Lessons in French (40 page)

me, I'll go and prevent Nurse from fetching the doctor."

She turned toward the door, half expecting that Trev would endeavor to stop her. He

didn't. The duchesse said nothing. Callie reached for the latch with silence in the room

behind her. She paused with her hand on the knob.

His mother made a very small cough, a faint, muff led sound, as if she tried to stifle it.

Callie dropped her hand. She turned about. "Oh, very well!" she exclaimed. "What is

it?"

"It's nothing," Trev said. He stood across the room from her, making no attempt to

move closer. "I didn't know that my mother had contacted you—I asked her not to do so."

He gave the duchesse a brief glance. "I'll inquire into how you managed that under my

very nose, Maman, but later. Please, Lady Callista, if you'll just contrive to forget that

you've seen me here, you needn't concern yourself further in the situation."

"Excellent." She threw up her hands. "The last I was told, you were arrested on the

Bristol quay and put to trial, and now I'm to forget I've seen you here while a thief-taker

out of Bow Street lurks in the garden."

"Hired by your new fiancé, as I understand," he replied acidly. "I could wish you'd

suggested to him that he call off the hounds. I've had his pursuers on my heels since I left

Hereford."

For herself, she could have wished that he had mentioned he was married. But she was

determined to say nothing of that. She had spent a number of nights weeping into her

pillow over the disclosure, but she would die rather than allow him to know it. It was

quite certain to her now that she had made the veriest fool of herself. She could not

remember with any clarity their brief discussion of marriage in Hereford, though she had

spent long hours trying to recall what precisely he had said about it. All she could seem to

draw from her memory, with considerable blushing, were the parts that had little to do

with conversation. He had not wished to marry her in the morning, however—that much

she remembered perfectly.

"I beg your pardon," she said. "If you mean Major Sturgeon, the topic of you has not

arisen between us in conversation."

She felt that she adhered to the spirit of the truth, if not the letter. After the incident of

spilling hot bran mash all over his boots, which he had taken very well, considering, the

topic had not arisen again. She lifted her chin a little. Let Trev suppose she had forgot

him the moment he had disappeared by vanishing into an alley.

"It makes no matter. My apologies for disturbing you." Trev leaned a shoulder against

the wall. "Please go on about your day, my lady." He seemed to find some spot on the

fading wallpaper to be of deep interest, observing it with his lashes lowered.

"But you will have to go away, Trevelyan," his mother said. "I cannot… abide the

strain of… worry that these thief men will discover you here."

"I'm not going away again, Maman," he said strongly, glancing at her.

"But they will come here, and come again… as they did this… morning… until I am

driven… mad."

"I'll simply have to hide when they come."

"Hide where? You cannot… be under my bed… all the day while Nurse comes and

goes." She clutched nervously at the bedclothes. "Already I am thinking all night, how

will I make sure she does not… see you in the dressing room? It is exhausting."

"I'll think of something," Trev said.

"And now the doctor is on… his way. He must pass that thief person who… lurks

outside."

"I'll think of something." Trev swung away from the wall. He gave Callie a brief, polite

smile. "Let me offer my best wishes to you and Major Sturgeon on your engagement, my

lady. I'm sorry that I can't make a formal call, but you'll comprehend that circum stances

prevent me."

The duchesse began to cough. "Do not… pretend—" She wheezed and caught her

breath. "As if… it is a drawing room! You must… have a hiding—"

"I'll think of something, Maman," he said in an edged voice. Callie looked at the

duchesse, who could not seem to draw air enough into her lungs, but only put her hand to

her face and covered her eyes, her body trembling with the effort.

"Well, something must be done," Callie snapped. "Your mother will fret herself to

death!"

"And what precisely do you suggest, my lady?" He threw her an angry look. "Dress

myself as a footman and serve you and the major your tea?"

"Or secret yourself in my bedchamber, perhaps," she retorted. "I'm certain no one

would ever look for you there."

