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Dinner was almost over when a note addressed to Lady Hester was brought in. She broke the seal and read it. Next moment, she half rose from her chair, exclaiming in a startled tone, “Lord save us!”
Delagarde frowned across at her, aware Miss Wormley did likewise. “What is it?”
Lady Hester raised troubled eyes from the missive. “She has not gone to Sir Granville.”
“Maidie?” Instant alarm gripped Delagarde. “Where then is she?”
“She has eloped with Sholto Lugton!”
“What?”
Delagarde was on his feet, only half aware that Miss Wormley’s wineglass had clattered to her plate. Wholly ignoring her clucking, he moved around the table and seized the note from his great-aunt’s hand.
“What the devil—?” He ran his eyes rapidly down the sheet. “Has she run mad? By God, I’ll murder her!”
“You will have to catch her first. Can you do so? She has been gone at least three hours.”
“But where?” quavered the duenna, moving around the table and twitching the note from Delagarde’s hand.
“North, I imagine,” he said.
Miss Wormley gaped at him. “Not—not Gretna Green!”
“No, no, Ida, surely not,” Lady Hester soothed. “She is of age.”
“But Lugton is not,” the Viscount said.
“Yes, but he will have his mother’s permission. There is no need for them to take such an extreme step.”
“Oh, isn’t there? You don’t suppose that looby has the faintest notion how to get himself a common licence, do you? As for Maidie, she would not even know she needed one to get married in a hurry anywhere else. Of course they are heading for Scotland. “
“But this is dreadful!” cried Lady Hester, over the whimpers of Miss Wormley. “You must stop them, Laurie!”
Delagarde was already on the move. “I intend to.”
The butler had been standing as if rooted to the spot, still holding the salver upon which he had brought the fatal note. Delagarde seized him by the shoulder.
“Lowick, tell Sampton to fig out my phaeton upon the instant! And send Liss to my dressing-room!”
He was gone from the room on the words, running up the stairs two at a time. It took him less than five minutes to strip off his evening wear and drag on breeches, frock-coat and top boots, aided by his valet who flew to obey his barked commands. He was shrugging himself into his greatcoat even as he left his dressing-room, and rammed the hat on his head as he ran down the stairs, the valet puffing after him.
At the bottom, he was detained by Lady Hester, the duenna weeping behind her. He seized his driving gloves from Liss with an impatient hand, and began to drag them over his fingers.
“What is it, Aunt Hes?”
“A word, if you please, before you go,” she said, her tone more severe than he had ever heard it. “In private.”
“Quickly, then.”
He moved to open the door to the little parlour. Lady Hester passed through. He went in and shut the rest of the household out.
“Well?”
His great-aunt fixed him with a steady regard. “Do you have any idea why the child has chosen to run off in this way?”
Delagarde gave a short laugh. “Am I supposed to be able to read her mind? She is determined to ruin herself!”
“Or to escape you, Laurie.”
