Kitabı oku: «Revenge In Regency Society», sayfa 8

‘Yes, well, I’d best be off,’ the earl said gruffly. He stepped back and smoothed his jacket. ‘Jul—that is, the baroness and I are having dinner together and then going on to the theatre.’

‘Sounds lovely. Have a good time.’

‘Yes, I expect we will.’

Anna smiled as she watched him go. It was strange to suddenly find herself in the role of the parent. She was well aware that she was the one who should have been going out for the evening and her father the one wishing her well. But there was only one man with whom Anna wished to spend time and the chances of that happening were getting slimmer all the time.

Troubled as he was by his feelings for Anna, Barrington knew he couldn’t afford to ignore his other commissions. In particular, the locating of Miss Elizabeth Paisley. His belief that he’d found her at Baroness von Brohm’s house had turned out to be false. He had gone back a few days later to question her, but the moment she’d walked into the drawing room, he’d known he was mistaken. The maid’s name was Justine Smith, and though she was the right age, the right height, and had the right colour hair, her eyes were all wrong. Hers had actually been a pale misty blue where the Colonel had specifically told him that Elizabeth Paisley’s were a deep, clear green. Barrington thought that in the candlelit room the night of the baroness’s dinner party, he must have been mistaken when he’d thought the maid’s eyes were green.

And so, at eleven o’clock that morning, Barrington resumed his investigation by visiting the premises of one Madame Delors, fashionable modiste. Dressmakers were privy to a great deal of gossip about wives and mistresses, and if someone had taken over the protection of Miss Elizabeth Paisley, there was a good chance Madame Delors would know about it.

Barrington stopped inside the door and glanced around the compact little shop. It was years since he’d had reason to frequent such an establishment, but it was evident they hadn’t changed. Bolts of richly coloured fabric of every type and shade filled the shelves; dress patterns were tacked to the walls; and in the centre of the room stood a raised podium surrounded on three sides by mirrors.

‘Bonjour, monsieur,’ called a charmingly accented French voice. ‘Puis-je vous aidez?’

The owner of the establishment was small and compact, with dark inquisitive eyes and a head of flaming red hair that surely owed more to artifice than it did to nature. Still, it suited her well and Barrington doffed his hat. ‘Bonjour, madame. My name is Sir Barrington Parker. I would like to ask you a few questions, if you have a moment to spare.’

The woman’s eyes narrowed, his comment obviously having put her on guard. ‘What kind of questions, monsieur?’

‘About a woman.’ He purposely didn’t use the term lady. ‘One I believe you dressed in the not-too-distant past.’

‘I dress many women, monsieur. You will ‘ave to give me ‘er name.’

‘Miss Elizabeth Paisley. Petite, lovely, with dark brown hair and uncommonly pretty green eyes.’

The modiste evidenced neither surprise nor recognition. ‘I do not think I know the lady.’

‘Really? I was told you’d made clothes for her. Perhaps you dealt with the gentleman who bought them. A Colonel Tanner?’

Madame Delors obviously knew a thing or two about what one did and didn’t say to gentlemen asking questions about other gentlemen’s ladies. ‘I ‘ave many gentlemen coming to buy clothes for their ladies, monsieur. But they do not always give me the names of the ladies they are buying for.’

‘No, I suppose not. And perhaps I should explain my interest in her.’ Barrington walked farther into the store, cataloguing a thousand details in a single glance. ‘Miss Paisley has recently come under my protection and it is my desire that she wear … a particular type of clothing when we are together. But because her taste and mine do not coincide, I am not willing to allow her to come in and order her own garments. Hence my reason for coming to see you today.’

‘Ah, je comprends,’ Madame Delors said. ‘You would like me to make ‘er a new wardrobe suitable only for you.’

‘Precisely. Naturally, money is not a concern.’

‘D’accord. What type of clothes do you wish to see ‘er in, monsieur?’

‘Intimate evening gowns, white and silver only, with simple but elegant lines. Semi-transparent. No heavy swatches of lace. No artificial birds or flowers. Nothing that will detract from the tantalising lines of her body.’

Madame Delors slowly began to smile. ‘So the lady will not be wearing these gowns in public?’

‘Definitely not,’ Barrington said, resting both hands on the carved head of his ebony cane. ‘They are for my eyes only. But I cannot tell you what size to make her garments because I do not have her measurements.’

