Page 164

“Well, my lord, we were at the Folly, you see, playing with the telescope," Bertram said. Edward nodded. "There’s been lots of activity in the neighborhood today that we got a chance to see. First, we saw Sir Helmsdon leave. The next thing we know, we saw his horse over by the parsonage! Leastwise it looked like his horse. We haven’t seen another long-tailed gray the like of his in the neighborhood before. Anyway, what was really funny was to see Lord Willoughby come out and take it into the church!” Bertram finished.

“Willoughby took Sir Helmsdon’s horse into the church?"

"Right up the steps,” corroborated Edward.

“What happened then?”

“Well, we didn’t look through the telescope the whole time,” Edward said, his hands planted on his hips in exasperation.

“I understand,” Royce said solemnly, though his lips twitched against a laugh.

“But when Becky said it was time to come back, we both took turns with it again."

"Of course, how logical,” he said, maintaining his even countenance.

“And that was the strangest sight!” Edward said.

“Hush, let me tell it, I can do it better.”

“I saw it, too!” Edward protested. "They tied bushes to the back of their carriage!”

“Who did?”

“The Willoughbys! And they drug them along after them, too," Edward said.

"Very odd, my lord,” Bertram confided, nodding solemnly.

“And you say they were at the Chitterdeans?”

“Oh, yes, sir!”

“Did you see who was riding in the carriage when it left pulling these bushes?”

“No, sir. But it was another man and woman. We saw the woman’s skirts and the man’s legs. They were walking close, carrying something between them."

“Their hands were tied!” intoned Edward.

“Were not,” his brother said in disgust.

“Well, that’s what it looked like to me.”

“You need spectacles.”

“Bertram! Edward! You may argue all you want in a moment. Just tell me one thing. What color were the woman’s skirts.”

Edward shrugged. Bertram frowned. "I don’t know. Kind of a white or cream color, I guess. But she had on a green jacket like Aunt Jane has.”

Jeremy and Lord Royce exchanged glances. "And the Willoughbys have not returned, my lord,” Jeremy said.

Royce nodded. "Thank you, boys. You’re right. That was a strange sight. I suggest you run upstairs and get cleaned up before your aunts see you.” He watched the boys run up the stairs, and then he turned to Jeremy. "Is Conisbrough in the stillroom with Lady Elsbeth?”

“Yes, my lord,” Jeremy mumbled, blushing a deep red.

"Where is it?”

“Through that door and down the stairs.” He pointed to the door he’d come through when he met Royce.

The earl looked at him oddly and shook his head. Leaning on him, he hobbled quickly to the door and opened it.

"Holla! Black Jack!" he bellowed down the stairs. "Trouble!"

That last brought an answering yell and the sound of running footsteps. Upstairs, Lady Serena’s and Mrs. Hedgeworth’s bedchamber doors opened. They came to the top of the stairs.

“Whatever is going on?” demanded Lady Serena.

“Jane may be in trouble,” Royce said shortly.

“Oh, no!” gasped Lady Elsbeth, coming up behind the Marquis of Conisbrough. She clasped his arm.

Jeremy’s eyes opened wide, then narrowed with an angry stare. He pulled away from Royce and pointed an accusing finger at Lady Serena. "You planned it! I heard you!”

He turned to Royce, his lips compressed into a thin line. "At least, I heard part of it, and I thought it strange. I tried to tell Miss Jane, but she wouldn’t listen to me.”

Royce grabbed him by the shoulders, ignoring Lady Serena’s outraged cries. "What did you hear, lad?”

“The first time I heard her complaining to those Willoughbys about Miss Jane sleeping down here, and how that would affect their plans.

Then this morning, she gave something to them and told them to keep it safe.

I heard the word license. Then I heard some question about Reverend Chitterdean cooperating. "

“Preposterous,” snapped Lady Serena. "You, young man, have a vivid imagination. Any conversations I have had with the Willoughbys have been innocuous in the extreme. Elsbeth, you know how I feel about that pair. Besides, what do you mean to say you heard. Any conversations I may have had were behind closed doors.”

Everyone looked at Jeremy. He blushed and scuffed his feet. "I—I listened at the keyhole,” he confessed.

Everyone but Lady Elsbeth stood in stunned silence at his confession.

She whisked by them all and ran lightly up the stairs.

She stood in front of her elder sister and shook her head from side to side.

Downstairs, Royce and Conisbrough were shouting orders to have horses saddled.

Millicent shrieked and fainted. No one noticed.

Lady Serena tipped her head up, a superior smile on her face. "I told you I should see she has suitors. And by now, she is wed. So you see, you have no reason not to come live with me.

Lady Elsbeth grabbed her sister’s arm and twisted it behind her back.

She forced Lady Serena into a small drawing room and closed the door.

There were immediate shrieks of outrage.

Lady Elsbeth turned the key in the lock, then tucked it into her bodice.

Behind her, several household servants had gathered, drawn by the shouting.

She strode past them, only glancing down at Millicent’s prone form as she passed.

“Someone get a bucket of water and throw it on her,” she said, then hurried down the stairs.