The Fashionable Spy (18 page)

“Then it is well that Mr. Padbury will look elsewhere for a wife,” Julia commented before picking up her brush. “Do you know, there were times when I believe we became a trifle too complacent when he was about. I should hate to think I look for a spy everywhere, but I confess that I now wonder about him. He seemed to listen so intently to all that was said while he sat with us. Is it possible we inadvertently revealed something we ought not have said?”

“Oh, pooh,” Elizabeth scoffed. “That little man? Do you know that had you married him, you would have been taller than your husband? I cannot think
him
a spy. Yet I know we must be careful. I should suspect a new footman, more likely.”

“Except we do not have one about.” Victoria sighed, resuming her frustrating work on the cipher.

“Well, I have completed the last of these banknotes. We shan’t have to spend good English pounds and thus finance the French, when our spies can use these instead.” She blew on the paper to dry the last of the special paint she used for this task, then turned to face Victoria. “You do not fear whoever it was that sent the dead iris to you? There has been nothing more in the few days since then?”

Nibbling at the end of her pen, Victoria shook her pretty head. “I try not to dwell on the matter. We can but take our usual precautions. Do you send for a messenger to pick up those banknotes?”

“I shall be very daring and deliver them myself. You see,” she added with a twinkle in her eyes, “there is the most handsome gentleman I meet when I go to the war office. He admires what I do, and that is rather nice.”

Victoria repressed a grin, then scolded, “See that you are careful.”

.”Oh, pooh, what can happen to me in the middle of the day in the heart of London?” Elizabeth first placed the copper plates in a cupboard, then gathered her stack of beautifully colored notes, ready to be cut and “weathered.” She slowly Walked to the door. “Nevertheless, I will do as you say. Sam will drive me in our old carriage, and I shall not attract attention when dressed simply. Should I wear a veil, do you think?”

Julia chuckled at this bit of nonsense. “Now, that would cause people to stare. You might as well wear Victoria’s half-mask. There is nothing so intriguing as seeing someone who doesn’t wish to be seen, if you follow my meaning.”

Elizabeth agreed and left the room.

Victoria and Julia sat in resumed silence, broken only from time to time by baffled sighs from Victoria.

It was shortly before Victoria was to leave for Sir Edward’s home that Elizabeth returned from her errand. She looked furious, her pelisse was badly soiled, and that lovely bonnet with the cherries on the brim looked a trifle the worse for wear. She paused on the threshold, looking from one sister to the other.

“Whatever happened, love?” Victoria inquired with concern. She’d had reservations about permitting Elizabeth to dash off to the war office on her own, and this proved that the trip could be hazardous.

“You will never guess what happened,” Elizabeth declared, marching into the room with a dramatic flair.

“Nothing seriously bad, I trust?” Julia said, a tremor in her voice. “For I must tell you that you look an utter fright, my dear.”

“I shall tell you all about it, if I may.” Not waiting for their assent, for she knew they perished from curiosity, Elizabeth continued.

“Sam brought the carriage to a halt just before the office, and the groom let down the steps for me as usual. I took my folio under my arm, and had scarcely begun to walk to the building when a scruffy lad came tearing through the crowd directly at me.” Here Elizabeth paused and sank down to rest upon her high stool.

“Mercy!” Julia exclaimed, her hand fluttering to her throat at the image provoked.

“Well, down I went with a whoosh, landing rather hard on my, er, posterior. I managed to hold tightly to the folio, for do you know, I am convinced that lad wanted it.”

“Whatever for?” Victoria wondered. “Unless ...”

“Precisely,” Elizabeth said, then continued. “I believe that someone was out to get those notes, which means that someone knows what I do! And that is not all. Who should be witness to this calamity but Lord Leighton. Oh, it does not bear thinking how embarrassed I was that he should see me tumbled on the ground, my skirt above my ankles, I’m sure, and my poor bonnet down over my eyes.” Elizabeth sighed, then said, “He helped me up, though I wished him to the ends of the earth. You can guess how he will tease me about this.”

“He does seem to keep turning up like a bad penny,” Victoria observed with a twinkle in her eyes.

