Adventurer Gone Read online

  “I’m afraid careful isn’t our middle name. Ro’s, however, is Luxury Lavender, so she’ll write the check.”

  By the time they’d practiced sitting on the loaner motorcycle and had Cal laughing at them twice, with Ro glancing up at him through her lashes endless times, a woman with short hair, wearing pants and a man’s shirt approached them. Over the top of the shirt, she wore a rather nice brown tie and a very nice vest. Someone had embroidered leaves along the bottom of the vest, and Ro immediately appreciated the combination of men’s clothes and women’s art along the edges.

  “I’m Sadie Morgan,” she said, extending her hand. “You must be the two looking for lessons?”

  Ro shook her hand. “Wonderful to meet you, Sadie. I’m Ro and this is Hettie. We adore you already.”

  “Anytime I meet another woman, let alone two, who are interested in motorcycling, I get practically tipsy with excitement. There aren’t enough of us in the world. Our club is always recruiting so if you are interested in joining up with us for more than lessons, I suspect you’ll enjoy our adventures. We do plenty of trips around the city and every now and then we do longer, multi-day trips. Along the coast and whatnot.”

  Hettie was instantly intrigued. This might be just the thing that she and Ro needed to keep exploring. “That sounds exciting, Sadie. Although, perhaps we should make sure that Ro and I are candidates for keeping these motorcycles upright.”

  Sadie snorted. “We’ll start with some basic instructions and a general overview of motorcycles. How familiar are you with this particular manufacturer?”

  “Oh, not at all,” Ro said with a laugh. “We only just learned to drive regular autos over the last couple of months, and it was just recently that we decided—after we crashed my Rolls—that perhaps we should try motorcycles while the weather is still decent.”

  Sadie’s eyebrows rose. Concern had certainly come into her gaze. Hettie wondered if she was debating the safety of teaching them versus the virtue of having more lady riders.

  Hettie picked up where Ro left off. “It’s not that we are reckless, exactly, it’s just that we’ve both been through quite a lot lately and well, we’re attempting to occupy ourselves so we don’t slip into moody blues. We’ll be mostly good students, don’t worry. You won’t be wasting your time. Besides, our late husbands left us gobs of money so you’ll be well reimbursed.”

  “Oh, I don’t care about your money or even whether you are reckless. My job is to show you the ropes so I just need a baseline of your knowledge level so I know where to begin.”

  “Oh, in that case, teach us as though we are pure imbeciles. Neither of us has ever even been on a motorcycle.”

  Another round of laughter and then Sadie put her arms around both Hettie and Ro. “First things first, I’m going to take each of you for a ride on the back of mine so you can understand just how amazing owning your own will be. It will be more fun than you probably imagined.”

  Hettie stuck her hand in the air like a schoolgirl. “Oh, me first!” She felt her blood pumping with excitement.

  “You go first, then,” Ro agreed. “I’ll make sure you like it before I get on the back.” Her gaze returned to Cal and Hettie groaned. The poor man was going to be seeing circling doves and thinking of true love by the time Ro left and never thought of him again.

  Chapter 4

  After a fun-filled afternoon of motorcycle rides and hilarious lessons—Ro had tipped the motorcycle only twice, but Hettie had never tipped at all—they were feeling confident in their abilities.

  “Care for a pint before you go back to London?” Sadie asked.

  “Yes!” Hettie replied.

  Ro glanced at her and noted the wild look in Hettie’s eye. It was nearly as bad as when she’d determined to leave her pearls behind in the poor Rolls Royce.

  “I’m not sure we can take the motorcycles back completely sloshing, darling Hettie.”

  “Sloshed?” Hettie laughed a little too madly. “I just need one. Do you know,” Hettie told Sadie, sounding baffled by whatever was about to come out of her mouth. “I’ve never had a pint. Wine and cordials with my parents, cocktails with Harvey and Ro.”

  “Never?” Ro demanded, staring at Hettie.

  “My parents’ definition of choosing a drink was the most notoriously expensive wine they could purchase.” Hettie frowned. “My mother is saying she’d like to come visit.”

