Page 18 of A Pure Lady for the Broken Duke

Jenny gave him a saucy look and said, “Tellin’ does not do justice tomypies. You have to try ‘em. Then you will know.”

“Save me your favorite for this afternoon, and I will come by and use my pocket money for such a treat.”

“You like custard? I make the best tarts ever. I will save you a dozen. Four o’clock. That’s when we close.”

“Then we have a deal.”

* * *

Evan arrived promptly at four and put his pocket change on the counter as Jenny came out from the back.

“Take what you need from this, let me have my tarts, and come with me for a promenade around the square.”

She wrapped the tarts expertly, handed him the package, and took her price from the change. “Let me hang up my apron and I will meet you outside.”

Evan stood in the street with his package and waited. Jenny came right out and said, “My sister Claudia will be accompanying us.”

“Hello, Miss Claudia, I am Evan,” he said, shaking her hand.

“Mr. Evan,” Claudia said nodding.

Jenny said to Evan, “Tell your mama and papa the berry pies all sold out first thing. And to please save me whatever they have for tomorrow.”

Jenny linked her arm with Evan’s, and they began to walk the square—Claudia walking discreetly behind. They stopped at a stall for a cup of tea. There were a few tables set up in front of the stall, and they sat.

“I understand these are quite special. Might I offer you one?” Evan said unwrapping the tarts and offering Jenny and Claudia one.”

“I make these every day, and I should be sick of them by now, but I never am,” Jenny said taking a bite.

The first thing Jenny had noticed about Evan was his nice smile, and then how polite he was. As she ate her tart, she kept her eyes on him but realized her mind kept drifting back to her encounter with the Duke. As nice as this young man was, he did not have the same stature as Thomas Haddington. And she involuntarily shivered as she thought about Thomas’s hands on her waist.

“Are you cold, Miss Jenny?” Evan asked, reaching out and taking her hand.

She smiled but withdrew her hand. “Not at all. But Evan, your mother said you had been apprenticed in Bristol. What is it you are leaning to do?”

His eyes lit up. “I am apprenticing to be a printer. I am just now learning typesetting. I make mistakes, but I am getting better all the time.

“A printer? That is a noble profession. Are you thinking of opening a newspaper here in Chatsworth?”

“Do you think our citizens would purchase a newspaper? Everybody seems to already know everything that there is to know about each other and all that is going on through all the town gossips.”

Jenny and Claudia laughed.

“I see you know our village very well,” Jenny said.

“Shall we walk a little more,” he asked, standing and offering her his hand.

Claudia leaned in to Jenny as they were standing and whispered, “He is a very handsome young man. Is he to be your beau?”

Jenny smiled but would only say. “We shall see.”

The three continued walking the square.

As they approached the mercantile, Claudia spoke up. “Do you mind waiting a moment, please? I need to make a quick purchase.”

“Not at all. We will wait here,” Jenny said.

Evan took this opportunity to take Jenny’s hand again and asked, “Miss Jenny, I will only be here for a short time longer before I need to go back to Bristol. I hope I might be able to see you again before I leave.”