Page 13 of A Sense of Injustice
With a heavy sigh, Luke headed for his own bed.
?????
Despite the lateness of the hour and the fact that Flora needed to be up again before too much longer to ride the delightful Amethyst, she undressed and attended to her ablutions slowly. She felt cherished and truly thankful for the fates that had directed her to this wonderful house and into the warm embrace of this delightful family.
Quite a night you’ve had.
Flora, in the process of carefully replacing her gown in the armoire, whipped around, clutching a hand to her heart.
‘Remus, you scared me half to death. I’ve told you before, give me some warning before dropping in on me. To say nothing of a little privacy,’ she added, clutching her robe more closely about her.
I came to wish you happy birthday, but if you don’t want to hear it then I shall go back to the gladiator contests. I have a heavy wager on the champion.
‘Can ghosts place wagers?’
I have told you before. I’m not a ghost.Flora smiled as his image shimmered into view. He wore a bright blue toga elaborately trimmed with gold leaf and some sort of matching circlet around his forehead.I am your spirit guide, and precious little thanks I get for it.
‘No one asked you to do it.’
Much you know.
Flora grinned as she perched on the edge of her bed, bending her head forward to brush out her hair. ‘You complain, but I think you enjoy what’s required of you. It gives you an opportunity to see how modern people live. Anyway, why are you here? Have you been around all the evening? I thought I sensed your presence earlier.’
Be careful how you handle Louise Pearson.
‘Why? I rather like her. I didn’t sense anything duplicitous in her character.’
She has problems that you can’t do much about. But knowing you, you’ll throw yourself into them headfirst and I’ll have to rescue you. Again.
‘What problems? Tell me.’
Remus chuckled. ‘And spoil the surprise? You would do better to think about that handsome earl of yours. Buying you a horse indeed. You should have let him kiss you. You’re far too prim.
‘It’s very rude to eavesdrop. Besides, he didn’t try to kiss me.’
Only because you didn’t give him any encouragement.
‘I am not Miss Gregory.’
No, you’re not, more’s the pity. Prime piece that. I could relive my sex life vicariously through you if you behaved more like her.
‘She’s very forward, but I doubt whether she’s quitethatforward.’
I wouldn’t be so sure about that.Flora’s mouth fell open.You see, eavesdropping has its uses. How else am I supposed to keep you out of trouble? Anyway, must dash. Just remember what I said…
‘Wait!’
But his image had already faded. It infuriated Flora when he warned her about half a problem then left her to sort it out for herself. She now had it confirmed that Louise Pearson was in some sort of trouble and thatMiss Gregory was perhaps a little too free with her favours. But what did it all mean?
‘Botheration, Remus!’ she cried, exasperated. She was sure that spirit guides were supposed to be more specific, but he did so enjoy his petty amusements. He had told her before that it was his way of giving her more confidence in her burgeoning instincts.
He was a very easily distracted guide, not always as quick to come to her aid as she would like.
With a sigh, she slid between the sheets, extinguished her light and tried to sleep. But the events of the evening kept going around in her mind, and sleep eluded her. Why had her family not been in contact? Their silence concerned her more than she was prepared to admit. After exposing aspects of her father’s chequered past a few weeks previously, she had assumed that he would want to remain on her good side. She could, if she felt sufficiently vindictive, destroy his precious career at the stroke of a pen. She was not that malicious, but her father couldn’t be aware of it. She wouldn’t mind not hearing from them if she could shake the feeling that her relations were plotting something. God forbid that they planned to descend upon her en masse! She had inherited quite a tidy sum from her grandmother’s estate. If her mother knew, she would try to guilt Flora into giving it up to worthy causes.
‘Not a chance, Mother,’ she said aloud.
She shuddered and turned her mind to her other concerns. Luke’s over-generous gesture with Amethyst plagued her mind as she tossed and turned, trying to decide what she ought to do about it. Well, she knew what she ought to do. Of course she did. Single females didn’t accept extravagant gifts from gentlemen to whom they were not related without the gentlemen in question expecting something in return. She couldn’t decide if she was more relieved or offended when she reached the conclusion that Luke wouldn’t ask for any form ofquid pro quo. There was such a thing as being toonoble, she thought indignantly.