  Ro gasped, examining Hettie for signs of distress. If anything Hettie seemed to be saying something of the same emotional weight as, ‘Oh what a pretty little cat.’

  “I’ve told her no,” Hettie replied. “We’ll see how she accepts that.”

  “Why did you tell her no?” Sadie glanced between Hettie and Ro.

  “She wants to bring my single second cousin. He’s ready to ‘settle down.’”

  Ro growled and said, “One pint won’t be enough.”

  “A pint and a motorcycle. If she comes despite my objections, I was thinking I’d accidentally be in Hallstatt.”

  “Where?” Ro demanded.

  “In Austria? I’ve been there. You should consider, perhaps, Mostar,” Sadie inserted. “Lovely country.”

  “I really don’t care where I go,” Hettie said idly. “As long as my mother is not there with the second cousin.”

  Ro led the way to the pub the next building over where Sadie’s adventurer club congregated.

  “Sadie, darling.” Ro reached across the table and took Sadie’s hand into hers. “You are worth every penny. I can’t quite believe you got both of us going in just one afternoon.”

  “You two are naturals. You don’t seem to have much fear, which is very helpful. Giving into your nerves is when catastrophes happen.”

  Ro wondered idly if she was referring to more than just driving a motorcycle. She didn’t get a chance to ask further about it because a small group sauntered in and Sadie stood up and hugged everyone. Once she’d made her own greetings, she turned back to the table where Hettie and Ro were still sitting and motioned at the newcomers.

  “Hettie and Ro, meet some of the gang from the club. This is Martin, Wesley, Dara, Herbert, and Josiah. Everyone, this is Hettie and Ro. They acquired their own bikes today and I gave them their first lessons. Quick learners, these two. Born for this, I’d say.”

  “Born for trouble,” Hettie announced, sipping her pint, shuddering, and then shaking everyone’s hands.

  Ro found herself admiring the camaraderie the pack of friends seemed to share. It was what she and Hettie needed. A few more friends who were interested in the same things.

  “Wonderful to meet you all. Join us!” Ro said merrily. “First round is on Hettie. Your Sadie is a miracle worker, enjoy a piece of our gratitude.”

  “A cup,” Hettie countered. “Enjoy a cup of our gratitude.”

  The entire group joined their party, pulling up chairs so there was a total of eight of them squished around the table. Ro glanced around and noted them one by one, trying to sort them out in her head.

  Martin—Ro breathed out and told herself to take a deep breath. He was the embodiment of tall, dark, and handsome and her body took note. The low rumble in his voice and the sparkle in his green eyes got Ro’s attention in a way that would have been dangerous if not for the pact with Hettie.

  She recalled her own shameless flirting with Cal and wondered briefly if she would want to flirt that way with Martin. “We love having Sadie around the club,” he said. “She’s better at fixing our bikes than any of the rest of us. She’s a born grease monkey.”

  If Ro was honest with herself in this moment, she’d admit that Sadie was quickly climbing onto a pedestal of admiration. Maybe Sadie would teach her what she knew about fixing motorcycles. Perhaps those skills would come in handy the next time she or Hettie wrecked.

  Sadie, though, dismissed Martin’s compliments quickly.

  “Oh, Martin. Your flattery won’t get you any further than you’ve gotten with me.”

  She seemed
to be scolding him, but her eyes were smiling and the corner of her mouth turned up. Definitely flirting.

  Ro made a quick mental note to avoid flirting with Martin. Male suitors were a dime a dozen, while female friends who didn’t annoy her were hard to find. Besides, with her terrible history of picking men, she didn’t trust herself at all.

  Sadie and Martin drifted into what sounded like a private conversation, giving Ro a chance to look beyond him to the others. If Sadie was tomboyish and refreshing in her presentation, the other woman, Dara, was iconic in her beauty. With perfectly coifed hair and well-manicured nails to compliment her stylish riding outfit, she was nearly the opposite of Sadie in every way. Dara seemed nice enough, though perhaps a little standoffish.

  Ro decided to win her over with flattery. “Dara, your riding outfit is stunning. You must tell us where you purchased it so Hettie and I can fit in. I’m afraid we’re quite green about the gills.”

  “I was just thinking that,” Hettie said with a charming grin.

