Now she was not so confident in her abilities and a misjudgment might have terrible consequences.
Then, there was her wish that Lord Grayson was not as Lord Dalton painted him. Was she allowing her wishes to persuade the facts?
It all made her very unsure of her footing, as if she treaded over rocky ground in ballroom slippers. It was not a feeling she was at all used to experiencing.
“I will not shower you with comforting platitudes, Kitty,” Lady Penderton said. “Your fears are valid, I’m afraid. I have been lucky, but there are those women who have not been so fortunate. Of those, not a one of them understood what they were really walking into. It is a grim reality.”
Kitty looked at her mother in some surprise. Shehadthought Lady Penderton would shower her with comforting platitudes. It was rather alarming that she did not.
“That is what your family is for, my dear,” Lady Penderton said. “When you find you have a real interest in a gentleman, and I think it is far too early for any of that yet, your father, brother, and I will find out everything there is to know about him. If the gentleman once kicked a cat in his youth, we will discover it.”
Kitty could not help but to smile over the idea. Kicked a cat, indeed.
“Do not torture yourself with these worries, you are surrounded in the safety of your family. Commit to nobody until you have consulted with us,” Lady Penderton said. “Now, let us proceed into Mrs. Herschel’s house. I have high hopes of hearing something delightfully absurd that will amuse your father.”
Mrs. Herschel’s drawingroom was as crowded as it had been the last time Kitty had been there. For all the people in attendance, there was surprisingly little talking. There seemed be a tension or an anticipation in the air, as if something momentous was about to occur. Kitty was certain there was news about Veritas.
Kitty and Lady Penderton were shown to a sofa in front of the tea tray. Kitty was certain they were given the consideration on her mother’s account—she was a baroness, not a scholar, and Kitty suspected nobody knew what to do with her other than honor her title with a choice seat.
A few other people came in and Mrs. Herschel rose. The room quieted, and she said, “Welcome, my esteemed guests. I will get right to the point as I know you would wish it. We are in dire need of a new direction for our inquiries. Our initial idea of combing through the papers recently published by the society has led to…”
Mrs. Herschel paused. Kitty could not imagine what looking through the papers had led to, if it were not the unmasking of Veritas. As so many of the people in the room appeared uncomfortable, even abashed, she did not think it could be so. Only Sir John and the ladies in the room did not appear struck.
“It has led to a number of unfortunate incidents,” Mrs. Herschel finally said. “Sir Joseph, while eager to detect the interloper, has asked us to cease this particular avenue of inquiry so that there are not any further…mishaps. Sir Joseph has even suggested that the idea of a paper having been published that would embarrass us all may have been a ruse to sow discord. If that is the case, it seems it was all too successful. Now, I suggest we use this meeting today to arrive at some other things we can do. There are great minds in this room, certainly we shall arrive at a new idea.”
Mrs. Herschel sat down next to the baroness. The people in the drawing room moved off into groups, speaking quietly amongst one another.
“Baroness,” Mrs. Herschel said, refilling her teacup, “you must think us odd, indeed. I hardly dared hope you would come again.”
Lady Penderton took the cup and said, “I would not miss it, Mrs. Herschel. I am finding all of this quite fascinating, and I am certain Kitty feels the same.”
Kitty nodded, and her mother went on. “Do tell me, though, what particular mishap was the result of reading a pile of papers?”
Mrs. Herschel glanced round the room, and then said softly, “It was enthusiasm, you see. One fellow would think he’d spotted something suspicious in a paper and then question the fellow who wrote it. It eventually ended in fisticuffs in Covent Garden. Mr. Nackery interrogated Lord Home over whether he had actually examined the innards of a tadpole and made valid conclusions on its aggregation of fat, or whether the paper was meant to hint that the society itself had run to fat.”
Kitty stifled her laughter. The baroness was not quite so successful at it. “Surely not?” she said, her shoulders shaking.
“I am afraid so,” Mrs. Herschel said. “And it was just as absurd as it sounds—neither gentleman is particularly skilled at fisticuffs. I understand it was a ridiculous rolling around in the dirt more than a pitched battle.”
Mrs. Herschel was silent for a moment. She said softly, “I really do not know what we are to do. I have even paid an investigator and he’s come up with nothing.”
Kitty had entirely given up any intention of mentioning Lord Grayson and his ideas. Now, though, the investigation seemed to have come to a standstill.
“Mrs. Herschel,” Kitty said, “it was recently suggested to me that there might be an actual connection between John Hill and Veritas. Lord Grayson has made some effort to discover it. He writes to his relations on the continent to inquire. At least, he says that he has. But even if he has not, might that not be a worthy avenue?”
“Grayson?” Mrs. Herschel asked, her eyebrows slowly coming together across her forehead. “I do not know him.”
“No, of course you would not,” Kitty said. “He is in no way engaged in the society’s business.”
“Then why should he pursue the man we seek?” Mrs. Herschel asked, appearing very puzzled.
“Well,” Kitty said, stammering, “I do not know that he really has. He may have been only talking. Though I did think the idea had merit.”
“I suppose it may,” Mrs. Herschel said. “After all, we have no place to start and there is as good as anywhere.”
Mrs. Herschel turned in her seat and called, “Sir John, do join us. Miss Dell has an interesting idea for us to consider.”
Kitty felt her face flame. Sir John was already acquainted with the idea and did not think it worthy at all. She should have told that to Mrs. Herschel at the outset!
