Excerpt from "The Notorious Bridegroom" by Kit Donner

She pressed her back to the door, holding her mouth with one hand to muffle her breathing. Thankfully, no indignant person leapt from the large tester bed. She leaned against the door and listened as the footsteps continued past her door and the earl's rooms. Who could that have been? If it was the captain, why had he not stopped? Putting a hand to her heart to calm herself, Patience peered into the room, her eyes adjusting to the moonlight laced faintly through the window. She slowly and cautiously circled a long chaise-lounge in the darkened room while holding out her left hand to guide herself to the wall which she thought must adjoin the earl's room.

She leaned an ear to the silk damask wall and with her senses tuned for sound, she strained to hear. A moment passed and then another. She held her breath and waited. Nothing. Were the walls too thick for the convenience of eaves-droppers or would-be spies?

If only she had not fallen asleep. She shook her head and sighed, regret as unfamiliar to her as poverty to a king.

Patience straightened up with an idea. Perhaps the captain had not yet arrived for their rendezvous? A puff of wind just then wafted a ribbon of white curtains into the room. The upper housemaid must have forgotten to close the window.

The window. Might she be able to hear something if the earl’s windows remained open? Not willing to give up yet, she hurried across the room. In her haste, she stubbed her toe on a small chest at the end of the bed. A knuckle in her mouth helped to stifle a moan as she rubbed her sore toe while hopping on one foot. Clumsy must be my middle name.

Had anyone heard the noise? After a few uneasy minutes and no one barged into the room, she sat on the chest in relief, her toe still throbbing. All remained quiet, though she did not want to examine exactly how long her luck or the silence would last. Her heart might give out before then. At last when she felt she could move safely, she limped to the window and drew the white drapes aside. Clouds paraded past the moon dulling its white light. The night offered damp possibilities as Patience contemplated her next move.

When she stuck her head out the window, she discovered the earl’s windows still open. Her moment of glee was cut short quicker than wind to a flame. The distance seemed too great to learn anything of value. She perched on the window sill, her nightdress and wrap smoothed underneath her, her toes curling against the cold stone, her chin resting on her hand. Disappointing. It was times like these that Patience Letitia Mandeley had no idea what she was doing. She was not normally the adventurous type, but she had to do something to help Rupert.