All she had done was fix Covington’s rage on her, for he believed her to be a liar.
She saw it on his face and in the expressions of the three dukes.
Did they all believe she knew where his daughter had gone?
Not only did they believe her to be a liar, but they regarded her as useless.
She hurried back to her room and found Alice waiting for her. “Oh, Miss Comeford…”
“This is all my fault.” Harriet finally let the tears she had been holding back now flow. “Why did I not see it? I could have stopped Lady Beatrice.”
“Did you know she was running away?”
“No.”
“Then how are you at fault?”
Harriet sighed. “I felt she was not telling me everything. I felt it in my bones. She smirked throughout the picnic, as though she knew something the others did not.”
Alice shook her head. “Then everyone must have seen her smirking. Why blame yourself when she fooled everyone?”
“I spent much of the picnic talking to her, sometimes in private conversations.”
The girl shrugged. “Her father has known her all her life and he never saw it coming. And I’m sure she was friendly with several other young ladies, and—”
Harriet gasped. “Of course, we should be asking them. Oh, Alice. You are brilliant.”
She giggled. “What did I say, Miss Comeford?”
“A lady would know. Wait right here.” She quickly dried her tears. “I am going to ask His Grace for permission to questions the other diamonds.”
She ran downstairs and caught the men as they were about to ride to the nearby village bearing the same name as the duke, Pendrake. “What is it?” he asked with marked impatience as she rushed out of the house and called to him.
“The other ladies may have been told something. Do you mind if I question them?”
He appeared ready to growl at her, but must have realized it was not a bad idea. “Have my mother do it. I want you to keep out of it.”
“All right. I’ll speak to your mother right away. It is wisest to have her conduct the questioning since she is the highest in authority and I am…”
Nobody.
That’s who she was.
Nobody.
She had been fooled into thinking she was worthy of notice, but she was really nothing more than a charity case.
With a final frown at her, the duke rode off with his companions.
Harriet wasted no time in running upstairs to the dowager’s bedchamber. She knocked softly on the door, hoping the dowager was not napping.
Millie let her in. “Is something wrong, Miss Harriet? Do come in. Her Grace was wondering what all the commotion was about. Do you know what has happened?”
She nodded, and then related all she knew to the dowager. “Your grandson would like you to question the other ladies in the hope one of them might know more about Lady Beatrice’s plans.”
“Very well. Harriet, be a dear and ask them to meet me in the drawing room immediately. You come, too.”
“But I’ve told you all I know.”
