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“The gold-digger had the gall to show her face in society?”

The Queen was surprised that this had been allowed.

“For once the rumours were all wrong. She is gentle-born but had been surviving in genteel poverty. There has been no confirmation of how she and the Baron met, but it is very clear that she was not a fortune hunter.”

“Really?”

Elizabeth’s story was explained to the Queen.

“She never left the estate between the marriage and his death? And then she spent the next 18 months in first full and then half mourning? The only confirmed sightings were at booksellers?”

She asked them as questions but it was more giving her time to think.

“That is not typical behaviour at all. What word out of Bath?”

“Nothing has been ordered for Napier Hall. You know what Bath is like. There are entirely too many old tabbies with nothing to do in that town. If there was any building, remodelling or redecorating then it would be known within the week. All of the tradesmen know the value of passing on intelligence.”

There was no hiding from the network of tradesmen. Or servants.

“What do the servants say?”

Rueful shakes of the head.

“Nothing. She makes no secret of being well guarded. There is no subtlety, no pretence, there are armed men based on the estate whose loyalty is unquestioned.”

“That is unusual.”

“So are the men. Wounded veterans, all having lost at least part of an arm. Most have lost the entire arm. She has rescued them from gradual starvation and an early death.”

“I think I would like to meet this young lady.”

“She has retired to the country for the summer. I will send a note requesting that she contact me when she is back in town. It will be the small season I suspect.”

The Queen nodded.

“Remind me of Napier.”

“A Scottish peerage, from the time of James the 6th and 1st, or possibly his son. Lost his wife at an early age and his only surviving child a year or two later. She died giving birth to his grandson who did not survive either. He was a drunk for many years but stopped before he drank himself to an early grave. He was a quiet man who was never in town.”

“His wealth?”

“Modest, or so the best rumours suggest. A decent estate worth between £2,000 and £3,000 a year.”

“A young widow with that level of wealth, she will have been hounded during the season.”

“The story is that she got fed up with being the target for every impecunious man in the city. It is why she is already in the country.”

“I can understand the need for obvious guards.”

--

“I have received a short note from Lady Napier informing me that she is retiring to the country earlier than she had intended. There was no reason given for the change of plans and Barstow tells me the knocker is down already. It is disappointing.”

She looked at her eldest.

“I thought you and she got on well at dinner. I am not accusing you but did you say something to upset Lady Napier, to decide to bring her plans forward?”

The Viscount remembered the words of his brother. With a deep sigh, and a slight flush, he followed his advice and repeated what he had told his brother two weeks earlier. Lady Matlock did not interrupt, this was too important. When Andrew had finished she patted him on the hand, an uncommon gesture within the family.