Page 75 of The Beauty and the Boxer
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I did, you might tell Meredithand then my only secret will be exposed.” She sighed. “As for how Igot into the club, I just changed my accent.”
He squinted up at her questionably.
“Taylors and their bloody secrets,” hemuttered, not forgetting that Sarah had been a gossip columnist forseveral years, using the pseudonym Paula Pry. “Your entire lot arenothing but a bunch of troublemaking wenches.”
Oddly enough, that earned him a satisfiedgrin from Beatrice.
“I’ve never been called a wench before, Mr.Archer,” she said as he climbed up behind her. “I’ve also neverridden two to a horse.”
Rolling his eyes, Jack kicked Drachma’s sideand he took off in a blink of an eye, startling Beatrice.
Chapter Sixteen
Meredith had decided to meet Clyde at theSwan on Stokes Pub, a working man’s tavern in the Northern part ofthe city first thing the next morning. After the shock of receivinghis letter the night before wore off, she had sent a note straightaway, confirming a meeting time. The Swan on Stokes Pub was somedistance from the center of the city, but it had a reputation forbeing in a seedy part of town. Bristol was rather dubiously knownfor being a tough city and while most of the local landed gentryand businessmen kept to the middle of the city, surrounded by theworking class, the further parts of town consisted of taverns anddilapidated buildings and boarding houses—shoddy lodgings wheresomeone could pay a penny a night to sleep in a bed.
She had neverbeen to this part of Bristol, but she hadn’t wished to bediscovered by anyone she knew. Meredith had taken the chaisecarriage, a two-wheeled vehicle, to just around the corner from theArcher Brother offices, where she paid the driver a guinea to stayuntil her return. Then she walked down the road and took a hackneynorth. She was sure that it would be unlikely to meet anyone of hersocial circle around here.
A frigid gust of wind blew upon Meredith’sarrival to the tavern. She climbed out of the hackney, tighteningthe dark grey cloak around her shoulders as a few loose strands ofhair whipped across her face. She had dressed in her dreariestgown, hoping not to draw too much attention to herself.
Meredith felt her stomach drop as sheentered the building, that blessedly was nearly empty save a tavernowner, who was wiping down a table and a man, sleeping against thefar wall, propped against it. After six years of complete silence,that Clyde should show up now made her nauseated. Of course, hewould. He was probably lying in wait, hoping that she would need adivorce so that he could prey on her would-be spouse. Well, he wassorely mistaken if he thought she would pay him anything. Godwilling, he'd see that she had no wish to marry anyone and he wouldleave her alone.
The tavern owner watched her as she movedthrough the room.
“We’re not quite open, yet, ma’am,” hesaid.
“Oh, if you please, I’m supposed to meetsomeone here,” she said. “We shan’t be in your way.”
The man made a face, but then his browlifted.
“Very well. Two pints it is.”
“Oh, but,” she started when she realizedthat she would have to pay to stay. She smiled meekly. “Yes. Thankyou.”
She took a seat in the corner of the room asthe tavern owner brought her two mugs of what she assumed was beer.She nodded her thanks and paid him two shillings as she watched thedoor.
She didn’t have to wait long for Clyde toarrive. He wore a green jacket, matching top hat and acream-colored vest. She hadn’t seen his face when he first walkedinto the pub, but she was sure it was him from the way he walked.He had always had a bounce to his heels, a sort of laisse-faireattitude about him that hadn’t diminished these six years.
He spoke first to the tavern owner, whopointed in Meredith’s direction and their eyes met. Meredith felther body began to buzz in the same uncomfortable way it did rightbefore she became sick. She took a long, steady breath as she triedto focus on the task at hand as he approached her. As she glared upat him, she noticed how much he had changed.
Clyde had once had a healthy stature withthick flax colored hair that had dulled and thinned since last shelaid eyes on him. Now he appeared as if he had lost two stone atleast and his smile hadn’t changed, charming as it always had been.His eyes were colder and more distant than she remembered. Orperhaps she hadn’t ever noticed how calculating they had beenbefore.
“Wife,” he said as he came up to her table,bowing slightly before taking a seat. “My, you haven’t aged aday.”
“Don’t call me that,” she said stiffly,unwilling to give any leniency to him. “We were hardlymarried.”
“Oh, but we were,” he said slyly, glancingher over. “Consummated and all.”
A vile taste came to Meredith’s mouth as hesmiled at her.
“What do you want, Clyde?”
“It’s not what I want, my dear. It’s whatyou want,” he said, reaching into his pocket. Upon closerinspection, his clothes seemed somewhat threadbare. He smoothed outa page before him. “It seems Sir Kent has set his cap for you.”
“Hardly,” she said, uncomfortably. “Webecame acquaintances at a house party is all.”