Madame Delors smiled and nodded. ‘I think I know the lady you speak of, monsieur.’

‘Excellent. I trust it hasn’t been too long since you last saw her? Women’s figures do tend to change,’ Barrington said, adding with a wink, ‘a little more weight this week, a little less the following.’

Madame Delors’s smile was reassuring. ‘I saw ‘er not all that long ago and ‘er figure ‘as not changed.’

‘Good. Did she seem happy?’

The modiste gave a snort. ‘The ladies come to me for clothes, monsieur. It is up to you gentlemen to make them ‘appy!’

Barrington carefully hid a smile. Oh, yes, Madame Delors was definitely a shrewd business woman. He pulled three coins from his pocket. ‘Do you happen to remember, on the occasion of her last visit,’ he said, dropping one into her palm, ‘if she collected the clothes herself or if you sent them somewhere else?’

The modiste’s eyes locked on the shimmer of gold in her hand. ‘I’m not sure …’

Barrington dropped another coin. ‘Perhaps now?’

‘The lady picked up the clothes,’ the modiste said slowly, ‘but I sent the bill to the gentleman.’

‘To Colonel Tanner?’

When the modiste shook her head, Barrington dropped the last of the coins into her palm. ‘Then to whom did you send the bill?’

The modiste smiled and pocketed all three. ‘Viscount Hayle.’

Anna was on her way to visit Julia when she remembered that Madame Delors had sent her a note asking her if she might be able to come in for a fitting. Anna had ordered two new morning dresses and a ball gown the previous week; although most fashionable modistes made house calls to their better clients, Madame Delors preferred to have her ladies come to her, saying it was easier to work in her showroom where she had everything necessary for making the required alternations.

Anna didn’t mind. It was an excuse to get out of the house and it wasn’t that much out of her way. But as she walked up to the front of the shop and went to open the door, it was suddenly opened from within and by none other than the man who had been uppermost in her mind for the last several days. ‘Sir Barrington!’

‘Good morning, Lady Annabelle. Lovely morning, isn’t it?’ He spoke without concern, as though it was the most natural thing in the world for her to find him coming out of a dressmaker’s shop.

‘Indeed. I feared it might come on to rain, but the skies have cleared up nicely.’ Anna said, striving to match the casualness of his tone. There was only one reason a single gentleman frequented a shop like this, and it wasn’t to keep abreast of the latest fashions. ‘I’ve not seen much of you about town of late.’

‘I have been otherwise occupied,’ he said, drawing her aside as a mother and her three giggling daughters made to enter the shop. ‘This is a very busy place.’

‘Madame Delors is London’s darling when it comes to fashion,’ Anna said. ‘She boasts an illustrious clientele, most recently the Duchess of Briscombe.’

Barrington smiled. Given that Madame Delors also dressed the Duke of Briscombe’s latest mistress, he knew better than to place too high a value on her level of exclusivity. ‘Speaking of not being visible around town, how is Mr Rand going on?’

Anna sighed. ‘Not at all well. He misses Lady Yew dreadfully; though I have told him she is not worthy of the heartache, I cannot dissuade him from his feelings.’

‘Of course not. Love isn’t logical,’ Barrington said. ‘It finds warmth in the most inhospitable of environments and draws comfort from the most uncomfortable of people. It demands neither explanation nor excuse. It is content merely to be.’

Anna stared at him in surprise. Such sentiments from a man like this? ‘How is it you know so much about love, Sir Barrington, when, by your own admission, you have chosen to banish it from your life?’

‘Who better than a man who has chosen to live without love when it comes to knowing how easily it takes root?’ His grey eyes impaled her. ‘I am not immune to the emotion, Lady Annabelle. I simply cannot give it a home. As I tried to explain to you the other night and failed so miserably.’

It was an olive branch, and Anna recognised it as such. But she knew she had to be cautious. The wounds from their last encounter were not yet healed. ‘You didn’t fail. It was simply not something I wished to hear. I do not believe any man or woman is truly happier spending their life alone.’

‘It is not the natural order,’ he agreed. ‘God intended that man and woman should live together. It was the reason He gave them a home in Eden.’

‘Until the serpent tempted Eve and they were cast out.’

Barrington smiled. ‘As I recall, it was Adam’s willingness to eat the forbidden fruit that incurred God’s wrath. Temptation has always been there. It is simply a man’s ability to resist that sets him apart from others.’

