Madcap Miss (27 page)

“
Before the year is out,
”
he promised rashly.

“
About your other daughter,
”
she went on, wanting to apologize without condoning the offense,
“
she was not so bad. Take care of her, too. It is not the child
’
s fault, after all. Irene would not have begrudged her a decent upbringing. Did Irene know about the girl?
”

“
No.
”

“
Tell the new wife. Well, I am off. Farewell!
”

The door was closed, the horses given the office to begin, and with a great gust of dust from the dry road, the black coach began its long trip to Scotland.

Lady Healy settled comfortably against the squabs and turned to Mulkins with a wise look.
“
Ha, they think they fooled me with that cock-and-bull story. It was all a sham.
”

“
What do you mean, ma
’
am
”
the confused Mulkins asked.

“
She is not who they said she is.
”

“
Who, Lady Augusta?
”

“
Ninnyhammer! Anyone can see Augusta is very like her mama, except that she got something of my spirit. I refer to the female calling herself Lady Dewitt. She was no kin to Whewett. She was his lightskirt. He tried to wrap it up in clean linen, calling her his sister and planning to tell me the gel was Lady Dewitt
’
s daughter, no doubt. But she hadn
’
t the wits to keep her mouth shut. I have been thinking about it and have figured out now why they were all so startled when she came traipsing in with the brat. You saw how Augusta blinked with shock. She didn
’
t recognize the female at all. It was certainly not Lady Dewitt, but Gussie said nothing to give her father away, sly rascal. She thinks the world of him.
”

“
I was not there, milady. I saw nothing,
”
Mulkins said sulkily. Mulkins would have to be buttered up, to restore her to humor after her rough usage at Willowcrest.

“
You missed a good show. It was comical to see them all trying to figure out what to say. I enjoyed it immensely. That woman was certainly not Mary. Irene said she was pretty. This one was platter-faced and bold as brass. He will never marry her. She is too forward and common. There was no gallantry in him when he dealt with her. He wanted to wring her neck. I wish he had. Who could she be? She has set her bastard to try to win Whewett for her. Did you see the child hanging on to him?
”

“
I didn
’
t see anything. I was in the kitchen, ma
’
am.
”

“
It was famous. I did not think to ask him what he called the brat. I must find out. I shall send her a doll, to show there are no hard feelings. The child was frightened of me. No spirit. Augusta was never frightened of me. I shan
’
t get the bastard a doll with a porcelain head. Not that I begrudge the expense, but it would be sure to get shattered on its way to her.
”

She settled in and closed her eyes to reminisce about the visit and make plans to keep in touch more closely, but by letter. A visit would be too much exertion, but she was glad she had come. In ten minutes she was snoring.

* * * *

At Willowcrest Whewett and Grace piled into his carriage and headed to Wickfield, weak with relief that the ordeal was over. Grace was apprehensive regarding her acceptance by Lady Dewitt and how the situation could be explained to Augusta. What never entered her mind, or Whewett
’
s, either, was that Mrs. Sempleton invariably toured the shops on Monday morning to select her greens before the produce was picked over. Busily engaged in talk, they did not observe her as their carriage bolted past, but she saw and recognized them.

Mrs. Sempleton had been able to discover nothing of Miss Thomas
’
s whereabouts, but she had learned that her cottage had been let. The child had been seen in the village, so where was she staying? Had Whewett taken her to Willowcrest?

This puzzle so intrigued her that she kept an eye on the carriage, and followed it to the inn. A trip to the inn was made plausible by the ruse of buying a journal, which the inn sold at the desk. Thruppence was a stiff price to pay for the information she sought, but she could always just glance at the paper and say it was not the issue she wanted.

This farce proved unnecessary. Mr. Whewett and Miss Jones were still at the desk, inquiring for Lady Dewitt. Mrs. Sempleton had long since discovered this was the elegant female seen on the streets for two days now, accompanied by a young girl who looked too old to be her daughter, yet a trifle young for a sister. The latter relationship had been set upon, however, as the more likely.

“
Why, Mr. Whewett!
”
Mrs. Sempleton said, as though surprised to meet him.
“
I didn
’
t know you planned to stay so long. I hear the old lady found a taker for Willowcrest. An Irishman, they are saying.
”

“
A Mr. Daugherty, from Kent,
”
he replied with a quizzical glance to Grace, who was trying vainly to disappear into a nearby palm tree.

“
And Miss Jones,
”
Mrs. Sempleton continued, twisting her body to get a good look at her.
“
What on earth are you doing here at the inn with Mr. Whewett?
”

Whewett said,
“
I am giving Miss Jones a drive home to see her baby brother.
”

“
Where have been staying, dear?
”
the dame asked.
“
I know Miss Thomas has left town and have been worried about you.
”

“
I stayed with other friends, ma
’
am.
”

She was not let off this easily.
“
Who would that be, then?
”

“
With my relatives,
”
Whewett said, taking Grace
’
s arm to lead her off.

Mrs. Sempleton
’
s fingers clutched on to Grace
’
s sleeve, while an eye nearly starting from its socket was turned on Whewett.
“
What relatives?
”
she demanded.

“
If I thought it would be of the least interest to you, ma
’
am, I would certainly tell you,
”
he answered pleasantly, then removed her fingers from Grace
’
s arm and walked away, carrying Grace with him.

