“Perhaps thetonwould like to discuss how a certain four gentlemen have conspired to pose as suitors to draw another gentleman forward,” Van Doren said.
Beatrice should have known Van Doren would not drop the matter. Though, she still could not understand why he seemed so furious over it.
The four gentlemen so recently accused glanced at each other. Juliet nearly shouted, “Who told him? Who told Van Doren about the ruse?”
“Nobody told him,” Beatrice said. “He guessed at it.”
“Now he’s gettingsmartertoo?” Viola said. “What is happening?”
“Well now, it is only a little ruse, after all,” Lord Jericho said.
“It is a lie,” Van Doren said. “It is underhanded, and it is trickery.”
Sir William waved his hands as if Van Doren had it all wrong, which he most certainly did. “You see, Van Doren, it is all kindly done. We only wish to help two people to find each other.”
“The fellow needs help being found, does he?” Van Doren said sharply.
“Yes, indeed he does,” Mr. Cahill said.
Just then, the earl came in. “What ho? I did not know we had visitors, and Van Doren too.”
Beatrice fairly held her breath. The gentlemen made their greetings to the earl, though they all looked suddenly pale. It was clear enough that nobody knew if Van Doren was on the verge of acquainting her father with Darden’s scheme.
“I see my timing is not ideal,” the earl said. “It is so strange, but I find myself on tenterhooks to know how the one-eyed duke and his governess get on. Perhaps we might hear after dinner, Miss Mayton.”
Miss Mayton, a bit wide-eyed, said, “Oh, but why not now? I have already told these gentlemen of where we are so far. They were most interested in it.”
It was a clever bid to change the subject, though the earl looked not very convinced. “Really?” he asked.
“Oh yes,” Lord Jericho said.
“We’re on tenterhooks ourselves,” Sir William said, nodding enthusiastically.
“Tied up in knots over it,” Mr. Cahill said.
“On the edge of our seats,” Lord Dunston said.
All of them studiously avoided Van Doren’s eye, as did everybody else in the room but for the earl.
“Well now, Van Doren, could you stand for another chapter?”
Van Doren forced a smile. “Why ever not?”
Miss Mayton hurried to her sewing basket and retrieved her book. Beatrice could not help noting how relieved everybody in the room appeared. Except her father, of course, who only looked well pleased, and Van Doren, who scowled.
She felt a twinge of guilt over keeping her father in the dark about what had been going on and why Darden’s friends had been following her about like a pack of puppies.
But then, the earl really did not like to be troubled over things.
“Now, as we know,” Miss Mayton said, “the duke has been on a rampage in the village to avenge whoever attacked his gentle governess.”
She trotted back to her seat. “Of course, we also know she was not attacked, but rather fell off the roof while attempting to view the duke in his bath.”
As Beatrice knew perfectly well that the lords Dunston and Jericho, Sir William, and Mr. Cahill were not at all acquainted with the story, she pressed her lips together to stop from laughing. They all looked almost…frightened. She could not blame them—it did sound rather odd to hear it summed up like that.
Miss Mayton began to read.
“Please, Duke, no more murders!” the gentle governess cried.