‘A philosopher,’ Anna mused. ‘I would not have thought it of you.’

‘When you have learned as much about your fellow man as I have, you tend to become either jaded or philosophical. I choose the latter.’

Of course he would, Anna reflected, because he was that type of man. ‘Well, I mustn’t keep you here.’ She gave him a falsely bright smile, aware that she was still no wiser as to why he was coming out of a busy modiste’s shop now than she had been a few minutes earlier. ‘I’m sure you have business elsewhere.’

‘I do, my lady,’ he murmured. ‘But none, I can assure you, as pleasurable as this.’

As soon as she finished her business with Madame Delors, Anna headed for Julia’s house and was pleasantly surprised to find Lady Lydia already there. She and Julia were partaking of tea and cakes and no doubt sharing the latest on-dits that were enlivening the drawing rooms of society. Her pleasure soon evaporated, however, when she discovered that it was not society’s goings on that were keeping her two friends so occupied, but an unexpected crime.

‘Your sapphire-and-diamond necklace has been stolen?’ Anna said when Lydia informed her of it. ‘But how? And when?’

‘I have no idea how or when,’ Julia admitted forlornly. ‘I was dressing for the Buckerfields’ reception last night and asked Smith to bring my jewellery case. When she did, I unlocked it to find the necklace gone.’

‘But surely it has not been stolen,’ Anna said. ‘Perhaps just misplaced?’

Julia shook her head. ‘I am very careful with my jewellery, Anna. I always take it off and put it immediately into the case. Then I lock it and put it away.’

‘Is it possible someone took the key?’

‘I keep the key on a ribbon around my neck. I only take it off to bathe and, sometimes, when I go to bed.’

‘Have you questioned the servants about the matter?’ Lydia asked. ‘Your maid, for example. She would be in a perfect position to steal it.’

‘I have spoken to all of them and to a person they denied knowing anything about it,’ Julia said. ‘And given how horrified they looked at the idea of something of mine being stolen, I can’t imagine any of them actually doing it.’

‘So what are you going to do?’ Anna asked.

‘I suppose I shall have to report it, but I don’t like what I am going to have to tell whoever comes to take down the details.’

Lydia frowned. ‘Why not?’

‘Because the only people who knew about that necklace were the ones who came to my dinner party. I haven’t worn it on any other occasion.’ Julia bit her lip. ‘What if one of my guests took it?’

‘I don’t believe that for a moment,’ Anna said flatly. ‘The people you invited were friends. They would never steal from you.’

‘And if a thief did break into your house,’ Lydia said, ‘he would naturally go for the most valuable piece of jewellery he could find, don’t you think?’

‘So you believe this the work of a random criminal?’ Julia asked doubtfully.

‘I think it must have been,’ Anna said. ‘For one thing, what would any of your friends, or even other members of society, gain by taking the necklace? They would never be able to wear it in public.’

‘But they could break it up and sell the stones individually,’ Julia said. ‘They might even be able to have some of the larger diamonds cut into smaller pieces.’

Anna didn’t know what to say. It seemed impossible to imagine a thief breaking into Julia’s house and stealing her favourite piece of jewellery, but it was even more incredible to think that someone she knew might have done it. ‘I honestly don’t know what to say, Julia,’ she said at length. ‘Other than that I am so very sorry this has happened.’

‘Your father did warn me about keeping my jewels in a safe,’ Julia said. ‘But I truly did not think it would be necessary.’

‘Have you hired any new servants?’ Lydia asked. ‘Or had people in the house who wouldn’t normally be here. Chimney sweeps, for example, or trades people coming and going?’

‘There have certainly been trades people in and out,’ Julia admitted. ‘The entire house is being redecorated and there has been a steady stream of paper hangers and plasterers coming through on a daily basis. But I instructed my maid to make sure they were never alone in my room and I have no reason to believe my orders were not followed. No, I shall have to hire a private investigator and ask him to look into it.’

‘I say,’ Lydia said, glancing at Anna. ‘Why don’t you get in touch with Sir Barrington Parker?’

‘Sir Barrington?’ Julia frowned. ‘What would he know about matters like this?’

‘You’d be surprised,’ Anna murmured. ‘However, he is very good at finding things out and I agree with Lydia that he is probably the best person to contact about this. He is nothing if not discreet.’