The duchesse recovered her breath. She sat up. "Perfect!" She gasped and subsided in

another cough. "It's… perfect. I knew you would… aid us—"

"Maman, for God's sake—"

A distant sound of the bell made them all turn and look with apprehension toward the

locked door.

"That will be Mr. Rankin," Callie said. "I'll go down and tell him he's not required."

It was indeed Mr. Rankin, but to Callie's dismay and annoyance, he hadn't arrived alone.

Lilly met her on the stairs, hurrying up with her apron lifted. "They're coming into the

garden, my lady!" She looked harassed. "Oh, but he's brought that awful major with

him!" She stopped on the stairs, giving a little gasp, and then dropped her eyes. "Oh, I

forgot—my lady. Begging your pardon, but I meant—why has
he
come? Madame

duchesse won't want to see
him
!"

Callie didn't want to see him either. She recalled belatedly that he was putting up at the

Antlers now; he must have heard the summons for Mr. Rankin. She closed her eyes for a

moment to gather some composure. "I'll speak to them," she said. "Send them into the

parlor."

Just then the constable emerged from the depths of the kitchen, holding a large bun

between his teeth and shouldering on his coat. He looked as if he'd just got out of bed; his

hair and neck cloth oddly disordered for the middle of the day. When he saw Callie, he

stopped and quickly dropped the bun from his teeth, stuffing it into his pocket. "Good

morning, my lady!" He bobbed his head. "We've not caught that scoundrel yet, but we're

on the job here, my lads and I, as you can see!"

Callie paused on her way to the sitting room. "Constable Hubble. Have you spoken to

this new thief-taker?"

He looked puzzled. "An' who would that be, my lady? Only fellow paid to take thieves

round and about Shelford is myself. And my boys, if I want to share a bit with 'em."

"He's from London, I understand."

The constable's jaw dropped. "London!"

Callie nodded, beckoning him into the parlor. "Yes. From the city. Come in, Constable.

Perhaps you can discover more about him, and what he knows of the duke's location. You

may wish to work together."

"I have my doubts about that, my lady." The constable followed her, dusting f lour from

his sleeve. "He's after the duke too, is he?" He snorted. "I did hear they thought they'd

caught him, up to Bristol, and he slipped out of their hands. He's a sly fox, ain't he? Got

to respect that in a criminal. So they think he's come here to his mama's, and s'pose I

wouldn't know of it, do they? We'll see about that."

She sat down in a chair and folded her hands as Lilly ushered the gentlemen into the

house. The maid brought them to the door of the parlor, gave a curtsy, and said in a

resentful tone, "Major Sturgeon, my lady." She glanced at the innkeeper and added with

more pleasantry, "And Mr. Rankin."

Mr. Rankin, stood back, holding his hat in his hands, to let Major Sturgeon come ahead

of him. Before the major could speak, Callie said quickly, "Mr. Rankin—it was very

good of you to come. I'm afraid I've brought you out of your way to no use. It was all a

misunderstanding, and I've seen the duchesse. She is as well as might be expected."

"Well, I'm glad to know that, my lady." The innkeeper stood on the threshold with Lilly

lingering behind him. "I was sorry to hear the poor madame went out of her mind."

"Her feelings are in considerable distress," Callie said. "I understand that this thief-

taker out of London has been troubling her." She glanced at Major Sturgeon. "I should

like you to ask him to remain at some distance from this house, Major. As a favor to me.

In fact, I really see no need at this time for him to continue in pursuit of the Belgian

gentleman. All's well that ends well, is it not?"

"Belgian?" the constable asked. "I was told he was French, my lady."

"It's all the same, I'm sure," Callie said quickly. The stories had multiplied to such an

extent that she hardly knew who was pursuing Trev under what guise anymore. His

misdeeds appeared to be uncountable— another reason to maintain a severe detachment

between him and her heart.

