Goodness, the lady was exceedingly out of sorts. She was usually only a regular amount of out of sorts.
The door shut behind Valor and Mrs. Right. Lady Marchfield sat down and took her by the hands. “I pray you will tell me you are engaged.”
“Engaged? No, I am not.”
“Your father must force him to it, then.”
“Force him? Why?” Winsome was mystified. Why on earth would her father attempt to force Lord Manderbey to make a proposal? The duke was in the habit of cajoling and gently pushing forward with his invitations to dine and jocular hints. But he would never go so far. Why would Lady Marchfield think he would? Or that he should?
“Whymust he be forced to it?” Lady Marchfield said. She sounded as if it were the most absurd question ever asked her. “Winsome, if Lord Landry will not speak, your reputation is tarnished forever. Nobody will have you.”
“Lord Landry? What does he have to do with anything? I can assure you, he is quite set on Lady Edith.”
“He is set on another lady and behaves in such a manner?” Lady Marchfield said, dropping Winsome’s hands. “He is a rake through andthrough. I would not have believed it of him.”
“Lord Landry? A rake? Aunt, that is ridiculous. Please do tell me what this is about. I can hardly understand what you are saying.”
“It is not whatIam saying. It is what society is saying. Everybody is abuzz with the story—Lord Landry and Lady Winsome stole off together at Sir Jonathan’s scavenger hunt, were gone for an extended period, and then were discovered, both of them appearing exceedingly disheveled.”
Winsome sat back. What a story. She supposed shehadlooked a bit disheveled. She had been on hands and knees all over the retiring room looking for a secret door. Then, when she heard the sound at the door to the corridor, she raced to it with nary a look in the glass.
She had encountered Lord Landry in that corridor, the gentleman being somehow upset over an unknown lord in the billiards room. But how on earth had anybody jumped to the conclusion that something had gone on between them?
The drawing room doors opened and the duke entered the room. “I was informed you had darkened my door again and that you were in high dudgeon. What is it about this time, Misery?”
“I see you have not been to your club, Roland. Else you would have noticed something amiss when the other members turned from you in embarrassment.”
“Nonsense, I haven’t set anybody’s curtains on fire this season. Not yet, though I make no promises.”
“Papa,” Winsome said, “there is a ludicrous story going round that, oh I can hardly say it—”
“That your daughter has been compromised by Lord Landry,” Lady Marchfield said. “They were both missing at Sir Jonathan’s scavenger hunt and then discovered disheveled.”
The duke took that moment to erupt on laughter. “Landry? Do not be absurd. My daughter has not been compromised by anybody. I know that because if she had I would be the first person told about itand I happen to know precisely where she was during the time in question. Furthermore, Lord Landry could not catch a trout who leapt out of the water, waved to him, and jumped into his net.”
Lady Marchfield rose. “I have done your daughter the courtesy of informing her of what is being said. I imagine you will handle it in your usual haphazard and ineffectual manner. I will warn you, though. This is serious and if Winsome does not wed, if an announcement is not made quickly, all will be lost.”
Lady Marchfield took her leave.
“Papa, what can this be about? Why would anybody think that I have been compromised? By Lord Landry of all people? Can it be that if a lady is missing for a half hour, suddenly she’s done something shameful? Can society really be that pernicious?”
“Now, do not get overly alarmed by this. After all, you know how your Aunt Misery proceeds in life, she’s a pole cat forever sticking her nose into other people’s henhouses and then sending up an alarm for no reason.”
“But if people are saying these things, what should we do?” Winsome paused. “Papa, Lord Manderbey will hear of it. You do not think—”
“That he’d believe it? Not if he is the man I think he is. I will go see Landry. I suspect he’s got more information on this confusion. You know what a collection of nerves that fellow is. I would not be surprised if he panicked over some small matter and then blurted out something ridiculous and somebody within hearing misunderstood his meaning.” The duke snorted. “Maybe it was the hoi polloi again.”
“Oh, Lady Edith! What will she think of it?”
“Winny, calm yourself. Do not allow yourself to imagine we are heading into some kind of disaster when I am sure that is not the case. I will be on my way, and I will send Mrs. Right in to keep company with you. Do not worry, my dear, all will be well.”
Winsome curled up on the sofa. She dearly wished her father was right.
Could this terrible rumor have something to do with why she’d been locked in the ladies’ retiring room? That had been the cause of her delay in returning to the garden. Could someone have done it deliberately so they might say she’d been missing so long that she must have been compromised?
But then, they would have had to have Lord Landry on hand too. One could not be compromised by oneself. That part did not make sense, as Lord Landry had not mentioned anything about having been locked in for any amount of time. He had said that there was another lord there.
Who was the other lord? Did that signify? Why would someone wish to damage her reputation?
