George pushed in her chair as she took her place opposite Henry.
“Not as bad as that,” he replied. “And not surprising, considering you were up half the night.”
She cast him a reproachful glance over her shoulder. “It wasn’t half the night, I assure you.”
“No? I am glad to hear it. May I fetch you something from the sideboard?”
“Are there any coddled eggs?”
“There are, indeed. I think toast and jam might be in order, as well. You’re looking rather pale this morning, my Emma.”
“I’m perfectly fine, George. Please don’t worry.”
He crossed to the sideboard. “I do tend to worry when I hear that my wife was up in the middle of the night pursuing mysterious intruders.”
Emma looked at her nephew, who crinkled his nose.
“Sorry,” he whispered.
“It’s fine,” she whispered back.
“I wasn’t exactly engaged in a hot pursuit of villains,” she said as he placed a very full plate of food in front of her. “George, I cannot possibly eat all this.”
He resumed his seat. “Do your best, please. I don’t want you falling ill, especially in this cold weather.”
“Now you sound like my father. Which reminds me,” she said as she took up her knife. “Please donotmention anything about last night to him. Or to your mother,” she added, raising her eyebrows at her nephew.
“I won’t,” Henry replied. “She’d want me to come back to Hartfield.”
“I take it that you would prefer to stay with us for the time being?” George asked.
“Yes, please. It’s more fun here than at Hartfield.”
George’s smile was wry. “Apparently so, since there are no potential villains skulking about Hartfield’s shrubbery.”
Emma sighed. “Henry has clearly alerted you to our nocturnal adventures.”
“I cannot be happy you didn’t wake me, Emma.”
“I understand, but you needed your rest. To be fair, you were dead to the world, George.”
“Emma—”
She held up a hand—or, rather, she held up her piece of toast. “I truly didn’t think it was anything to worry about. I couldn’t see anything from Henry’s room, so I thought to pop down to the long gallery to have a look. And therewassomeone out there, George,” she said. “But he was quite far from the house by that point,” she hastily added when she saw the expression on his face.
“And atthatpoint, you apparently decided it was wise to go outside and investigate. In the dead of night and at the opposite end of the house, where I couldn’t hear you if anything went wrong.”
Emma cast a jaundiced eye at her nephew. “Henry, one thing you must learn as an accomplice is whennotto share information.”
“Sorry, Auntie Emma,” he said. “I’ll do better next time.”
She smiled at him. “I’m sure you will, dear.”
“There won’t be a next time,” George sternly noted. “If either of you ever see anything amiss, you are to come for me immediately. Failing that, send Harry or one of the grooms to fetch Larkins.”
Emma regarded him with some surprise. “George, I simply saw some lights on the path leading to Langham. And as it turns out, Harry happened to be raiding the larder, so he went out and checked for me.”
Her husband scoffed. “It was by sheer happenstance that he happened to be there.”