Within two seconds Mrs. Sempleton had recovered from the shock and said to the clerk,
“
Call the constable.
”

The man shook his head.
“
You
’
ll catch cold at that. That gent is Lord Whewett.
”

“
Yes, and I
’
m Lady Top o
’
the Trees. He
’
s plain
Mr.
Whewett is who he is. He
’
s abducting that little girl. He
’
s one of them depraved gentlemen. I know when he did it, too. I am the one let him know she was unprotected. I
’
ve as good as thrown the child to the lions. He
’
s been following her about before this. I saw him days ago, dogging her steps down the street. Can you beat that?
”

“
Mind your own business, Mrs. Sempleton,
”
was the clerk
’
s advice.
“
Do you want the journal or not?
”

She was too excited to answer but not so excited as to lay out thruppence for nothing. She had no real intention of calling a constable. Constables were strangely reluctant to act on her many suggestions. Yet she could not let the matter drop entirely. She loitered in front of the inn, reading coaching timetables with which she was more than familiar, and chatting to passersby. She had a longish wait.

“
Wouldn
’
t you know it,
”
Whewett said with a shake of his head as he and Grace hurried upstairs.
“
I knew we wouldn
’
t get away without that woman spotting us together.
”

“
She didn
’
t believe a word of it!
”
Grace warned him.

“
Nosey old bint. It will keep her busy trying to figure it out. This is Mary
’
s room,
“
he said, and tapped on the door.

A less harried perusal of Lady Dewitt showed Grace a pretty brunette matron in her late twenties. There was a resemblance to Whewett, particularly around the eyes. Those gray eyes were full of mischief at the moment.
“
I am bursting with curiosity to hear all about it. Did you pull it off?
”
Lady Dewitt demanded, drawing them into the chamber.

“
Do you take us for amateurs, Sis?
”
Whewett asked, laughing.
“
Of course we pulled it off. Miss Farnsworth is a famous actress. She speaks of tackling Covent Garden next season.
”

“
Do be serious,
”
Mary chided.

“
Where
’
s Gussie?
”
was his next question.

“
I had Invers take her out so we would have some privacy. You mentioned Grace
—
Miss Farnsworth would want to change her clothes. Charming, Miss Farnsworth,
”
she added, with a smile at the bowed tails of her hair.
“
You make an excellent child.
”

“
An excellent lady, too,
”
Whewett added.

Lady Dewitt showed Grace into the next room to change into the garments contained in a bandbox.
“
Where did you find such a good replica of Doll?
”
she asked her brother when the door was safely closed.

“
You noticed it, too. Quite a striking resemblance, particularly when she lets her hair down.
”

“
A telling speech!
”

“
I mean that literally, Mary. How the deuce did you find out about Doll?
”

“
It was no secret, dear heart. When the local lord takes up with a dashing article like Dolly, everyone knows about it, even innocent young sisters. It was a scandal. Irene only dead six months, too. We were shocked and horrified you would marry the chit in a fit of lonesomeness or stupidity.
”

“
I wasn
’
t that stupid. I was lonesome, though, and she was a taking little thing, Doll.
”

“
All the gentlemen thought so. Took up with anyone who came along and took anything they offered, too. How could you have been such a clunch, Alfred?
”

“
You wouldn
’
t understand. I felt half-dead myself when Irene died so young. There seemed no point in anything. Doll was warm and full of fun and alive, and, oh
—
what
’
s the use? It is ancient history. I never intended to marry her. She was just a woman.
”

“
Mistress, I believe, is the usual term, to differentiate her from the less amusing of us.
”

“
It is as good a word as any. Grace is actually nothing like her. There is some slight physical resemblance that strikes one at first. It is perhaps what first attracted me to her
—”
He stopped suddenly, as he realized he was being drawn on to say more than he intended.
“
Are you all packed up and ready to leave?
”
he asked, to terminate the subject.

“
Not till I squeeze an answer out of you. Is she
decent,
Alfred? This whole affair reeks most outrageously of impropriety. What, for instance, were the sleeping arrangements at Willowcrest?
”

“
Highly unsatisfactory. We had separate rooms. She is a
lady,
Sis. A very
proper
young lady, who happened to be in a desperate situation. She still is.
”

“
Desperate enough to accept the offer you obviously intend making?
”

“
We shall see. Hush, she
’
s coming.
”

Grace walked in, transformed into her more mature self.
“
I don
’
t know what you must think of me, Lady Dewitt,
”
she said with a beseeching smile.

“
My brother has told me what I am to think,
”
Mary answered playfully. Upon receiving a heavy frown from Whewett, she added,
“
He tells me you are a superb governess.
”

“
So she is, but mind, she don
’
t like to get up too early in the mornings,
”
he said.

“
Whewett!
”
Grace exclaimed, looking to him in alarm.

“
After she has been up all night with the children,
”
he added to his sister.

“
I should hope not indeed,
”
Mary said, mystified. There was an awkward moment
’
s silence, after which Mary resumed speaking.
“
I must tell you the story I have told Augusta. I said the girl at Lady Healy
’
s is my governess
’
s younger sister, in case she notices the resemblance. The young sister has gone to relatives far away. Augusta is too young yet to wonder what my governess
’
s sister was doing at Willowcrest.
”