“He claimed he was just passing when he recognized my pelisse. That smooth tongue of his said that it is a color uniquely mine. Rubbish.” Elizabeth brushed a speck of dust from her rumpled pelisse.

“It does become you, love,” Julia reminded her.

“Well, he also claims that he dashed after the lad, but the young one got away. Most likely Lord Leighton is out of condition. No one usually runs
from
him—except me, that is.” She grinned at her sisters, then settled more comfortably on her stool, prepared to continue.

“He brushed me off. Mind you, I did not ask him to, but I thought it a scandalous thing of him to do—so very familiar. But rakes do things like that, I expect.”

“Scandalous, indeed,” Victoria murmured, trying hard not to laugh.

Julia was more serious. “He ought not take liberties with a young woman of quality. Do you see now why I wish you to have a maid with you at all times?”

Elizabeth nodded, then went on. “I put him in his place, reminded him that he had been on his way out of the building, and that I’d not wish to detain him. He had to leave then, you see, not escort me inside.” Her lovely face clouded. “But little good it did me. I found that the handsome blond I so admired is married, for he inquired who my mantua maker is in order to have a pelisse made up for his wife. What a disappointment that was.”

“I am so sorry, love,” Victoria said softly, this time with true regret. She had hoped there would be someone to take Elizabeth’s mind off Lord Leighton, and now it seemed the replacement had yet to appear.

“As if that were not enough, that old wigsby I report to patted me on the head and told me not to worry about a thing. He feels it was merely a lad trying to snatch something of value. No instinct at all.
I
knew in my bones that something was havey-cavey about the incident.”

“You most likely have the right of it,” Victoria agreed, glancing at Julia to see her reaction.

“I am not finished,” Elizabeth said after her pause. At the alarmed look from her sisters, she said in a dramatic manner, “He was waiting for me in the carriage!”

“Who?” Victoria and Julia demanded to know.

“Why, Lord Leighton,” Elizabeth said with surprise in her voice. “Whom else have I been talking about? He said I needed extra escort after such a nasty attack. As though Sam and the groom would not be sufficient. I waited for Leighton to tease me, but he didn’t. He will, though, I suspect. I depend upon you girls to help me think of some way to depress that man. Oh, he is insufferable.” With these words she jumped down from the stool and marched to the door. “I intend to forget the man ever lived. And I shall take great pleasure in giving him a royal setdown whenever I see him.”

Once she had left the room, Victoria and Julia stared at each other, then burst into gentle laughter.

“Do you suppose she can forget such a man?” Victoria said when she could speak.

“Rakes make excellent husbands, or so I am told,” Julia said in reply, frowning as she considered Elizabeth and her evident infatuation with a man who merely liked to tease. It was to be devoutly hoped that another young man would supplant Lord Leighton in Elizabeth’s thoughts.

“But I worry about what else Elizabeth revealed in her chatter. There is someone who knows far more than he ought about our activities. If he tried to get those notes from her, what will he attempt next?”

“Mercy,” Julia whispered, and looked very much as though she wished her sisters did not partake in such daring activities, although she knew and agreed with their reasons for doing so. Revenge proved a strong motive.

Victoria sighed and put aside her papers, resolving to return to them later that evening.

* * * *

At Sir Edward’s elegant town house, Victoria worked in silence, intending to say as little as possible. She had the headache today, no doubt owing to hours spent poring over that dratted cipher.

“Did you leave Mr. Padbury entertaining Mrs. Winton today as usual?” Sir Edward’s voice fell into the stillness of the room like a pebble in a pond.

Victoria jumped, for her mind had been far from the subject of her sister and her erstwhile swain. “No.”

“I thought the man was quite devoted to the lady?”

“Well, he isn’t anymore.” Victoria shifted around to squint at the bust of Sir Edward, wondering if she had begun to capture the true essence of his powerful personality.

“How interesting. What happened?”

“She decided they would not suit. Really, Sir Edward, do you encourage me to gossip? Vastly improper of you.’’ Her head was throbbing; how could she continue with her work? Placing the dampened cover over the head, regardless that she had accomplished very little on it today, she then wiped her hands. “I am sorry. Sir Edward. I fear I have a fierce headache. It is best if I leave immediately.”

