Intertwine (11 page)

James shrugged. He wasn’t sure if he should be annoyed at Arthur’s extreme sense of propriety or amused by his predictability.

Arthur neatly placed people into boxes clearly labeled with tags like
Esteemed Nobleman
or
Virtuous Lady
or
Lowly Relation
. And as their mystery lady did not yet fit into any known box, Arthur had preemptively put her into the box stamped
Dangerous Connection
.

“James, how can you have such little sense?” Arthur continued, pursing his mouth in annoyance. “What will happen when Linwood hears of this? I’m sure he will forbid Marianne from visiting. And . . . and what will Sir Henry think?”

James barely resisted the urge roll his eyes. “Please, Arthur. As you are well aware, I am not overly concerned about the opinions of our erstwhile neighbors. Linwood does not need the excuse of a stranger under my roof to forbid Miss Marianne from seeing you. He will deprive you of her company merely because the sky threatens rain. Or because he doesn’t like the look of your cravat. Or because it’s Thursday. He needs no real excuse.”

Georgiana made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a choked snort.

“And as for Sir Henry,” James continued, “I guarantee that he will be ecstatic to make our guest’s acquaintance. She is a mystery and therefore somewhat exotic. And you know, there is nothing Sir Henry loves more than the exotic. In fact, I completely expect him to show his face here as soon as the gossip reaches Sutton Hall. Which most likely will be sometime this afternoon, I warrant. The good doctor’s housekeeper is usually most diligent in spreading scandal which is not her own.”

“Yes, well, it has been three days and no one has come for her yet.” Ah, Arthur and his persistence.

“Please, Arthur. The storm broke only last night. How could anyone have been out searching for her in such weather? I am sure that the village gossips will ferret out her story in no time. Most likely, someone will be on our doorstep this afternoon to collect our guest.”

Arthur merely huffed and shook his head at his older brother. “In the meantime, James, at least think of poor Georgiana’s reputation. To have a woman like this in our household will be scandalous.”

“Oh, heavens, Arthur,” Georgiana interjected, her fork clattering to her plate. “Please. As if propriety concerns me at this point. It would be a glorious thing if all I had to worry about were my reputation.” She punctuated this with a small coughing fit, drawing a shaking breath. “Besides, what about this woman has you so convinced that she would be a threat to my reputation?”

Arthur shrugged, trying to buy himself time to come up with an appropriate response.

James knew Arthur had no real argument. Just the sense that this woman did not immediately fit into his brother’s neatly labeled world and therefore must be cast out of it. An opinion James did not share.

Arthur tried changing topics. “And what of her supposed memory loss,” he asked. “Are you so sure that it is genuine?”

“Arthur! How could you think that? Really, you are just trying to be vexing!” Georgiana exclaimed, turning to James. “Is he just trying to be vexing?”

James smiled ruefully. “As you well know, dear sister, Arthur can generally be annoying without having to try.” Georgiana laughed appreciatively.

Arthur heaved his most resigned you-are-both-a-trial-to-me sigh.

Still smiling, James held his hand in a placating gesture. “But it is actually a valid question. To answer you, Arthur, both Georgie and I were there when she woke for the first time. Her distress at not being able to remember her own name was, well, almost overwhelming to her. She would have to be better than any Drury Lane actress I have ever seen to pull off such a convincing performance. I do believe her memory loss to be genuine.”

“You should be ashamed of yourself, Arthur, instantly thinking the worst of her.” Georgiana gave Arthur a stern look. “Personally, I think it’s utterly thrilling.”

“Thrilling?” Arthur’s voice was incredulous. “What is possibly thrilling about this ridiculous situation?”

Georgiana shook her head, clearly disappointed with his inability to see the obvious. “It’s such a thrilling mystery. Who is she? How did she come here? I have been doing some detective work, you know,” Georgiana said, her voice animated.

James loved seeing her blue eyes dance, looking so much like the woman she had been.

“Ugh, Georgiana, you have read one too many novels by that dreadful Radcliffe woman.” Arthur gave a decidedly long suffering shake of his head.

“And what, dear sister, have you deduced?” James chuckled.

Georgiana wriggled in excitement. James couldn’t remember the last time she had done so. It warmed his heart, her wriggling.

“Here are my thoughts. Our mysterious guest—let’s call her E, as that is what it says on the lock—” She caught herself abruptly, looking questioningly at James and then glancing at Arthur.

“I haven’t told him,” James said, slanting his eyes toward his brother.

Arthur cocked an eyebrow. “Told me what?” His expression grew slightly alarmed as Georgiana and James continued to look at each other. “What have you discovered? You know our guest’s name?”

“Not a name exactly . . . more like her initial.” Turning his head to Georgiana, James asked, “Do you have it with you?”

“Yes, I do. I have kept it on my person. No one else has seen it.”

Arthur continued to glance back and forth between his siblings. “Come now,” he said. “What are you keeping from me?”

James shrugged his shoulders in acceptance. Georgiana gently reached into a hidden pocket in her morning dress and withdrew the filigreed locket. Wordlessly, she handed it across the table to Arthur. Puzzled, he slowly opened it.

His loud gasp echoed through the empty room.

“Dash it, James! What have you been keeping from us?!” he exclaimed, still staring at the portrait in the locket. “How could you?!”

James sighed and ran a hand through his hair, opening his mouth to reply.

Georgiana cut him off. “Look at the inscription, Arthur. It’s not a portrait of James.” Arthur read the etched words with pursed lips, a frown clouding his brow.

“It seems almost too much of a coincidence to be believed,” Arthur said in a low voice, staring accusingly at his older brother.

“I agree,” James sighed. “But I can only tell the truth. I do not know our mystery guest. Trust me, I would remember a face such as hers.”

