Gavin’s hands curled into fists. He needed to hit something or someone. Why couldn’t people just give him all the information he wanted at once? “Do you happen to know where she went?”
“Na.” The footman shook his head. “Ain’t no one said.”
Gavin closed his eyes and breathed. Damn it all. She was gone. How could he have let this happen? Focusing on the servant once more, he asked, “Do you know how long they plan to be away?”
“Couldn’t say, my lord.” A voice sounded from the back of the house. “I have to go. Mr. Benson don’t believe in being idle.”
Gavin considered asking the butler where everyone had gone, but the man probably wouldn’t tell him. Butlers were not known for divulging information. “Thank you.”
The footman raced to the back of the house, leaving him to try to find out how to find Georgie.
For a while he walked aimlessly, not caring which direction he was going. When he finally glanced up, he was in front of Exeter House. Lady Exeter must know where Georgie had gone. If not, then surely Miss Stern, Georgie’s other friend who was in Town and lived on the same square, would know. But would they tell him? Gavin shrugged. There was only one way to find out. He knocked on the door.
“My lord.” The butler bowed. “His lordship is not in at the moment. Would you like to leave your card?”
“Actually, I have a question to ask her ladyship if she is receiving.”
“I am certain she would be if she were here. Would you like to leave your card for her?”
He drew out his card case, removed one of his gold-embossed cards, and handed it to the butler. “Please give it to whoever returns first.”
“I shall, my lord.” The man bowed before closing the door.
Well, so much for that. Turning, Gavin stared down the square and across at the portion of Merton House visible through the trees. As long as he was here he might as well ask if Miss Stern knew where Georgie was.
Several minutes later, he was escorted to the Merton House garden and announced. Miss Stern, sitting on a stool facing a semicircle of children, closed a book and rose. “You may run around and play until you are called to eat.” She stood where she was until the last child left before facing him. “My lord, to what do I owe this visit?”
From the corner of his eye, he saw a maid slip out of the house onto the terrace and take up a position next to the French windows. “I have come to ask if you know where Miss Featherton has gone.”
One of Miss Stern’s black brows rose, reminding him sharply that she would not be on his side. “Why do you care?”
Hell and damnation!
He didn’t even know the answer to that question. “I wish to speak with her.” The second brow rose, joining the first. Damn. “I feel as if we left things”—left things what?—“Er. Unfinished.”
Closing her eyes for a moment, she shook her head, then addressed him as if he was an imbecile. “It is my understanding that you were perfectly clear.”
Gavin gritted his teeth as his normally steady temper began to fray for the second time today. “Will you please simply tell me what I wish to know?”
That was obviously not the right tack to take. Miss Stern’s chin rose and her eyes narrowed. “I am not sure that I would. Fortunately, I do not know. She is going to write to me once she arrives.”
Gavin didn’t believe that for a moment. The ladies were as thick as two thieves. This was how men went mad. “Can or will you tell me when she left?”
“It might have been yesterday or it could have been the day before that.” Miss Stern glanced at the maid. “Can you get the stool for me, please?”
“Yes, miss.” The servant, no older than a schoolgirl, hurried to where Miss Stern stood and picked up the stool.
“Thank you.” She curtsied to him. “Good luck on your hunt, my lord.” The tone of her words told him that she most certainly did not wish him luck, and that he’d need a lot of that particular commodity. “The butler will show you out.” A slight smile tilted her lips. “But you already knew that.”
Gavin bit down on the inside of his lip, willing himself not to respond with more than a bow. At least he knew now that Lady Exeter was unlikely to help him. He wondered if Exeter would.
“Ah, Turley.” The Marquis of Merton strolled out to the terrace. “My sister-in-law said she had left you out here.”
Literally left him. “I came to ask her if she knew where Miss Featherton had gone, but she was unable to tell me.”
“Indeed.” The man sounded unconvinced of the truthfulness of his sister-in-law’s assertion. “If so, that will not be the case for long. I was sent to tell her a letter from Miss Featherton had arrived.” Merton motioned for Gavin to follow him into the house. “Would you like to wait until she has had an opportunity to read it?”
He was tempted to ask Merton if he could compel his sister-in-law to reveal Georgie’s location, but thought better of it. Gavin knew enough of the lady to know she could not be made to do anything she did not wish to do, and Lady Merton would support her. “It won’t do any good.”
