A Regency era courtesan gives up her empire for love and discovers how truly binding her connections are to the noblemen she used to serve.
*****
In the sequel to Courte...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
~ Wednesday May 5, 1813 ~
Breakfast awaited us when I entered the dining room with Alice. Jules had already arrived and sat behind a newspaper, while the strong scent of coffee wafted from his cup.
"Is that coffee you're drinking?" I asked as I took my seat beside him.
"Yes. It's a staple for most military men. The tea they serve in the barracks is rubbish."
"I do remember that a number of nurses on board the Surety brought their own tea."
Jules lifted his head from the paper and laid it aside, stunning me with a smile I had not expected. "Did you two get any sleep? Or did you stay up and talk about wedding plans all night?"
"We slept," said Alice. "Why do you ask? Do we look unrested?"
"Not at all. I just assumed your enthusiasm continued after I left."
"Can you blame her? She is to be married to a lord in just seven weeks' time." I smiled as I gave Alice's hand a squeeze under the table.
"I don't blame her a bit. It's clear this is what she wants. And I have already arranged to leave the barracks for the weekend. I can be in Oxford late evening on Friday, if that suits you, Alice."
"Oh, indeed it does. Your carriage will take you past London. Perhaps, we can all share a coach from there."
Jules nodded. "Send a missive with the details and I will follow your directives. Now, we should enjoy our meals before I am forced to leave."
A somewhat sober mood took over from there, and Jules left me with a discreet kiss on the hand and instructions that I take care when we parted at the walk. I tried not to worry about his state of mind, and later, while Alice arranged the items in her travel bag, I sat at the writing desk penning a missive to General Hayes.
I felt compelled to deliver an apology for upsetting him in front of his peers, and now that my stay had been cut short, I made the decision to manage it before I left. I could not bear to think of him carrying such bitterness toward me if he believed me to be his long-lost granddaughter.
When Alice and I stood at the reception desk to check out, I enquired with Anne where I might find the general's home, knowing full well that an interrogation would follow.
"You wish to visit the general before you leave?" she asked.
"I just want to hand deliver a missive to him. I expect he will not be interested in a visit."
Anne's eyes lowered to her hands. "I heard he left the pub in a distressed state after meeting you. I am sorry the reunion did not go well."
"You say reunion as if we had met before."
"I suppose I misspoke. I only meant it as two family members coming together for the first time."
"Well, if you heard what happened in the pub, you also know that he does not believe us to be kin. I just wish to apologize to him. And this letter will do that without putting him under more stress. Please...can you share the address? Oh, and I would like a dozen tea cakes to take home with us."
