To Love A Myth - Book 2: Mr. Higgs and the Lady 🎩✔️

47

"I'm so sorry about that. Did you two have a good chat?"

"What chat? The man hasn't said anything all evening. We just stared at each other."

"Yes, he hasn't been very talkative as of late... I noticed you didn't come back with new dresses..."

"I honestly forgot about them and don't you actually need to be at the modiste for them to get proper measurements?"

"And let that jibber-jabber tell everyone in town my condition? I think not."

"It would be a little strange to just go in and give your measurements."

"You need to take a dress with you and then double the measurements. I'm sure you can do basic math."

"The math isn't the problem, Lady Hinkley..." she mumbled.

"I understand your concern, Gretchen, but I don't actually care. Once it's clear enough in Mr. Higgs' head that we will be wed, he will wed me and then we will have our child."

"I'm surprised you haven't forced the man to do that yet."

"The priest would get too suspicious. He needs to do it of his own free will." Gretchen made a face but nodded as Elizabeth finished off her plate. "Also, I believe I have on your calendar that we are to visit Mr. Castel. While you're getting the measurements for my new dresses, do go by and cancel those plans."

"And... what were they?"

"None of your business. Just go to the circus and tell him that I'm canceling my plans with him."

Gretchen nodded, formulating a plan.

*******************

That night, Gretchen snuck out of her room and went to check on her lady. She looked asleep but Gretchen crept in to get a closer look and make sure she wasn't just faking it. She had been playing dirty tricks on Higgs to make him think he could escape when in reality she was waiting to capture him and one of those tricks, she remembered, was that she would act asleep and Higgs would try to leave and check on her. Seeing her laying in the bed, he'd think she was asleep when she clearly wasn't and then she'd catch him as he tried to leave. As Gretchen crept in, she stepped on a squeaky board and stopped as Elizabeth moaned, turning over. She didn't move until Elizabeth seemed to settle back down. She got even closer and watched her for a second. She blew on her face as Elizabeth's face crinkled.

"Patrick, drink some mint tea..." she mumbled.

Gretchen frowned at the insult to her own breath but was happy her lady seemed dead asleep. She left the room quietly and snuck downstairs to go find some paper. Just as she turned from the stairs to go down the hall, she ran into a person. She stifled a scream as the person she ran into did the same. She held up her candle and saw that it was Edgar.

"Edgar?" she whispered.

"Gretchen?"

"What are you doing?" they both asked at the same time.

"Obviously I'm trying to find Mr. Higgs. You?" Edgar asked.

"Trying to get him out."

"Pixus said you were in on it." He said with a frown.

"What the hell's a pixus?"

"It's a name. A Northumberly name."

"I wasn't in on it. I was being drugged by Elizabeth all this time."

"Prove it."

"I literally just called you by your name. When she was drugging me, I could hardly remember my own name, lest yours."