Georgiana’s eyebrows rose at this admission.

“I honestly never laid eyes on her until two nights ago. The locket is truly a random act of fate.”

Arthur snorted in disbelief.

“Why would I lie to either of you about this? What would I gain? If she were known to me, I would admit it freely. Both of you know me well enough to realize this. I have never been one to hide my deeds in the dark. I am as I seem. You know it was Mother’s greatest despair. My inability to pretend something that I am not.”

“Yes, that is true,” Arthur nodded in agreement, handing the locket back to Georgiana. “You do generally own up to your improprieties. But even for you, this situation is highly unusual. No one else will believe it.”

“Agreed,” Georgiana said, tucking the locket back into her pocket, “which is why no one else has been—or will be—told about the locket’s existence. There is no need to fuel gossip further by implying some untrue connection between this woman and James. The locket will remain our secret. Even from Marianne.” She said the last bit looking most forbiddingly straight at Arthur.

“Not tell Marianne?”

“Yes, particularly not Marianne.” Georgiana cut him off with a wave of her hand. “You know she cannot keep a secret from Linwood. And he is the last person who should know about this odd coincidence. Things are already awkward enough with him. Really, next time you decide to carry on a not-so-secret, we-are-not-precisely-engaged engagement, please choose someone who’s brother is a little less high in the instep.”

Arthur held her eyes for a moment and then looked tensely away.

James shrugged, trying to understand when his world had become all Shakespearean. A brother bound by honor on one side and desperate aching love on the other. A sister dying of consumption. A half-dead maiden discovered clinging to a tree along his lane. He only needed the ghost of his dead father to appear to round out the play. James wanted adventure. Not drama.

“Fine. I will refrain from telling Marianne . . . for the time being.”

“Thank you, brother.” James turned to Georgiana, “You were saying earlier, Georgie, that you had made some deductions about our mystery guest?”

“Oh, yes!” Georgie smiled, sitting up straighter. “It is amazing how much one can learn from so little! So here are my thoughts.” She paused for dramatic effect. “To begin, I am convinced that our guest is a lady.”

Arthur raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

“Before you say anything, hear my reasoning on this. First,” Georgiana raised a hand and ticked off fingers as she spoke, “the portrait she carried is obviously the work of a competent master, not to mention the case which is gilded and beautifully designed. It has the mark of a master-jeweler.

“Second, her hands are softer than my own and perfectly manicured. Not a single callous. They are the hands of a high-born lady.

“Third, the few times she has spoken, she has the refined accent of a genteel education.

“Fourth, she has such a delightfully fashionable haircut. Truly. I have rarely seen its equal. Only the best French hairdresser could have cut it.

“And lastly, Fanny and I examined that nightgown and wrapper she was wearing when James found her. Can you believe that they are both made of the finest silk? Two utterly proper garments, but for some reason made of the most luxurious, expensive fabric. Oh, and her shoes! Pink satin slippers, so similar to the blue pair I have with the little yellow rosettes and ribbon ties. . . .”

Her voice trailed as she noticed the twin glazed looks from her brothers. “Well, that’s not important,” she continued. “What I am trying to say is only a person of significant means would indulge in such lavish extravagance.”

Both James and Arthur blinked in surprise. Trust Georgiana to clearly see what neither of them had considered.

“That’s remarkable, Georgie,” James said. “How did you arrive at these deductions?”

“Oh, simple. I made a list!” She beamed and plucked a folded sheet of paper from her lap, waiving it at James.

Ah, of course. No one loved making lists quite as much as Georgiana. “You most certainly have convinced me. I agree that we should treat her with the deference given a lady until proved otherwise. Better to err on the side of courtesy, I say,” James said.

He slanted a look at Arthur and waited patiently, anticipating the conclusion that Arthur would likely draw from Georgie’s deductions.

He didn’t have to wait long.

“You’re being too kind, James!” Arthur snorted. “She does not actually have to
be
a lady in order to have all of the qualities that Georgie just listed. Particularly her short haircut. Some would call such a thing more daring than fashionable.” Arthur glanced at Georgiana, obviously not wanting to speak plainly in front of her. “In fact, most everything about how she was found would point to another, more logical conclusion.”

And one that fits more easily into your existing mental boxes
, James thought.

Georgiana sat back in her chair and appraised her brother with a wry smile on her face, shaking her head slightly. “Really, Arthur. In case you have forgotten, I turned twenty-three two months ago. I’m hardly a babe. You mean to imply that our mysterious E is someone’s cast off paramour? Some nobleman’s mistress?”

Arthur scowled at her in dismay. “You should not know of such things, Georgie,” he muttered.

Georgiana stared at him and made a less-than-polite noise, one that clearly indicated her feelings on what she was allowed to ‘know.’

“Really, James, given all of this, you cannot allow this woman to remain at Haldon Manor. Or at least, we should send out discreet inquiries to find out her origins.” Arthur gave his older brother a reproving look.

James shook his head. “I think it far too early to send out inquiries. No one has even had time to learn of her whereabouts. That being said, I do admit that there is a small possibility that our mystery lady’s precedents may not be entirely proper for polite company—”

“Precisely!”

“—but there are also a good number of perfectly respectable explanations as well.” James fixed Arthur with a hard stare. “I am confident that someone will be along shortly to claim her. And I would rather be known as one who is too kind and generous to a stranger than not kind enough. For now, we will treat her as we would appreciate others treating Georgie were she to find herself in a similar situation.”

Arthur grimaced. He obviously believed his sister would never be so gauche as to find herself in such a predicament.

After a long pause, Arthur stiffly nodded his head in agreement. “But the second we find out differently, she must be removed from this house. You do run a risk in housing her, James. A risk to us all.”