Blackhearts (Blackhearts, #1)(56)

walked along the busy Bristol street in the afternoon sun, Sara at her side. Aware of many disapproving looks and whispered

comments following her progression, Anne regretted her hasty

decision to leave the confines of the Drummond household,

but she’d been driven mad by her inactivity for the past four

days and had resolved to do something about it.

“You look like a princess, Miss Anne. Visiting from a far-off

land. That’s why people are staring at you so.”

Although it was nice of Sara to say, Anne knew that was

not always the case. Before, when she’d been dressed as a simple maid, she’d glowered and scowled at anyone who had dared stare at her. Now she was no longer a nameless girl among

many, but wore the clothes of a lady. Some people might be

less inclined to be discourteous to her face, but that did not





19 8


mean they accepted her. She doubted they ever would.

As long as she remained in England, she would always

stand out.

Due to the number of pedestrians crowding the streets,

Anne and Sara had left the confines of their carriage to walk

up Broad Street. Their destination was a shop located near the

parish of Saint John, a place for travelers to offer prayers before a journey.

She’d had no idea how tedious her life would become when

she’d accepted Drummond’s generosity. While she didn’t miss

Margery ordering her around, Anne realized that being indus—

trious had helped to pass the time more quickly, and now she

found herself wandering through the large rooms of the house,

not quite knowing what to do.

Drummond himself had been absent the past four days.

Despite the presence of the other maids in the house, Anne

was lonely, and she’d wished more than once that she still had

Teach’s book to read. Drummond’s library was stocked, but

nothing caught her attention like the story of Dampier’s travels.

Thoughts of the book naturally brought Teach to mind, and

Anne wondered when he would once again return home. Not

that it was any of her business. He was where he belonged, since he and Miss Patience were to be married.

The thought of Teach and Miss Patience together left a bit—

ter taste in Anne’s mouth, and she did her best to redirect her thoughts whenever they turned to him.





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“Are we almost there, Miss Anne?” Sara asked, noticeably unnerved by the number of pedestrians surrounding them.

Anne nodded. “Yes, but I’d like you to wait outside the shop

for me. It shouldn’t take long,” she said. She hoped that it wasn’t too late to retrieve the items from Drummond’s household, for it had been a month since she’d sold them.

“I’ve never seen the streets so crowded before, miss.”

“Nor I,” Anne admitted. The atmosphere among the throng

could be described as festive, with an undercurrent of expectancy, as if the crowd were waiting for something to happen.

Anne didn’t understand it and was therefore caught off guard.

As far as she knew, it wasn’t a holiday.

“How’s your mother?” Anne asked in an attempt to distract

the girl.

Sara frowned. “As well as can be expected. She’s able to get

up a bit, but she still has an awful lot of pain.”

“Perhaps you should take some time off to tend to her,”

Anne suggested.

Sara’s eyes widened. “Oh no. I can’t afford to do that, miss.

All my money goes to help her, to pay for the doctor. If I don’t work, who will?”

Sympathy tugged at Anne’s heart. “I don’t mean for you

to quit. I’m simply suggesting you take a few days to be by her side. Heaven knows I don’t need you waiting on me hand and

foot.” Aside from this excursion, Anne hadn’t gone out, except

to walk through the gardens.





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What she wanted more than anything else was to take another ride through the countryside, but Sara didn’t know how to ride, and Anne wasn’t sure she’d want Sara to accompany her

even if she could. “I shall talk to Mr. Drummond about it. I’m

sure he wouldn’t mind.”

“But I can’t afford—” Sara began.

Anne took Sara’s arm in hers. “Nonsense. I will help pay

for any missed wages. There is no need for you not to be with

your mother,” Anne insisted, knowing how important it was to

care for loved ones, especially when they were ill. Drummond

had given Anne some extra coins, in the event that he missed

something while filling her wardrobe. Like with everything else he did, he had thought of every last detail, and Anne wanted

for nothing.

Except companionship.

By sending Sara away, Anne would be sacrificing the one

person in the house with whom she could converse, but she

would feel even worse if she kept Sara by her side for selfish

reasons. In truth, it was only a superficial relationship, and a few days apart would not make much of a difference to Anne.