Page 46 of Discovering Grace

It was Matthew who answered. “Because he will talk to Sir Isaac if he will not talk to us.”

Jacob shut the door behind him and went for the stairs, smiling at how well his family knew him. Perhaps they were right. He could trust Isaac with Grace’s secret, and someone ought to know in case she needed assistance. Whether or not she had revealed her ruse to her father, things would get more difficult for her.

He rushed through getting dressed, not bothering to call a servant. He might not look tidy when he arrived at Isaac’s door, but his friend did not care about such things. Once his dinner clothes had been properly replaced with riding boots and the rest of an ensemble suited to such an activity, he went for the stables.

It was dinner time for most of the neighborhood, or just past the hour for such. Isaac, a bachelor with a friend to entertain, would not think the hour too late for a visit.

When he arrived at the baronet’s house, Woodsbridge, there were enough windows lit from within for him to know his friend was home. Woodsbridge was an old establishment, consisting of only two floors and the attics and cellars. It was not a large residence and did not give away that the family was old and well-funded.

Isaac’s home had always been comfortable. One did not feel they must be on their best behavior or wear their finest clothing when visiting.

Upon Jacob’s arrival, he was shown to Isaac’s billiards room. Mr. King and Isaac were both present, coats removed, billiard-sticks in hand.

“Good evening, Barnes,” Isaac said, laying his stick down across the table. “You are just in time for some amusement. We are trying to determine a method by which a one-armed man can still play billiards. Thus far, we have been unsuccessful.”

Jacob chuckled. “You were never great at billiards even with two arms.”

His friend sighed and hung his head in a comical manner. “That is the truth of it.” Then he brightened and adjusted his cravat. “What brings you here this evening?”

Nothing he could speak of in front of Mr. King. “I have come to take my leave of you for a short time.”

“Ah, ordination. Congratulations. You will do a wonderful service for our parish.” Isaac lifted his coat from where it hung on a chair. “Mr. King, will you forgive us a moment? I would like to have a word with my friend.”

“Certainly.” Mr. King made to put down his stick, but Isaac shook his head.

“No, old fellow. You stay here and practice playing one handed, so that you may give me instruction later.” Then Isaac, with seemingly practiced ease, put his coat over his left shoulder, then reached behind himself to slide his right arm into the sleeve. The manner of putting on his own coat ought to have been inelegant, but Isaac acted as if it had always been natural. He pulled the front together and buttoned it closed.

Jacob bowed to Mr. King and followed his friend out of the room and down the passageway.

“You will come back to us a vicar and a week later give your first sermon,” Isaac said as he pushed open the door to his library. “We have all gone down such interesting paths. Silas married my sister, I went off to war, you are taking orders, and the Everlys—”

“—are the reason I am here,” Jacob said, shutting the door behind them. “I know you have been busy of late, but I must ask. Have you noticed anything strange about our friend?”

Isaac blinked. “Hope? Not precisely. I found it odd she did not defend Grace at dinner the other night, but perhaps she felt she could not, with her father there. I imagine it still hurts to know Grace is off on a grand adventure while Hope is stuck here with us.” He settled into the couch before the fire as he spoke, adjusting a cushion for his comfort.

Not even Isaac had sensed what Jacob had immediately known. Dropping onto the couch next to his friend, he could not help but laugh, though the sound turned into something of a groan. “She has fooled everyone, and I thought she would be discovered in less than a day.”

Lifting his eyebrow, Isaac tapped the arm of the couch with one finger. “Who has fooled everyone?”

“Grace.” Jacob rubbed at his forehead with one hand and leaned back. “Grace and Hope switched places before the Carlburys left. Hope went with them, pretending to be Grace. Grace stayed here and has tricked the entire neighborhood into believing she is Hope.”

For several seconds, Isaac simply stared at Jacob. “Confound it,” he muttered at last. “I should have noticed.”

Though privately agreeing, Jacob said nothing aloud. “She received word yesterday that Hope is gone from the country, so I imagine she will soon reveal herself. But as I leave in the morning, and I am the only one who knew, I thought I should tell you. In case Grace needs anything.”

“Of course. Anything for either Everly.” Isaac’s eyes narrowed and he tilted his head back. “How did you know about the switch? I cannot imagine they involved you in the idea. You are far too honest.”

Jacob sunk further into his seat. “I figured it out myself.”

“Ah.” Isaac tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair.

Had Jacob’s friend nothing else to say on the matter? It did not satisfy the man about to turn vicar. “I cannot believe Grace would do such a thing. It is completely out of character for her to behave in such a devious manner. I might have believed it from Hope.”

That made Isaac grin. “Is that really what you think? I daresay, they would have been discovered sooner had it been Hope’s idea. She is more like me. We act without rehearsing or thinking through our plans. At least, I used to be that way. A captaincy in the army changed that aspect of my life somewhat.” He raised his hand to rub the back of his neck. “The whole of it must have been Grace’s idea. Grace is the strategist in our group, you know. She always has been.”

Although Jacob opened his mouth to argue, he closed it almost directly. A dozen instances of Grace quietly offering her suggestions for their childhood exploits came to mind. Silas led them, but Grace had made sure everyone knew which direction to go.

“I would have given a great deal to have a mind like hers while we were in France.” Isaac finally turned again to grin at Jacob, but the cheerful expression wilted. “You seem upset about this. Why?”