Elizabeth's side and walked with her to the next shop.

For the next three hours Toby was at her beck and call. He never complained about the number of packages or the length of the wait. When they were done for the day Elizabeth turned her back on her mother while they got into the carriage. Toby stood in front of her, shifting nervously.

“I'm sorry I was late,” he said softly.

She gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. Do you know where Belford Manor is?”

He stood straight and nodded. “Well, if you can find Belford Manor tonight, go around the back to the kitchen and tell them Lady Elizabeth sent you. They shall have some very delicious treats for you,” she promised him, hoping the kitchen staff would do more than just give the boy some treats.

“Really?”

“Yes," she smiled, "and I suspect if you were to offer some help, you'd earn some food to take home to your friends.”

"I will! I'll work real hard!" he said excitedly.

She reached into her reticule and pulled out a pound note. She handed it to the boy. “This is for doing such a fine job, Toby. Next time I’m shopping I shall ask for you by name.”

His fingers shook as he reached out for the note. He looked as if he thought this might be some cruel joke. “Go on, take it,” she encouraged him. He did, slowly.

“Thank you, m’lady,” he said, looking up at her. Elizabeth had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying. Toby smiled shyly at her as if she were an angel.

“Go on now. Take care of yourself, Toby, and make sure to come by for some food.”

He nodded firmly. “I will, m’lady.”

He watched as she climbed into her carriage with the help of her coachman. He quickly hid the note in his shoe and walked away, smiling.

Chapter 3

“Oh, do stop pouting, Robert,” his mother said teasingly.

He glared at her from across the carriage. “I am not pouting,” he said firmly. “I just don’t understand why…no, let me fix that, how you managed to talk me into this.”

With a delicate shrug of her shoulders she explained, “While you’re in town you will spend some time with your family. Besides, you’re twenty-nine years old and should really make an appearance or two in society if you ever plan on making a good match.”

He opened his mouth to once again point out that he had no plans of marrying unless he absolutely had to, but she wasn’t done.

“It won’t kill you to attend a few balls, dinners, and the theatre to help James find a new wife. It looks good for him to have a close family. It makes mothers feel more at ease to have their daughter’s courted by suitors who come from a good family.”

James groaned next to him and he couldn’t help but feel bad for his brother. Years ago their mother had hounded James incessantly until he’d finally married. Robert had a feeling that his brother had married simply to get their mother to stop harassing him. Hell, he would do the same if she ever started on him, but thankfully she felt that he was too young to make any woman a good husband.