At once he moved to her side, solicitous as she might wish. He studied her wan face, then said, “Hm, I have just the thing for a headache of that proportion.” Leaving her to droop against the desk, he walked to the hall, calling to his butler. After several minutes of blessed silence he returned carrying a glass holding a ghastly-looking liquid.

Victoria eyed the contents of the glass with disfavor. “You cannot expect me to drink that.”

“Every last drop.”

Actually, the taste was not quite what she feared. Victoria swallowed the lot, placed the empty glass on the table, then crossed to get her pelisse and bonnet.

“I insist upon seeing you home.”

He would not accept her assurances that she felt better and could manage nicely by herself. Actually, it was rather gratifying to have someone fuss over her. At home it seemed that she was always the one to organize, to plan, to forge ahead with whatever scheme needed to be accomplished. It would be, she thought as he shortly helped her into his carriage, lovely to have a firm shoulder to lean upon.

Then she recalled the iris locket and what it meant. Could any gentleman wish to ally himself with a woman who was a spy? She didn’t regret what she’d agreed to do. But any man who would marry her must be someone who’d not cavil at her serving her country. It would take someone with strength of character, and they seemed thin on the ground.

“You still frown. I thought you said your headache was better?”

“But it is,” she said, then realized that whatever he’d given her had worked extremely well. “I must get the recipe from you, for it is surprisingly fast. I just happened to remember something I needed to do.”

“Unpleasant, from the looks of it.”

“The looks?’’ Did he read her mind again? She darted a startled glance at him, then prepared to get out when they arrived at the Dancy house. ‘

He remained at her side, entering the house as though he had every right to do so, no matter that she would have been quite pleased to bid him farewell. She smiled sweetly at her escort.

“I had best see how Julia does. Thank you for your help, sir.”

“I should also like to see how she does.”

Annoyed, yet too polite to show it, Victoria led the way to the rear of the house. Once there, she consulted Julia as to how the afternoon had gone.

After a dutiful and exceedingly correct greeting, Edward sauntered about the room. He had hoped to do precisely this. He wondered what Miss Dancy had been doing to get such a fierce headache. The remedy he’d poured down her throat was one he used for the most violent of aches.

He paused. Miss Elizabeth had left her desk neat and tidy, compared to the last time he had seen it. That probably meant a completed project. He strolled on.

Atop the small desk in the corner of the room he espied a familiar-looking paper. Without seeming to do so, he edged closer for a better look. Obviously Miss Dancy was deep into espionage, if what he saw was any indication. He knew that paper! Disillusionment washed over him, for he had hoped to be wrong about her. She most definitely was a spy, and not only that, but an inferior one, to leave a document like that out on her desk where anyone might see it.

Late yesterday he had paused at the exhibit hall where the collection of art from various women was scheduled to take place next week. As a patron, he wished to see how it looked. As anticipated, every one of her heads was a parliamentarian, each representing a man who figured prominently in politics and the controversy over the war. Someone else might not notice the connection, but he had hunted for it.

And now? What was he to do? Report her? He stared blindly at a head on one of the shelves. He knew his duty, but for once he was loath to perform it.

“I fear my collection is rather slim. Sir Edward. I took nearly all of what I retained to the exhibit hall.”

“I see.” Edward turned to study her, then moved suddenly toward the door. “Forgive me, ladies, I just remembered an engagement. I shall see you later.”

Victoria watched with puzzled eyes as Sir Edward bowed, then left in a tearing hurry. Turning to Julia, she said, “I would give a sizable amount to know what that was all about.”

“Do you think the day will ever come when we shall
not
speculate over the actions and words of the people we know?”

“Come, Julia. I want to know where he dashed
off
to in such a hurry.” She grabbed her sister’s hand, then ran to the front of the hall.

“Which way did he go, Evenson?” she demanded of the correct family retainer.

Being quite accustomed to the eccentric behavior of his young ladies by this time, he informed her, then turned to order the carriage be brought round.

Since Sam had been ready to leave in order to pick her up at Sir Edward’s, the carriage was in front of the house within moments. Victoria gave the orders, then hauled her sister into the carriage after her and they were off.