“It’s like magic,” Rosalind said. “It really is turning our aunt into a gentleman!”
“And look, Rosalind, we even have enough to make Aunt’s eyebrows bushy.”
Viola painted glue over Miss Mayton’s eyebrows and pressed tufts of fur over the lady’s eyebrows.
Cordelia placed the beaver hat on her head and pulled it down to Miss Mayton’s recently embellished brows.
Their aunt was entirely transformed.
“I’d not the first idea it would look this good,” Rosalind said. “I think you could go into the house and sit in the drawing room and Conbatten would never suspect it was you.”
“I think so too,” Miss Mayton said, “though, ought we to tempt fate?”
“Oh dear no, the fates do not like to be tempted,” Rosalind said, nodding. “They begin to think you take them for granted and they never like it.”
Cordelia handed her aunt a gentleman’s cane. “I borrowed this from Papa,” she said. “If one of the duke’s footmen is looking at you too closely, you can wave it around to distract him, just as Grandpapa used to do when he wished to get his way.”
“Goodness, he did like to wave that stick in one’s face. Very good thinking, dear,” Miss Mayton said.
“Here is your note, Aunt,” Rosalind said, handing over the carefully composed challenge to a duel.
Miss Mayton looked it over. “It sounds so real!”
“I like that we made him the fourteenth baron,” Juliet said. “It makes it sound as if the family has been around for ages.”
“And then his brother Archibald is lame from being a soldier, which makes perfect sense and explains why he stays in the carriage,” Cordelia said.
Juliet pulled open the front curtains and opened the little window to communicate with the coachman. “Sandren,” she said, “we are ready to proceed to Grosvenor Square, number thirty-eight.”
Sandren turned and nodded. Then his eyes grew wide and he reined in the horses.
Chapter Fifteen
Sandren had pulledon the reins hard and maneuvered the coach to the side of the road. Settling the horses, who were entirely startled by it, he turned round again.
“Who—”
“It is only Miss Mayton,” Rosalind said. “We are directed to use a disguise on this part of the goose chase.”
Sandren narrowed his eyes. “Speak then, if you will,” he said, staring at the hair-covered face before him.
“It is really me, Sandren,” Miss Mayton said.
“But what is, I mean, your face, Miss Mayton? You look, well you seem as if…something has gone terribly wrong with you!”
“It’s just some dog hair,” Cordelia said. “There’s no harm in it, Bess did not mind giving it over at all. We just snipped some and then glued it on.”
“Why?”
“To look like sideburns,” Viola said.
“Those are sideburns?” Sandren said.
Now the groom had dismounted and was looking in the side window. “Well I never,” he said softly.
“Now, Sandren,” Juliet said, “you are not to be alarmed about any of this. When next you look back here, we will have all disappeared under blankets, but for Miss Mayton. Do not concern yourself with it, it is just a part of the goose chase.”
“I don’t understand this goose chase!” Sandren said.