‘Well, if you think that highly of him, I will certainly speak to him,’ Julia said. ‘I would very much like to have my necklace back. It has sentimental value far beyond any monetary value I could ever put upon it.’

‘I don’t think you will be disappointed with Sir Barrington’s methods,’ Lydia said, adding with a sly look at her friend, ‘he has made quite an impression on Anna.’

‘Lydia!’

But Julia was beaming. ‘Has he really? How wonderful! I thought I detected something between the two of you at my dinner party, but when things became rather chilly later in the evening, I didn’t want to appear rude by asking personal questions.’

‘There is nothing between myself and Sir Barrington Parker,’ Anna said quickly. ‘I will not deny that he is … an attractive and engaging man—’

‘Exceptionally so,’ Lydia added.

‘But we do not see eye to eye on several important matters and I doubt we will do so in the future,’ Anna concluded. She reached for an iced petit four, hoping to distract the attention of the other two. ‘However, I do stand by my assertion that he can be of help in this situation.’

Julia got up and crossed to the bell pull. ‘Well, I am grateful for the recommendation, Anna, though I am sorry to hear there is nothing of a more romantic nature going on between the two of you. Sir Barrington really is such a handsome man. And that voice! I could listen to him all night. However, it is the heart that dictates these matters and, if you are not in love with him, there is nothing more to say. Ah, there you are, Smith. We’d like some fresh tea, please. This has gone cold.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’ The maid bobbed a curtsy, but something in the way she bent to pick up the tray drew Anna’s attention. On her previous visits, the maid had served tea with both skill and efficiency. This time, however, she seemed slightly ill at ease. She also seemed thinner than she had on those earlier occasions, her black gown hanging loose around her shoulders. Anna thought it might have been a different girl, but upon closer inspection, she realised she was mistaken. The girl had the same heart-shaped face and the same dark brown hair pulled back in a tight chignon.

Perhaps she had things on her mind, Anna reflected as she reached for a macaroon. Servants had problems just like their employers. Maybe she’d recently fallen out with her gentleman friend, or a member of her family wasn’t well. There were any number of reasons she might be looking poorly.

Still, it was none of her business, and as they waited for fresh tea to arrive, the conversation veered back to more congenial topics. Anna was simply thankful they had moved away from the subject of Sir Barrington Parker. His name was coming up far too often in conversation for her liking, and she wasn’t at all happy at hearing that Julia thought there was something going on between them. She’d even been tempted to correct Julia’s phrasing of her recommendation of Barrington, by saying it wasn’t Sir Barrington of whom she thought so highly, but, rather, his skills as an investigator.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t true either and when it came right down to it, Anna preferred not to lie to Julia. But she had to stand firm when it came to her feelings for him. She had to accept his reasons for keeping her at arm’s length and move on. She had every intention of marrying one day; while she hoped it would be for love, she was intelligent enough to know that the luxury of feelings did not always accompany a proposal of marriage.

As to whether or not Sir Barrington Parker ever married, that was really no concern of hers.

Chapter Eight

Barrington received a visit from Baroness von Brohm at half past ten the following morning. She was shown into the gold salon, whereupon she briefly told him about the theft of her necklace and of her sincere hopes for its recovery. He then asked a series of pointed questions, which she answered to the best of her ability. An hour later, he stood by the window and reviewed everything she had told him. He didn’t have a lot to go on, but he had already concluded that there were four possible answers to the question of who might have stolen her necklace.

The first was that the jewel thief who had been plaguing London for the past three months had returned and struck again. He would have had a relatively easy time getting into the baroness’s house. During his questioning, Barrington discovered that she often slept with her window open and that her bedroom was located at the rear of the house on the second floor, close to a small clump of trees. It was possible that someone had climbed a tree to the second floor, gained access through the open window and, after taking the baroness’s necklace, had managed to escape the same way.

The stumbling block was that in order to get into the baroness’s jewellery box, the thief would have had to get at the key the baroness kept on a ribbon around her throat. Barrington doubted any thief would have been able to remove the ribbon, steal the necklace, and make his escape, all without disturbing the baroness’s slumber.

The second option was that a servant had taken it. This was certainly the more logical answer. The baroness employed a butler, a housekeeper, three maids, and a parlour maid, all of whom would have had access to her room at times when she was not present. But again, they would have needed the key to open the locked box, and, according to the baroness, the box showed no signs of a forced entry. It had been neatly opened and closed.

