Best Laid Plans (A Gentleman of Misfortune, Book 2)

Chapter Three

Within four days of Ward asking if I would accompany him to Bath, we set off to that destination. As much as Ward tried to talk me into traveling by mail coach, I held firm on hiring a coach. I was not a fan of being uncomfortable when there was a better option at hand. In the end, I won out.

Ward arranged to have his mount, Tesoro, brought to Bath behind us. I weighed the pros and cons of whether to have Phaeton brought at the same time as well. But decided it would be more expense than it was really worth. He would be happier in the country and if I had need of a mount, no doubt I would be able to hire something suitable for my needs.

Each night of our journey, I retired long before Ward did. In fact, most evenings I had no idea when he left the card games. He was ready to continue on each morning, though, and didn't seem to show any effects of lost sleep from such late nights and early rising.

Knowing that anything can happen on a journey, I was relieved when no misadventure befell us out of the ordinary way. No highwayman held us up and demanded our money. Our horses were healthy and strong, and we did not tip over. While not always in the best repair, the roads did not cause damage to our coach.

Still, it was a relief when we arrived in Bath. Ward made a pleasant enough travel companion but after several days even his conversation had become repetitive.

Our first night was spent in the Royal Belle. The following morning I set out to explore some of the area. I didn't know what Ward had planned, but he set off at the same time. He went one way and I in the complete opposite direction.

Although it would have been more comfortable to rent a dwelling, I was assured it would be next to impossible to find a house on the right street or area. I'd made do with staying several weeks at an inn while I was in other countries, so it was familiar enough to me that I didn't mind the arrangement. Given that I'd had my way over our mode of travel and I didn't know how long we would remain in Bath, I decided to let it go.

The sun shone down and a fresh breeze hit my face as I set off. It felt good to be active instead of sitting in a moving carriage, and I was fond of walking. In each city I had stopped at on my Grand Tour, I'd had foregone the assistance of any guide and explored on my own. Perhaps not the wisest choice, but I had come unscathed.

As I walked, I was astonished at how many young people were also walking along the pavement. I wasn't sure why but I had expected to find the society of Bath to be made up with elderly gentlemen and ladies who came to take the water. Perhaps it would be more entertaining than I had thought.

Just in time, I caught sight of a boy dodging around people and sprang out of his way. In his hand was a rather nice cane, and I could only assume he'd stolen it from some unsuspecting gentleman. My first impulse was to attempt catching him but gave it up as an impossible task. No one was chasing after him, after all, so whoever owned the cane must not have thought it important enough to pursue.

With no particular destination, I admired the architecture of the buildings I passed. Before I knew it, I had reached the Pultney Bridge. Though it crossed my mind to explore the other side but I decided to leave that for another day. After all, I could not do everything in one day.

I turned and went back the way I'd come. A carriage with an unfamiliar crest of the door passed by getting my attention. Thus, as I went around the corner, I was distracted and didn't see a tall gentleman coming from the opposite direction. We collided, and I only remained upright by grabbing the man's shoulders.

"Forgive me, sir," I said immediately. I was the one at fault, after all. I released him and stepped back. "I was not attending to where I was. No harm meant."