Anne Barbour Step in Time (pdf)

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the scourge of the family, and has never been bound
by the restraints of custom.
That is what I so much admire in her, said
Amanda enthusiastically. She has managed to
overcome many of the stereotypes that prevail here
and she has maintained her own identity. She told
me, Amanda continued, of her contributions to the
efforts of Elizabeth Fry.
Fry? Ash s brows lifted. You mean the woman
that s agitating for prison reform? Good God! he said
suddenly. Don t tell me Grandmama has been visiting
Newgate.
Amanda giggled. No, she is quite incensed that
Mrs. Fry will not take her.
Good God, murmured Ash again. He cast a
sidelong glance at Amanda. Uh do you have any
plans to attach yourself to Mrs. Fry and her
movement?
Would you object if I did? asked Amanda with a
smile that was tinged with sadness. The question was
purely academic. If all went as she planned, Ash would
soon be marrying a woman who would no more
consider espousing an unpopular cause than she
would walk naked down Piccadilly. To Amanda s
surprise, Ash appeared to consider her words
seriously.
I don t know, he said slowly. God knows our
prisons are a national shame. Not that we don t need
to do something about our other inequities. I ve always
thought that if and when I get things squared away at
the Park, I d become more active in the House of
Lords.
Amanda stared at him, listening to her heart break
into great, jagged pieces. She had not realized how
empty her life was in the twentieth century until she
had come to know a man who would have filled it with
joy and love. Unfortunately, that man had been born
almost two hundred years too soon, not to mention the
fact that he was in love with another woman.
That s very commendable, she said shakily. She
172
turned away, swallowing the tears she thought would
choke her. It took all the self-control at her command
to chatter brightly until they reached Gloucester
House, where the marbles were currently being
displayed.
Amanda had visited the British Museum on the first
day of her arrival in that fair April of 1996. The Elgin
Marbles were among the first items on her prioritized
list of things to see in England. She had dutifully
admired them, trying as she always did with such
objects to visualize them as they had originally glowed
in the sunlight of Athens over two thousand years ago.
She had as little success at this as she did now,
standing next to Ash.
They re very large, aren t they? she said at last,
Mmp, grunted Ash in agreement. The women look
as though they could wrestle bears.
Still, they are quite magnificent, are they not?
Quite. Or at least they would be if they still
retained all their body parts. That fellow shaking his
spear over there would be much more threatening if he
weren t missing his head. How long do we have to stay
here? he asked plaintively.
Amanda laughed. I shall take pity on you. If you
will take me to Gunter s for an ice, we may leave right
now.
Done! said Ash with alacrity, propelling her toward
the exit.
Later, at the famous pastry shop, Ash having gone
inside to procure ices for himself and his lady, the two
sat in the curricle, companionably nibbling the famous
delicacy under the trees that shaded Berkeley Square.
Thank you for taking me to see the marbles, said
Amanda at last. You have truly performed above and
beyond the call of a fianc� this last week.
I should rather think so! exclaimed Ash, much
struck. I cannot think of another man of my
acquaintance who has made such a cake of
himself swanning about London like the veriest
gapeseed. First there was the menagerie at the Tower,
then the Egyptian Hall, and Westminster Abbey after
that. I almost drew the line at Hampton Court Palace,
only my staunch sense of duty
All right, all right, said Amanda, lifting a hand in
protest. You have my profound thanks for so lowering
yourself.
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At that moment, Ash reached to brush a stray
tendril of hair from her cheek. It has been my
pleasure, my dear, he said in all seriousness. For I
like the bluestocking much better than the
empty-headed butterfly I used to think you. I wonder
now how I could have been so mistaken. Or were you
going about in disguise?
Amanda, shaken, took refuge in a bantering tone. It
was simply that you never took the time to know the
real me, sir. I have always been as you see me.
Which was perfectly true, of course, in a manner of
speaking, but mostly it was decidedly untrue, a fact of
which Amanda was only too aware.
The news from Belgium continued unpromising, and
two days later on a quiet Sunday afternoon, a grim
Jeremiah once again summoned Ash to the Bridge
home. Amanda greeted him at the door and stood by
his side as Jeremiah, hurrying from his study, spoke
harshly, without preamble. Wellington has gone down
to defeat.
What? exclaimed Ash.
The news has been pouring in all day. The
Prussians were routed at the outset of the
confrontation between Boney and Wellington, and
Boney followed up with one of his lightening strikes.
Wellington had to fall back beyond the River Sambre.
Are you saying that Wellington has retreated?
No, you idiot, I m saying that your precious
Wellington has been beat, foot, horse, and artillery. We
might have known, he concluded bitterly, that he
could not win in a face-to-face confrontation with
Napoleon.
But, how do you know all this?
It s common knowledge in the City. Bonaparte is in
Brussels right now, dictating terms.
Amanda, watching Ash s white-faced reaction to
Jeremiah s words, slipped her hand in his. She felt his
fingers tighten around hers.
There s complete panic in the City, continued
Jeremiah. Every jobber in the place is rushing around
trying to sell, and that s what I ve done, too. Took a
gawd-awful loss, but I ve got my fingers in a lot of pies
and I can stand the blunt. My advice to you, young
feller, he continued, jabbing a finger into Ash s cravat,
is to sell your stock as well. We ll use Gliddings, my
man of business. He ll get you the best possible price.
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