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Clockwork Heart Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

On the floor below, both women reached the entrance hall to see the unmistakable presence of Sir Henry Lamb and his mutton chops that he was so fond of. Even as he had watched the two beauties make their grand entrance, his fingers had been stroking absently at the mutton chops adorning both sides of his face.

“Ladies, are you ready to go?” He asked after he had stepped forth and placed warm dry kissed onto the backs of both of their hands. “I’m afraid we all have been running dreadfully behind today so if you have anything that needs doing, can it please be done with haste.”

Millie rolled her eyes at the man before crossing through the foyer and picking up two pairs of her binoculars from a small table that stood solitary at the side of the room. They eyes glasses had been commissioned by her friend at the market but their multi-purpose design meant that they would do for such occasions as the opera as well as for spying on the neighbours if she so wished.

“Those are interesting,” The man put in lamely when she returned to the waiting group and handed over the second set to her friend.

“Thank you,” Millie nodded her head before turning her gaze towards the door, or more importantly Percy. He was in full uniform and was stood by the door with his back straight, no expression upon his face and his chin tilted to the air. “Shall we go. After all, we wouldn’t want to be late.”

Sir Henry, who had been looking a little too much at her governess, startled back a few steps and nodded his head. “Yes, of course.”

He blustered about for a few moments, his cheeks puffing up as he blushed before he finally clicked across the tiled floor towards Percy. Taking his cue seamlessly, Percy stretched out an arm and pulled open the door wide enough so that everyone could pass through without brushing their skirts against him. Millie headed the back of the group and as she passed by him the pair exchanged glances, hers with raised brows and lips that were twitching to smile while he allowed himself to twinkle his brown eyes at her before nodding his head and pressing his lips together. Within a second he was back to playing butler once more and he closed the door swiftly behind them all.

Now all Millie had to look forward to were several hours in the company of her nervous caregiver and the eccentric man who would probably spend most of it looking at Emma out of the corner of his eyes but too much of a fool to do anything about it.

As she sat in the back of the coach, who had been eccentric in its own right, the blonde allowed herself to sit back and enjoy the peace while it lasted. She would no doubt have to be charming and smile at the right places when they reached the theatre. It was one of the most popular forms of entertainment among the wealthy which meant she was about to endure several hours of people trying to prove that they were better than her or had more things than she did.

With a clatter and a bang, the coach clicked a few times around them all before it pulled to a stop. A quick glance out of the window revealed a large two story building, illuminated brightly even in the early evening air by hundreds carefully disguised lamps.

 Dozens of people were stood outside, chatting loudly and laughing even louder. The scene was infectious and yet set dread in the pit of Millie’s stomach. The door was pulled open before she could even think of saying she was ill and instead she was forced from the carriage as the coachman held his hand out to her, beckoning her from the safety.

As she waited for the other’s to disembark, the young woman, dressed in green silk taffeta for the evening, swept over to the staircase which lead to the front terrace. Waiters were ambling around collecting glasses that had been discarded around as well as taking barked orders from every other person as they swept past. She knew people waited here, though they probably wouldn’t recognise her because how could someone who rubbed shoulders with them all and drank Madame Mo’s moonshine as well as the rest of them could be a well to do lady with more money than sense.