Читать книгу Scandalously Wed To The Captain - Joanna Johnson - Страница 13

The weeks passed slowly at Nevin Place, dragging out until January gave way to February and the weather turned from merely cold to biting. Time continued its unstoppable march, but the month shown on Grace’s calendar wasn’t the only thing that seemed to progress.

The stares that accompanied her had increased since Henry’s rejection and her residence at Spencer’s vast home, she saw now as she drew her cloak closer about her body and wished her bonnet covered more of her face. Each time she left the safety of the imposing house to visit her family she had to run the gauntlet of whispers that followed her, and now her situation was common knowledge and her link with the scandalous Captain was known the mutters had only grown worse.

Grace Linwood. Daughter of a criminal, wife of nobody and companion to a woman with a reprobate for an heir. No wonder society hasn’t rushed to reclaim me.

It didn’t matter that poor Papa was innocent, Henry a selfish rogue or Spencer not a common brawler. The gossip attached to Grace’s name was too fascinating for any dull truth to temper it and, when combined with Spencer’s own notoriety, she could only grit her teeth and plough onwards as another set of eyes turned towards her in undisguised curiosity she hadn’t yet learned to ignore.