Lucy blinked. “That was sudden. Were they not to receive a trial?”
Caroline shrugged. “The Prime Minister didn’t take too kindly to having his life threatened. And most were already well known to be criminals, so they needn’t be afforded too many niceties.”
Lucy had to ponder how she felt on the topic. She supposed it was a relief to know they had been taken care of. Despite Roderick’s conflicting reassurances, Lucy had felt slightly unsafe wondering if she might be threatened in some way.
“I appreciate you letting me know,” she finally answered the other woman. Lucy was relieved when Caroline turned the topic to much more general discussion until they reached Lady Crossley’s home.
“Lady Crossley is expecting us.”
Lucy was surprised to hear Caroline say so to the footman who answered the door.
The servant bowed. “That she is, ma’am, Miss Scranton,” he said, bowing again to Lucy, confirming Caroline’s words.
Lucy wanted to ask if the viscountess knew about Caroline’s involvement with her husband’s activities and mentally berated herself for not having thought to ask before they’d arrived. She would have to watch her tongue and keep her ears as open as possible during their call.
The afternoon flew by. Because they had an appointment rather than it just being Lady Crossley’s at-home day, they weren’t bound by the usual expectation of keeping their visit to just fifteen minutes, something the lady had made clear as soon as they’d been shown into her receiving room.
“Do say you’ve come for a good long visit, my dears. I so rarely get cosy company.”
“Of course, and thank you for agreeing to the addition of my young friend,” Mrs. Northcott replied right away.
“Of course,” Lady Crossley immediately replied with a smile at Lucy. “She’s my young friend too,” she added. “My sister has gone out for a bit but will be joining us later. I hope you don’t mind, Miss Scranton.” She smiled gently. “I know you aren’t nearly as young as her, so I thought you might not mind. Not to say you’re a crone like us,” she added with a light laugh toward her friend, “but I thought we could have a slightly more serious conversation without her. She’s a dear, but all she wants to talk about it seems is very silly things.”
Lucy had no idea how to answer that statement. All she talked about were silly things. Her thoughts must have written themselves on her face despite her best efforts to remain neutral because the other women exchanged an expression and then laughed.
“Yes, you sometimes sound flighty,” Lady Crossley agreed as though Lucy had said so. “But I’ve often suspected that you might not mean it. Just the other night at our ball, you put me in mind of that once more. I’ve often wondered why, but my husband told me about your father so that could be an explanation.”
Lucy wondered if you could die from a blush as heat filled her from head to toe. She had no response to the woman’s words.
“Leave the girl be, Georgia. She’ll get there, but she isn’t quite ready for your plain speaking yet. Tell us how Christopher is doing at Eton.”
Lucy was relieved to no longer be the centre of attention. The conversation swirled between them as they talked about the Crossley children, their plans to withdraw to the country as soon as the heat came to the city, and other tidbits of gossip.
“I don’t think my sister was ready for her debut after all. I had suspected as much, but she was so excited about it that I set aside my concerns. She won’t be too happy about it, but I would just as rather leave Town early for her sake as much as my own.”
Caroline made some sort of sound of approval before turning to Lucy to include her a little more in the conversation.
“I’m not completely certain of your age, my dear. Would you have gone to school with Miss Bastion at any point? I think you’re both from the same region, aren’t you? Did your paths cross very often in the past?”
“She is a year or two older than me, but we did attend a young lady’s academy at the same time when we were girls. I was a day student, but I believe she boarded there.” Lucy hoped her tone was light enough not to reveal how she had felt about the older girl.
“I am so divided on my feelings about school for girls,” Lady Crossley replied immediately. “I don’t think they should be kept away from an education just because of being female, but little girls can be quite beastly. How did you find your school experience?”
“Do you really think girls are worse than little boys?” Caroline asked with a laugh before Lucy could answer the question.
“Probably not worse, but I think boys enjoy being beastly together while little girls are more easily injured by it,” Lady Crossley replied before turning an expectant face toward Lucy.
Lucy had to laugh. “I will agree with you about girls having the capacity to be rather monstrous. It isn’t what most would expect when they think about their little darlings all dressed up in frilly little gowns and hairbows. But for me, being the only daughter with only a brother close to my age who was going away to school, my parents thought it would be good for me to have other children to play with and get a bit of a polish and education at the same time.” Lucy lifted her shoulders a little. “It wasn’t a truly dreadful experience. It also wasn’t very educational in the way of book learning, as my father didn’t believe girls ought to receive that.”
Before she could continue both the other women exclaimed over that.
“Oh no, my dear, I’m so sorry. That must have been dreadful for you since you so obviously have a mind for it.”
Lucy frowned. “How could you possibly know that?”
“It’s been made evident to me,” was all Caroline would say.
“That does explain a couple things,” Lady Crossley agreed.