The third possibility was that a visitor to the house had taken the necklace. Barrington thought this the least likely of the four, but experience had taught him that it was often the least likely suspect who actually committed the crime. In this case, it meant that one of the many people who had paid calls on the baroness had gone up to her room and taken the necklace. But again, there was the matter of the key.

Which left the fourth and most likely possibility—that the baroness had simply misplaced the necklace. That kind of thing happened all the time. It explained why the jewellery case hadn’t been tampered with and why the key hadn’t gone missing. It also cleared any visitors to the house of the theft.

Unfortunately, the baroness had stated most emphatically that she had not misplaced the necklace and that she was in the habit of locking her jewellery away immediately after taking it off. The practice had been instilled in her by her late husband.

So where did that leave him? What was he missing with regard to the stolen necklace?

‘Excuse me, Sir Barrington,’ Sam said from the doorway. ‘Lord Richard Crew is here.’

‘Thank you, Sam. Be so good as to show him in.’

Barrington was relieved to have caught Crew at home. He’d sent a note to him immediately following the baroness’s departure, but given his friend’s sexual proclivities, one never knew where he was or what state he might be in. A fact confirmed when Crew walked into the room, looking slightly dishevelled and none too bright-eyed.

‘You’d better have a damned good excuse for this, Parker,’ he said testily. ‘I was enjoying a rather delicious breakfast in bed when your note arrived.’

‘Forgive me,’ Barrington said, grinning, ‘but I’m sure the lady won’t mind drinking champagne alone.’

‘Probably not, but I’m not sure I want her drinking it alone. I was rather enjoying what she was doing before your letter arrived, demanding that I present myself at your door.’

‘It was not a demand. And I did say at your convenience.’

‘Hah!’ Crew said, collapsing into a chair. ‘We both know that at my convenience really means at yours. So what was so urgent that it couldn’t wait until later in the day?’

‘Two things. I need you to make some discreet inquiries on behalf of a lady.’

‘A lady?’ He brightened. ‘Always ready to be of service. Do I know her?’

‘Baroness Julia von Brohm.’

‘Ah, the merry widow. Yes, we were introduced at some gathering, though the name of my host and hostess escapes me at the moment. What has happened to the poor lady that she requires your services?’

‘A rather magnificent sapphire-and-diamond necklace was stolen from her home a few days ago. I want you to keep your ear to the ground for any information that might come to light about it.’

‘Do you think it’s our jewel thief again?’ Crew asked.

‘It’s possible, but I need to check out all avenues. I’ll be questioning the baroness’s staff over the next few days, but if someone’s stolen the necklace with a view to selling it, you might catch wind of it before I do.’

‘Wouldn’t be the first time,’ Crew agreed, putting his hands behind his head. ‘I’ll drop in at a few of the clubs and see if anyone’s suddenly turned up flush.’

‘You might want to check the hells as well. A necklace like that would go a long way towards settling a man’s debts,’ Barrington suggested.

‘No doubt. What’s the second request?’

Barrington opened the top drawer of the desk and took out an envelope. ‘I need you to do some digging into an old family tree. The specifics are in the letter. Read it at your leisure—’

‘But report back to you as soon as possible,’ Crew said in a dry voice.

‘Expedience is always the order of the day. By the by, how did your meeting go with the lovely Rebecca?’ Barrington enquired as his friend got up to leave. ‘Has she agreed to marry you yet?’

‘No, though I expect an acceptance very soon. As I was leaving, Lady Yew brushed her hand against a rather sensitive part of my anatomy—and I’m quite sure it wasn’t by accident.’

Barrington burst out laughing. ‘I beg your pardon?’

‘You needn’t sound so shocked; I am more or less the right age; given that she is looking for a replacement for Peregrine Rand, she obviously thought to see if I was interested.’

‘Even though you have been paying court to her daughter?’

‘Perhaps she wants to bed me before her daughter gets the chance.’ Crew’s eyes flashed wickedly. ‘Make sure I have all the necessary equipment.’

‘As if your reputation would leave anyone in doubt,’ Barrington said cynically. ‘How did Lady Rebecca take to her mother’s interest in you?’

Crew slowly began to smile. ‘If I don’t miss my guess, the next time I call, the dear girl will be pushing the butler aside in her haste to throw open the front door and give me her answer—which I have every expectation of being yes. After all, if she doesn’t, she knows damn well whose bedroom I could be spending my nights in!’

