Before Lily could expound on her ideas regarding Lady Carradine, Ranier entered with a letter on a silver tray. He brought it to Mrs. Hemming. “Just arrived for you, madam. The messenger who delivered it claimed it to be of some importance.”
Mrs. Hemming took the letter with a shaking hand. Ranier appeared rather perplexed by it but said not a word and left them alone.
“It is her,” Mrs. Hemming said softly. “I recognize the handwriting.”
“Lady Carradine?” Lily asked, surprised.
Mrs. Hemming nodded, all the while staring at the note in her hand. “I suppose she writes to apologize, or to explain. Oh, I cannot imagine what she writes.”
“Do open it, Aunt,” Lily said. “It is the only sure way to know what she writes.”
Mrs. Hemming slowly unfolded the paper and Lily peered over her shoulder to read it.
My dear Amelia,
You will have received this after I am gone. I am sorry I did not put Miss Farnsworth in her carriage, but she was in the company of Lord Ashworth and I remain confident he did the duty. In any case, I have full faith in Pips managing the thing quite well. I could not stay to see to it personally as I have been forced to flee the city.
You will know that Mr. Shine is not my cousin. I cannot go into the details of how it was that he should push his way into my establishment, only that he did. Mr. Shine is a cheat, my dear, and I send you this missive as a caution. Do not bet your money there, as you will likely lose it, he will be discovered eventually, and a shade will fall on all of the members. Please tell your friends.
As for me, I cannot be a part of such a vile operation as Mr. Shine intends it and so must go and make my way elsewhere. Know that I have always considered you a friend and will think of you often, regardless of where the wind takes me.
Judith Carradine.
Mrs. Hemming had just laid down the note when Ranier once more entered.
“I am sorry to disturb, madam,” he said. “Lord Ashworth is at the door and quite insistent on seeing you.”
“Goodness,” Mrs. Hemming said, her voice faltering, “I suppose you’d best show him in.”
Ranier nodded, though Lily suspected he was beginning to wonder at the activities of this particular morning. First, she and her aunt closeted themselves in the drawing room, then Mrs. Hemming was visibly struck by a letter he hands her, then a lord arrived at an unseemly hour.
It was only a moment before Lord Ashworth strode through the door. Ranier, never giving over to any strange circumstance, had gathered himself into his usual visage of understated competence. He was prepared to shower down upon the lord all manner of tea things, but Lord Ashworth claimed to want nothing.
Ranier’s true feelings on the matter briefly made an appearance. Lily could guess he was deeply disappointed that he was not to show to good effect the skill and readiness in which he kept the kitchens of his household. He shut the door behind him with a decidedly firm hand.
Lily felt a wave of embarrassment upon seeing the lord so soon after their adventure. Perhaps the embarrassment sprung from how often she had found herself in very close proximity to him the evening before, or perhaps it was to do with her altered opinion of him. She could not say, but she clasped her hands together to stop them from fidgeting.
After the lord had suitably greeted Mrs. Hemming, he turned to greet Lily. She had the notion that he was less than comfortable to see her too.
“I have much to tell you both,” he said, sitting down next to Mrs. Hemming.
“And we, you,” Lily said, handing him the letter from Lady Carradine.
Lord Ashworth scanned it and laid it back down. “This answers some questions, at least,” he said. “I had wondered if Lady Carradine might be under Mr. Shine’s power and needed rescue, but it seems she’s rescued herself.”
“I still cannot understand how she involved herself with that person,” Mrs. Hemming said.
“I rather thinkheinvolved himself withher,” Lord Ashworth said, “though I haven’t the slightest idea how he did it. Last night, I set a watch on Lady Carradine’s house—too late to catch Mr. Shine in his departure. This morning, I discovered from my man that the house is closed up. The day servants arrived to find the doors locked and a note that said it would be shut for the foreseeable future. They have all been summarily dismissed. Now we know Lady Carradine has flown the coop. I think it’s safe to say that Mr. Shine has too. I hope we will not see either again.”
“That is a relief!” Mrs. Hemming said.
“But those poor servants!” Lily cried. “To have no notice or reference, what must they suffer?”
“They will not suffer, Miss Farnsworth,” Lord Ashworth said. “My man was clever enough to get all of their addresses in case we have a need to ever speak to them about this circumstance. I have made arrangements to pay them all handsomely—two of the younger that were thought promising will be sent to one of my estates to train as grooms. It will be far higher pay, a chance to advance to coachmen, and very comfortable living conditions. I presume they will be well-pleased with the scheme. One, the old porter, will be retired on a pension. The rest have enough to be at their leisure until they secure new employment. I have arranged to write references, as Lady Carradine did not. I will explain their employer was too indisposed to provide one but that I was often a patron and observed their work.”
“How good you are, Lord Ashworth,” Mrs. Hemming said. “Very generous. Any employer would be gratified to receive a reference from a lord. It must work very much in their favor. And to think—the old porter was such a nice fellow. I like to imagine him comfortably retired.”
Lily said nothing, but could only approve of the lord’s largesse. She was also surprised by it. She would not have expected one who was so highly placed to concern himself with the various fates of Lady Carradine’s servants.