  Dara smiled, glancing down at her perfect ensemble and spent the next five minutes discussing her outfit in detail.

  While Dara was gushing about her wardrobe, Hettie was chatting with the other three men: Wesley, Josiah, and Herbert. From what Ro could glean from her peripheral vision, Hettie was enjoying the attention of all of them.

  If Hettie turned her pretty eyes for too long on Herbert, Dara trailed off, eyes anxious as she watched Hettie snort at Herbert’s joke and then shudder over another sip of her pint.

  Dara looked more ill-at-ease than jealous, but still, Ro noted to herself not to flirt with Herbert, either.

  She took a moment in a break of conversation with Dara to get a good look at Wesley and Josiah to see if they worthy of her attentions, even just for the day. They were both rather plain with kind faces, but were a bit more awkward than the others.

  “What interested you the most in motorcycle lessons, Ro?” Dara asked.

  “We saw one in passing,” Ro admitted, “and thought it looked fun. Hettie and I have determined to be adventurous and full of spontaneity. We sought out Raleigh’s and selected our purchase with Calvin’s help. Do you know him?”

  “Cal is great.” She leaned in a little closer to Ro and lowered her voice. “Don’t let Herb know my thoughts. Herbert’s quite jealous. Cal is harmless, but I do enjoy flirting with him.”

  What she admired about these friends was their easy banter and the way they traveled in a group. They all were so familiar with one another and quite comfortable together. She could visualize something like that for herself and Hettie. She could see the chatting, drinking, and adventuring. What fun it would be!

  Ro decided then and there that she wasn’t interested in flirting with any of the men, not really. Not when they could become friends instead.

  “Sadie mentioned that your adventuring club is always recruiting. Hettie and I are interested in learning more.”

  Dara let out what seemed to be a genuine squeal of delight. “Absolutely fabulous! Think of the adventures ahead. Herbert is determined that we travel to go camping by skiff from Oxford and London. If it goes as well as he expects, he wants to do the Cornish coast next. Would you be game for that?”

  “Yes.” Ro smiled, pleasantly surprised by Dara’s enthusiasm.

  “I want to buy a hot-air balloon. It looks like sailing on the wind. Sadie isn’t convinced and my mother refuses to pay for it, but I am determined. Sooner or later. A hot-air balloon.”

  Hettie gasped, eyes alight with the thrill of possibility.

  “I think I remember Cal saying that your club was nearby?”

  “It is and we’re having a bit of a soiree tonight. You should join us. It’ll give you the chance to meet more of our members and see if you could stand being around us for a trip like what we’re considering. It’s not for everyone. Some folks are simply too high in the instep to enjoy the things we enjoy.”

  “If high society would be offended by your activities, I can nearly guarantee that Hettie and I will fit right in with you. They seem quite offended by generally everything we’ve done since we’ve been freed.”

  Dara got the attention of the rest of the table.

  “I’ve invited our new friends to our to-do. Don’t you think they’ll fit in marvelously?”

  Sadie slammed a fist on the table in a very unladylike expression of glee and Martin raised his glass. The rest of the table followed suit and everyone toasted.

  “To new friends,” Sadie said, lifting her glass.

  “Cheers,” was heartily sang just in time for the waitress to return with a second round of drinks.

  Ro wasn’t much of a beer drinker and clearly Hettie wasn’t either, but she imagined that she could acquire the taste for it. After all, she’d not enjoyed gin with her first sip.

  “Hettie? I’d love to go. Would you?”

  She smiled, and Ro noticed the slightest flush in her cheeks from the beer. “Why not! What else have we got to do? When is it?” she asked Sadie.

  “Time enough for another round of drinks,” Sadie answered with a grin.

  The group chatted and drank their way through the second round of drinks and then Sadie pushed her chair back from the table. “It's about time to go. Shall we all walk to the club together?” She looked at Hettie and Ro as they got to their feet and said, “I’ll give you the grand tour. I can’t wait to see how you like it.”

  Chapter 5

  Hettie didn’t consider herself someone easy to impress. Her family was unashamedly wealthy and her parents tended toward putting that wealth on display. Over the course of Hettie’s life, she’d worn a diamond tiara worthy of a princess. She’d met famous artists and walked past classic paintings that belonged in a museum, but she saw them on the way to breakfast.

