Page 117

Various members of the family had condoled with her over her disastrous first ball, and her lack of success in her first London season.

Her sister-in-law, Mel, had gone so far as to increase her dowry, though no one had told her by how much, but she didn’t care.

She wouldn’t buy a husband. She wouldn’t have a man who only wanted her for her money.

How could she ever trust him? She’d never endure another Marriage Mart, though her mother and brothers would try to force her.

Running away seemed the only answer, at least for now.

She pulled out the cryptic letter and reread the lines.

“But I have a surprise,” Cassandra whispered.

She quickly shoved the letter back in the book while Cassandra gave her a one-armed hug.

“ He will be Lysander.”

Cassandra’s triumphant giggle told Nancy who He was.

“After the unmasking, you’ll walk into supper on his arm.

He won’t be able to ignore you, and you must not spill anymore wine.

The course of love did not go smoothly between Lysander and Hermia, but in the end…

” A frown creased her sister’s brow. “Not that you, of all people, would be able to manage a duchess’s coronet.

No, that won’t be. But at least you will get some revenge. ”

Nancy gritted her teeth. If she must play Hermia to his Lysander, the course of love would not go smoothly. Or at all.

She forced a smile, reminding herself to display a ladylike calm. Revenge was a dish best served cold . “Who will James come as?”

“Puck.” Cassandra laughed. “And Mother told him there must not be too many ridiculous pranks. And I told him, it was I who convinced her to allow him to take part in the masquerade.”

James was only fourteen, but he was a master sneak and practical joker.

Their next brother after him, Edward, was only a little less mischievous. There’d been a question whether Edward would be let out of the schoolroom for the evening’s party. In fact, all the children wanted to come, except for George’s and Fitz’s infant sons.

An idea began to form. Why shouldn’t the younger members of the Lovelace clan be there?

Their parents—her mother, her brothers, their wives—would have fits. But a Midsummer Night’s masquerade needed magic, and magic needed fairies and goblins.

And revenge, sweet revenge.

She didn’t need to be careful what she wished for, just how she went about it. Fall into her own trap? No, indeed.

On the other hand, she’d best have the escape plan she’d been plotting in place.

A bag packed with just a few items—Sally had a fabulous wardrobe.

Sally could loan her some of her things.

She had already researched the coach times.

And she had enough funds for the fare to Birmingham, a trip she could make in one long day.

She set the journal aside and surprised Cassandra by throwing herself into the costume hunt.

“C areful, Mary and Benjamin.” Simon spoke with quiet urgency and glanced over at George, who was concentrating on his fishing line and oblivious to the children’s antics.

Last night before retiring, Simon, George, and Fitz had agreed on this early morning expedition to the stream running through the Loughton Manor estate. Nancy, the brothers said, usually walked in the early morning before breakfast, and they might run into her.

Fitz had sent word that morning begging off, and they’d picked up two escapees from the nursery on the way downstairs.

“I’ve got a nibble,” George murmured.

Upstream from them, Mary and Benjamin had set aside their fishing poles and were hopping across the rocks that had spanned the water above the lake for as long as Simon could remember.

“George, they might fall in.”

“Ha,” George breathed out the word and carefully pulled in a small chub. “There’s our wager won,” he said. “First catch of the morning. You may pay up later. Or you may break even by catching something bigger.”

“The children might fall in. Aren’t you worried?”

George shrugged. “They both swim.”

“Even Mary?”

“Don’t you remember? Probably you don’t because you were always the first one across the lake. You didn’t notice the girls jumping in. My father taught us all how to swim, even the girls. Even Mary, that summer before he passed away. And I taught Arthur and Benjamin last summer.”

Benjamin’s foot slipped with a loud splash, and both children laughed.

“But they’re making too much noise. And I suppose if they fall in, we’ll have to take them back for a change of clothes.” George beckoned, and Benjamin came running with Mary close behind.

“We can’t have you splashing around scaring away all the fish. Go and do something else.” He waved a hand, shooing them. “Climb a tree.”

They ran off into a nearby thicket, laughing.

“Climb a tree, George?” Simon asked. “Is Fitz raising a hoyden?”

“All of the Lovelace girls climb trees. Except for one.”

“Nancy.”

He shook his head. “Cassandra. Too afraid of heights.”

J ames yawned, rubbed his eyes, and sent Nancy a look so calculating, she couldn’t believe she’d just woken him. “Why should I switch roles with you?”

Perched on the side of his bed, she ran through her options for bribery.

She had pin and birthday money saved up, but she’d already promised the maid, Meg, a whole guinea for her help, and she must keep some aside for her coach fare.

She could offer him five pounds—six or seven at the very most—but that money was her absolute emergency fund if for some reason she couldn’t find Sally.

Instead of money, James might like the elegant pen set that Papa had given her, but she’d already packed it, and oh, how she’d hate to part with it.

“Think of it, James. How funny it will be to pull a fast one on everyone.”

“What role was I to play that you want?”

She watched him a long moment. “Cassandra didn’t tell you last night?”

“No.” He grinned.

She snatched up a pillow and hit him. “Liar. She told you and so did Mama. Where did you go last night? I came to look for you.”

He shrugged.

“I heard Mama warn you about sneaking out at night. How did you get past the footman at the end of the passage?”

“He fell asleep. You won’t tell, will you? I’ll deny it if you do.”

“Mama ought to lock you in your bedchamber.”

“She threatened to do that.”