"Aye, my lady." Constable Hubble nodded. "Belgian, French, they're none of 'em

English." He ducked his head toward Major Sturgeon. "And you won't take it ill, sir, I

hope, if I just humbly say that being the representative of the king's law in Shelford, I

didn't give my permit to some London fellow to come pokin' about here for thieves."

Major Sturgeon had said nothing before; at that, his mouth tightened. "I spoke to the

Bow Street man just before we came in, my lady. And I've reason to believe the criminal

in question—be he Belgian or French or a Hindoostani—is hidden in this house at this

very moment."

Lilly gave an audible gasp, peeking round Mr. Rankin with wide eyes. Callie would

have liked to gasp herself, or at least shriek and tear her hair out, but she managed to stif

le it. "If that's the case," she lied blithely, "I haven't noticed him, though I've been with

the duchesse quite some time. And Lilly,
you
may go up and see to Madame until Nurse

returns with the doctor." She gave the maid a pointed look. "You're not required here."

Lilly ducked her head and curtsied. "Yes, my lady." She vanished up the stairs.

"He's hiding, of course," Major Sturgeon said. "Most likely in the attic, or perhaps in

the kitchen, if there's a cellar attached. It's only been out of respect for the lady's illness

that we've not moved to take him yet." He inclined his head toward Callie. "I know she's

a particular friend of yours, my lady, and as such I don't wish to cause her any undue

distress. But her son is wanted for breaking the law in several instances. So we're waiting

for him to come out."

"He ain't in the kitchen," the constable said bluntly. "That I know. And he ain't in this

house at all, come to that. Do you think I wouldn't have taken him up myself if he had

been? I s'pose your fancy thief-takers from up London think they can discover what we

country fellows can't."

"It seems unlikely, I must agree, Constable," Callie said. "Would he return to where it

must be known he's a wanted man?"

"He's in here," the major said with certainty. He looked at her. "Do you doubt me,

ma'am?"

"Well, I—" For one fatal moment, in the face of his hard blue stare, she allowed herself

to glance away. When she looked back again immediately, a strange expression came

into his face. He tilted his head, as if to observe her more closely.

Callie fidgeted with the fingers on her gloves. He made her feel as if she had a f ly on

her nose, he looked at her so intently. "It's not a matter of doubting you, sir," she said,

forcing some backbone into her tone. "I've requested that you call off your pursuit. If it

doesn't please you to do so at my request, then I suppose there's no more to be said." She

stood up. "I must be going now; my sister and Lady Shelford will be missing me at Miss

Poole's."

"Allow me to drive you, my lady," he said swiftly. "I was just on my way to call at the

Hall; my landau stops outside."

"No, no, there's no need. They brought the Shelford carriage." She was f lustered at the

way he looked at her so. "Please don't trouble yourself."

"Then do me the honor of riding with me," he insisted. "It's coming on to rain; I can

take you home directly. We'll send a message to let them know."

Lilly appeared at the door, making a light cough. Callie turned to her, thankful for the

diversion. "Yes, what is it?"

"Madame says that if the men must search the house, then they ought to do it this very

minute," the maid said with a curtsy. "She wishes to have it over directly."

Lilly stood with her eyes lowered. Callie had no trouble reaching the obvious

conclusion that Trev had concealed himself or got away somehow. She turned to Major

Sturgeon. "Well, then." She lifted her eyebrows. "Here is your opportunity, sir."

He bowed his head slightly, but still he observed her in the oddest manner, as if he

would make note of her every smallest move. He had been suspicious of Trev in the

house; now he seemed suspicious of her too. But he said only, "If you prefer that we not

disturb the duch esse, then I won't have anyone come into the house, now or in the future.

Let us simply drive on to Shelford Hall, shall we? I'm at your service." He bowed.

Callie judged that it was best to remove him from the place, even if Trev had hidden

himself. She gave a curt nod. "Then let us go. Lilly, you'll give my compliments to

Madame, and please tell her that she needn't fear any further intrusion."

Outside, her judgment of the preferred course of action took a sudden turn. As she