  Walking onto the adventurer club grounds, however, surrounded by their grandness, nearly took Hettie’s breath away and filled her with a rather distinct envy.

  Shiny, well-kept motorcycles lined the path through the grand gates and up to the front doors. It was easy to imagine her and Ro’s bikes here mingling with the others. Immaculate gardens led up to a posh stone building that looked more like a high society venue for the arts than an adventurer club. From what Hettie could tell, the adventurers were mostly as young and as wealthy as Hettie and Ro.

  Hettie wouldn’t be surprised to find that some of them, like Cal, worked for a living. It didn’t seem to matter so much whether you had ready money as a ready bravery and a willingness to dive into revelry. What a perfect blending of two worlds! Perhaps the universe was smiling upon her and Ro. Somehow seeking to balance what had happened in their marriages with what—hopefully—lay ahead.

  Was this Sadie’s establishment? Hettie hadn’t understood it as such when they’d come, but Sadie was pointing out details on the grounds.

  “Herbert got that tree from a merchant who had gone to Japan. He wanted to go, of course, but he has a regular position.”

  “There, these rose bushes are from Dara’s mother. You wouldn’t think it to look at Dara with her pretty fripperies, but Dara’s mother is our biggest supporter among the elders. She says her rose needs thorns.”

  Hettie laughed, instantly jealous of Dara’s mother. It appeared that every flower, tree, and hedge was rooted in some sort of club tradition, memory, or family. The building and the grounds used to be part of a now-defunct sanatorium and the founder of the adventurers club had connections to it before it closed.

  Those connections, it seemed, were instrumental in the eventual fate of the property. Sadie didn’t say what the connection was, and the absence of that information was a bit glaring in light of the details she did choose to share.

  Hettie would ask Ro later if she got a similar feeling. Hettie paused in her thoughts long enough to recognize that she was a bit paranoid. It was possible that she had no faith in humanity left in her—except for Ro.

  Hettie glanced towards her friend, who was smiling broadly listening to
Sadie’s historical commentary. Was Ro feeling a similar elation at the change in their lives? Two months ago, neither of them could have imagined being so at ease or feeling like they might belong among these people with so little effort. It wouldn’t have worked, Hettie thought, burdened as she had been by Harvey. He’d have ruined this for her. She shrugged off the thought. Sometimes, she told herself, life could just be easy.

  Martin spoke, waving the group up the stairs toward the massive wooden doors. “Oh, Sadie, I doubt Hettie and Ro care too much about the history of the grounds and the building. Let’s get inside and show them the fun.”

  He winked at Sadie, softening the edge Hettie thought she heard in his words. Sadie laughed and nodded even if she might have given him a bit of a sideways look.

  “You’re right, Martin,” Sadie said, mostly sounding unbothered. “Once I start talking about the origins of our fun, it’s hard to get to even think of anything else. I can be a bore, I know.”

  “We’re all a bore about some things,” Hettie said comfortingly. “Ro has put me to sleep more than once prosing on about Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo.”

  Sadie smirked and turned to glance over her shoulder at the entrance and then back at Hettie and Ro. “Come and see the band playing inside. It’s composed entirely of members. We have a rather odd mix of people. I think you’ll both find that you fit right in.”

  Hettie nodded and paused only to stare as Josiah grabbed Wesley by the coat and shoved him back, running him into the trunk of an oak tree just as Wesley yelped, “Stop it.”

  “I saw what you were doing,” Josiah told Wesley. “I know what you’re up to, and it needs to stop.”

  Ro glanced at Hettie and shrugged and the two of them slipped inside before Wesley and Josiah realized they were being watched. As soon as the doors opened, the rise of a complicated symphony, along with many voices, reached them.

  As they entered the grand ballroom, one of the first oddities Hettie noted that differentiated this from other gatherings was the varied style of dress throughout. Some women were in formal attire holding champagne coupes or dancing in the spacious ballroom while others wore pants and guzzled pints of beer while they played poker at a card table just off the side of the ballroom.