“Lord Ashworth writes that we are not to go to Lady Blakeley’s half mask. We are to stay indoors and we will be guarded by some of his men. Something must have happened, though he does not bother to say what. A bit highhanded, if you ask me.”
Lily was some combination of frightened and disappointed. She too wished the lord had sent more information. Certainly, he had discovered something. Perhaps he’d discovered that Mr. Shine was still in town. Had he somehow divined that Mr. Shine had not, as they’d all hoped, fled the country?
But even if he were still in London, what could Mr. Shine hope to accomplish? What did Lord Ashworth suspect him of, that they were not to dare venturing out? Lily felt a shiver run down her back. Perhaps the lord thought she might be in danger of a kidnaping? She knew she should not speculate, as speculations were so often wrong. Even so, she would assure herself that every door and window to the house was locked come sunset.
Then, the lord would present himself in the next day or so and tell them all about it. She must think his not very elucidating missive was caused by some hurry on his part. They must just trust him for now.
Though, it was a shame that they were to miss the mask. Worse, they must disappoint Lady Blakeley, who had been so kind to them and taken such care and expense over their masks.
“Aunt,” Lily said resolutely, “we must trust in Lord Ashworth and send our excuses to Lady Blakely. We must say we have both been taken ill—claim we ate a bad fish, I think. That would account for both of us indisposed and be vexatious enough to keep us at home, but not a thing that would lay us low for long.”
Mrs. Hemming nodded. “Very good idea. I was thinking we say we had colds, but then we would eventually be seen without red noses and people would wonder at it. I never knew of a cold that did not come with a red nose. Goodness, I have not had a bad fish in ages, though I remember it most clearly. After I recovered, I fired my cook as it became known to me that she was in the habit of buying cheap goods and pocketing the extra money. That is how I ended with a turned fish on my plate. Well, I wonder where she is now? Poisoning some poor family in the countryside, probably.”
Lily did not follow the travails of her aunt’s old cook. She was too busy thinking ahead. It was true, she would not see Lord Ashworth at Lady Blakeley’s ball. But he must arrive here, if not today then on the morrow, to explain his note. She glanced down at her simple muslin dress and wondered if she should change to something more flattering.
*
Hayes had saidhe’d meet Grayson at Destin’s and he’d decided he better turn up. He did not want anybody to notice anything unusual about his movements on this particular day.
Grayson had arrived before him and acquired one of the better tables. That had been no great effort, as the place was thinly occupied at that moment. As usual, his friend was starched to oblivion. Hayes thought it looked an uncomfortable and silly way to go on.
He sat down as Marty Destin hurried over with a coffee. Hayes had frequented the place so often now that Destin understood his habits—he did not favor wine or other spirits so early in the day. It was well he did not engage in the habit, as he would not for the world drink anything stronger than ale on this day. His mind must remain sharp.
“Any further news of Mr. Shine?” Grayson asked.
Hayes was momentarily startled by the question, until he recalled that Shine had been such a topic of interest at Dalton’s house. It was devilish inconvenient that Shine had been the same man who’d attempted a cheat at Gravesley’s house party. He hoped there was not anything else about the scoundrel that might come out, thereby keeping him a topic to discuss.
“I have heard nothing,” Hayes said.
“Wellburn says he knew the fellow was a sharp as soon as he clapped eyes on him and never went to Lady Carradine’s since,” Grayson said.
“Wellburn always claims to know everything. After the fact,” Hayes said drily.
“True,” Grayson admitted. “But then, Banks said he’d heard from somebody thatsomebody elseheard that Shine wished to marry Lady Carradine. He was so persistent that she decamped and nobody knows where she’s gone.”
Hayes inwardly sighed. He should have known the invented stories would begin their rounds. Wellburn always knew it. Banks heard it from somebody who heard it from somebody. He wished they would all stop talking.
“I suppose it is nothing to us what the two of them do,” Hayes said.
“I suppose not,” Grayson said. “Anyway, guess how I am to arrive to Lady Blakeley’s ball?”
“As an over-starched neckcloth?” Hayes asked.
“That might have been better,” Lord Grayson said. “As it is, I am to go as a magpie. The note said,for the collector of hearts.”
“You might take the hint, friend,” Hayes said.
“I might, but not just yet. There is a lovely young lady who will serve to distract me from Lady Blakeley’s condemnation. Though, I just saw her with her aunt on the street and she refused to tell me of her mask. I wonder how Lady Blakely has seen fit to cast Miss Farnsworth?”
“Give over chasing Miss Farnsworth,” Hayes said abruptly.
“Ah! Do I detect a note of jealousy?” Grayson asked. “I already know you have secured her for supper. She would not positively say it, but I divined it all the same.”
Hayes stared at his friend.HadMiss Farnsworth hinted such? He could not be certain—Grayson was in the habit of inventing elaborate teases. Whatever the case, he would not encourage his friend to speak further on Miss Farnsworth.
“You know no such thing,” he said. “Further, Miss Farnsworth is too intelligent to succumb to your false flattery.”
“But perhaps not so clever as to fail to succumb to my jokes,” Grayson said with glee. “I hinted that your mother was set on Miss Blaise as the next duchess.”