“Where do you go… Never mind. If I knew, I’d have to tell Fitz.”

Likely her brother was meeting up with some village boys to drink ale and cast dice. Fitz probably already knew and was tolerating it because it was the sort of stunt he himself had pulled when he was James’s age.

She stood up from the low bed—not much more than a cot, really—and walked to the narrow window under the eaves. The morning breeze brought in fresh air but it still didn’t chase out the stuffiness. Outside, it was a straight drop to the ground, and an escapee would be visible from the stables.

It was a step up from sleeping with the babies in the crowded nursery though.

Her own room was small but well-furnished, with a narrow tester bed, bright hangings, a clothes press and dressing table as well as two windows that let in light and air.

A tree next to the window provided much needed afternoon shade, and through its branches she could see out into the park.

An easy reach from the windowsill was a sturdy limb, and once or twice, she’d climbed out there herself.

“There’s more to this plot,” James said. “What are you up to?”

She walked to the end of the bed and crossed her arms. “Simple. Revenge.”

He jumped out of bed and came to stand next to her. “On the Swilling Duke?” His eyes glinted with amusement.

She’d hooked him. Now to reel him in.

“As you know, he vomited on me in front of everyone and then knocked me down and fell on top of me when he passed out. It was disgusting. I was a laughingstock, especially after he ran away from town without even an apology.”

“But you weren’t a total laughingstock. You had marriage offers, I’ve heard.”

She shuddered. “From a fortune-hunting dunce and a lascivious old man.”

“Is that it? He didn’t do anything else?”

She’d never told anyone everything, but her mother knew some of it. She could tell James that much.

“He was rude to me. He brushed me aside so he could get to Miss Hazelton and her forty thousand pounds.”

“How was he rude? What did he say?”

“You’ll gossip.”

He put one hand on his heart and held up the other so she could see his fingers weren’t crossed.

She knew her brother and she didn’t trust him for a moment.

“He eyed me up and down and said, ‘You chit, you’re a pretty enough baggage, but you’re in my way’.”

Of course, there’d been much more that evening, earlier in that back corridor, but she wouldn’t tell James about that kiss.

James’s eyes widened and gleamed with amusement. “In a ballroom? He was that bosky?”

“Yes, but holding himself together well enough at that point to not wobble. I was mortified.”

“If I’d been there, I would’ve had a good comeback.”

“That’s why I need you. I’m to be Hermia to his Lysander tonight. I need you to play Hermia. I need your glib tongue to lash him, for he certainly deserves it. I’ll never be able to think fast enough.”

“You thought fast enough with that glass of wine last night.”

“I’ll give you five pounds.”

He flapped a hand. “I won that much last night at dice.”

“ Five pounds?”

Five pounds was a veritable fortune. Oh, it was a relief though to know that he didn’t need it. Five pounds would get her to Birmingham and the safety of her friend’s home.

But what poor lads and working men had he swindled to win that money?

“Yes. It was great fun.”

“From whom did you win the money?”

“You’ll tell.” He rubbed his jaw which, she observed, was still beardless. He wouldn’t have to shave. “Hmm. I played Juliet at school.”

He put a hand to his head. “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” he proclaimed in a falsetto. “But I say, sister, swapping roles? I’m more suited to playing Puck. I’m very good at pranks.”

“Yes. And this will be the greatest prank of all. We’ll make him suffer.

Only but think, James, of the humiliation for a proud man like Simon, a duke, when he discovers he’s been matched up with a boy in a dress.

Fitz says the duke is out fishing, hoping to run into me so he can apologize.

He won’t find me this morning, and if he tries to apologize tonight at the party, he’ll learn that he’s been groveling to you instead of me .

He’ll be furious that we tricked him. And meanwhile, I have other pranks in mind.

I’ve been up half the night planning. I want to enlist Edward, Arthur, Mary, and Benjamin to help as well. ”

James grinned. “Mary would make a devilish fairy. But Meg and the nursery maid won’t let them out of their sight.”

Meg had served as nursery maid since she was fourteen. She’d come to London to work as Nancy’s maid for the Season and become engaged to one of the London grooms.

“Meg will help. She was with me in London, remember, and she’s leaving service soon to get married. Plus, I’ve bribed her.”

“Impressive.” His eyes glowed. “Pranks and hijinks—Mama warned me, but Cass… she might not approve, though what fun it might be watching her interrupt Saulsfield’s card game with hysterics. Fitz and Mother will blame me though.”

“I’ll tell them I made you and the others do it.”

“You’ll fall on your sword? Then we’ll both be punished, but they won’t lock you in your room.” He smiled his devious smile. “Unless you happen to be sleeping here in mine .” He stuck out his hand. “Swap bedchambers as payment? Just until I return to school?”

She looked around the gloomy closet of a chamber and thought of her bright, airy room.

Which she was planning to run away from anyway.

“You have an excellent tree by your window. It’s the price of revenge,” he said, grinning.

She eyed her brother. They shared the same coloring and height. He’d wear a wig and a mask, and her small womanly curves were easily achieved with a bit of padding and a fichu in that ridiculous gown.

“All right.” She shook his hand. “I have some ideas.”

“As do I. My time at school hasn’t all been wasted on Latin and Greek. Plus, I’ve made a friend of the apothecary’s apprentice. Now.” James picked up a wrinkled pair of trousers. “I’m starving. While I’m dressing, fetch a breakfast tray and I’ll be in my new bedchamber waiting.”