Anna trotted Ophelia through Hyde Park, alert for the gentleman to whom she had sent a hastily scrawled note, asking that he meet her. It had been a bold gesture, and secretly she feared Barrington might soon tire of these imperious messages. But she had to know if Julia had been to see him and, if so, what he thought the chances of recovering the stolen necklace were. While she might not approve of or agree with his marital aspirations or lack thereof, Anna did believe that if anyone could find the missing necklace it was he.

Thankfully, he appeared within moments, sitting tall and easy in the saddle, his coat as black as that of the spirited thoroughbred he so easily controlled. His hands were strong and steady on the reins; in spite of her best intentions, Anna felt a quiver of anticipation at the thought of being close to him again. She’d told herself over and over that there was no hope of anything developing between them, but that didn’t take away from the strength of her attraction for him. The way he looked at her, without the lewdness or speculation she saw so often in other men’s eyes, made her feel as though she mattered, both as a woman and as a person. And the memory of the one kiss they had shared still caused her heart to quicken …

She really had to get over this. It was bad enough that thoughts of him kept filling her mind, but this silly racing of her pulse every time she saw him was ridiculous! It was imperative that she appear as cool as he was. As impervious to his charm as he so obviously was to hers.

He raised his hand and then put his horse to a brisk trot in her direction. Anna used the time to bring her breathing under control.

‘Lady Annabelle,’ he greeted her, drawing to a halt.

‘Good afternoon, Sir Barrington. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.’

‘To quote your father, the opportunity to spend time with a beautiful woman should never be missed.’

And now she was blushing again. So much for being impervious. ‘Forgive me for being so inquisitive, but I was anxious to know if Julia had been to see you?’

‘As a matter of fact, we spent time together this morning.’

‘And? Do you think you will be able to help her?’

‘I will do what I can, of course, but there are many questions that need to be asked and several possible leads to follow. It will take time.’

‘But there may not be that much time!’ Anna cried. ‘Given the size of the stones, Julia said the thief might decide to take the necklace apart, or to have the gems cut smaller.’

‘That possibility does exist,’ Barrington acknowledged. ‘The jewels are too large to sell as they are, unless whoever took the necklace intends to sell it outside London. If they have contacts on the Continent, it could easily be sold intact in Paris or Brussels.’

Anna bit her lip. ‘Julia will be heartbroken. That necklace means the world to her.’

‘I know and am making inquiries. But whoever took the necklace isn’t going to make it easy for us to find him.’

Anna ran her gloved hand over the smoothness of the mare’s neck. ‘Nevertheless, I’m glad you’re involved. I know you’ll find who did this and bring him or her to justice.’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘Her?’

‘Why not? Desperation knows no gender. A woman who needs money to feed her family is just as likely to steal as a man.’

‘But it is more often a man who will take that kind of risk. A woman on her own is more likely to avail herself of … other avenues.’

‘Such as prostitution?’ she said quietly.

He met her regard evenly. ‘Yes. Or, if she is attractive enough, becoming the mistress of a wealthy man. However, I would caution you not to let your thoughts dwell on this, Lady Annabelle. It will not result in the culprit being brought to justice any faster and will only serve to cause you needless worry. I will advise you of whatever results I am able to find as soon as I have them.’

‘Thank you.’ Anna wished she could think of something else to say, but she didn’t know how or where to start. She usually found conversation so easy, but with him it was always a challenge. ‘Well, I suppose I had best be—’

‘Lady Annabelle!’

Hearing the shrill feminine hail, Anna turned to see a carriage approaching and smiled when she recognised the mother and daughter sitting within. ‘Mrs Banks, Miss Banks, good afternoon,’ she said.

‘Lady Annabelle, I thought it was you and I simply had to come and tell you the news,’ Mercy Banks said, jumping up as the carriage drew to a halt.

‘Mercy, for goodness’ sake, sit down!’ her mother admonished. ‘A lady does not bounce up and down like a hoyden!

You must forgive my daughter, Lady Annabelle. She has become quite uncontrollable of late.’

‘Because I am so happy, Mama,’ Miss Banks said, and though she promptly sat down, her joy could not be contained. ‘I am to be married, Lady Annabelle, and it is all thanks to you!’