Watley shrugged. “I am your guest,” he said. “If youhave your way, I will be your brother-in-law in the foreseeable future. More to the point, I am a fellow human being. You are going to have to get out the word throughout the county—a full description of Ricky and an emphasis upon his great importance toyou, the Earl of Brandon. Titles and influence can be useful things at times. Fellow landowners. Magistrates. Clergymen. We need to make a list. And offer a reward—but only if he is detained without violence and treated with kindness.”
“If hegetsas far as Hertfordshire,” Justin said.
“We must at least consider the possibility that he will,” Watley said. “For the rest of the country we must consider notices in newspapers, among other things.”
Justin sat back in his chair, drew a deep breath, and let it out slowly through his mouth. “Perhaps,” he said, “they will yet find him fast asleep in the hay inside someone’s barn close to home that they have not thought to search yet.”
“It would be the best possible outcome,” Watley agreed. “Though it does seem unlikely. May I make another suggestion? Will you send for my sister? You said you told her about those years you spent living with Ricky’s brother. She may have some ideas. A woman’s perspective and all that.”
Justin got to his feet and pulled on the bell rope beside the mantel. He sent the footman who answered his summons to find Lady Estelle Lamarr. “Ask her if she would be so good as to join me and Viscount Watley in the library,” he said.
They waited in near silence.
“I am making a mental list of everyone I know in this county,” Justin said after a few minutes. “It is not a long one. My steward and my secretary will be able to help.They have both been here a long time. They worked for my father before me.”
The same footman opened the door ten minutes after he had been sent and admitted Lady Estelle. She stood just inside the door and looked from one to the other of them, her hands clasped at her waist.
“I hope there is a reason for this odd summons that is not going to have me exploding in wrath,” she said.
“I amnotabout to order you to marry Brandon forthwith, Stell,” her brother said. “Nor am I about to forbid you to marry him and order you to pack your bags and be ready to leave within the hour.”
“Well, that is a relief,” she said. “You get to keep your head, Bert.”
“Ricky is missing,” Justin told her, and her eyes came to him and remained upon him while he told her about Hilda’s letter.
Shedidhave ideas in addition to those her brother had suggested.
“Involve women and servants,” she said. “If you wish to spread any news as fast as wildfire, those are the people to tell. Men will spread the word in official ways and be very thorough and methodical about it. Women and servants will justtalk.And the people to whom they talk will talk to others. Those others will talk to yet more. Soon scarcely anyone, either upstairs or down, willnotknow that a man of Ricky’s description and mental slowness is wandering around lost and—most important—that he isvery preciousto the Earl of Brandon, who will pay a handsome reward to whoever finds him and treats him with kindness while he or she brings him here to Everleigh.”
“Ifhe finds his way to this county,” Justin said. By now Lady Estelle was sitting on the chair across from herbrother’s and Justin was standing between them, his back to the fireplace.
“Well, you know, gossip does not stop at county borders, Brandon,” Watley said.
“But you must be prepared for much of that gossip being aboutyou, Lord Brandon,” Lady Estelle warned him. “You have kept your secrets locked up tight and your two worlds very separate until now, have you not? The initial story will explain that Ricky is trying to find you here and that he is very important to you. You can control that explanation at the source of the story, but once it starts spreading you will lose control of the details, and the story will grow and swell like a hot-air balloon. Everyone will be very eager to fill in thewhyand thehow.”
“You can control that too if you wish by getting ahead of the rumors with solid fact,” her twin added.
Lady Estelle set a hand on Justin’s arm, whether unconsciously or deliberately he did not know. He could feel the warmth of it and the comfort of it through his coat sleeve and shirtsleeve. “You can do a great deal more than his brother can to spread the word and find Ricky,” she said. “You have power and influence.”
He turned his head to look at her, and she seemed to realize where her hand was. She removed it after patting his arm a couple of times.
“Thank you,” he said. “Tobothof you. I do not know why you would be willing to help me. This is supposed to be a house party primarily for your relaxation and enjoyment.”
“We actually enjoy helping friends, do we not, Stell?” Watley said.
“Like you, we have a large extended family,” she said. “On our mother’s side and our father’s and ourstepmother’s. Hers includes all the Westcotts, and there are dozens of them. Or am I exaggerating? But they include powerful people, like the Earl of Riverdale and the Duke of Netherby.”
“Netherby is a friend of mine,” Justin said.
“We will write to them all if it should become necessary,” Lady Estelle said. “He will be found, Justin. You must believe that he will.”
His panic was beginning to recede just a little.We actually enjoy helping friends.
She had called himJustin.
He wondered if she had noticed. Or if her brother had.
Fifteen
