Persuasion in the Pantry [Maid for More #1]

Chapter 19: Sneaking around a Spy

The moon was high in the sky when Verushka scrambled through the bramble & gorse trying to find the hidden gate between the shubbery of the east line fence. The moon shone brightly above illuminating her way but the dastardly thing still eluded her grasp. It had been two days since the Duke of Bexley had stolen her book & she was not pleased. He didn't even have the decency to be present for her to yell at him. He was probably off philandering his inheritance rather than reading anyway. She resolved that he had really forced her hand when she broke into his chamber late that afternoon to find her copy of 'Jane Eyre' but all her endeavor served to do was perplex his valet, Trevor. No doubt Cain would hear all about her escapade when he returned. She shuddered at the thought.

By the evening both Mina nor Liara had returned and Verushka was going a touch stir crazy and decided the best thing to do was take Ben and Chris up on their offer and duck out to meet them. It seemed very plausible that the boys were up to no good but perhaps that was exactly what she needed. Sitting around and playing nice and waiting for a book to read hadn't gotten her much thus far.

When her feet had taken its first steps outside of the Bexley Manor she felt more free than she had in days. The maids below stairs talked almost non-stop about the Dukes impending proposal and she even heard tell that the Duchess was planning a soiree in the middle of the Season at their country house to celebrate the nuptials.

Gag.

Clearly somebody was lying and she doubted that it was the Duchess.

Verushka heard drunken laughter coming from an outcropping of the distant tree line and twisted her lips in frustration assessing the height of the fence. She took one swift leap over the rails and tumbled over snagging the trim of her dress on a rusty bent nail. With a strong tug she ripped the fabric and pulled herself free into the Bletchley Manor grounds. The boys had agreed to meet her at the boundary of the Riverstone and Bletchley properties since she was familiar with the former and they with the latter. As she neared, she spotted a small fire kindling with some dry apple tree branches that lent their perfume to the air mixing with poorly brewed ale and cider.

Ben was the first to look up from the flames. "Well, well- look who decided to join the parrrty."

Verushka returned his warm smile, amused as she was by the slight drunken slur to his speech. Sure, he wasn't bright but, by god, he was pretty to look at.

"Thanks, for the invite boys. Hope I didn't miss all the fun," she called out across the glade.

Chris strolled over to her with his shirt open to reveal his well-muscled chest and handed her a bottle of cider with an easy grin. "Nah, you only just got here so now the party can start.

Right, Ben?" He turned to his comrade.

Ben responded with a lop-sided grin.

Chris laughed under his breath and flung an arm casually over her shoulders. "So let me introduce you to the gang." He proceeded to point out the rest of the group encircling the fire in various degrees of inebriation. Some she remembered from the Riverstone house and others were entirely new faces.

At the end of the introductions Chris gave her arm a little squeeze and propelled her forward with a wink. "Go mingle little rebel. Shout if you need me to pry Ben off you."

She watched him wander over to a group of his friends and frowned a little. She had thought he would want to at least talk to her but he seemed to be off on his own mission. She shrugged without giving it any more consideration than that and headed off to catch up with some old friends.