“It seems strange that Lord Connally should take his servant’s son with him,” Louisa remarked.
“Old Lord Connally took care of Mr. Hodge’s son after his mother passed away. Looked after him like a second son. The boys were educated together at Eton, and later at Oxford. I suspect that is why Lord Connally took him along during his tour of Ireland.”
“So he is a gentleman, then.”
Mrs. Bird sniffed. “In name, I suppose. But I shall not think of him as one. Not until he takes his orders. Ah, well, here is the lane now! I bid you good-bye. I must be on my way back to the village. There are preparations to be done before my niece arrives!” Mrs. Bird resumed her cheerful attitude. Caroline and Louisa climbed up into the chaise and gestured to her before setting off in the direction of Fairclough.
S
“You have to help me,” Theo begged Oliver when he and Beaujean returned from their visit to town. “Please, Oliver.”
“I still do not understand. Why did you give her my name as yours, instead of telling her who you are?”
“I panicked. She already thinks of me as a servant. It was easier to give her your name than to tell her the truth. If what Beaujean said about her is true, then all she will see in Lord Connally is a name and a fortune. I need to know if that is the case, or if there is more to her.”
“But how will posing as me help you to discern that? Is honesty not the best policy?”
“I need time to observe her real character. To do that, I require someone else to pose as me, to pose as Lord Connally. Since I have taken your name, you are the natural person for the task!”
Oliver shook his head. “No. No. This is foolishness. Get Beau to do it, if you must, but not me. He is a natural dandy, to begin with. He will fit the role perfectly.”
“Beau cannot be me. He has dark hair. All the portraits of me on the walls depict me as a golden-haired child. Anyone who remembers me from my youth will know it as well. But you and I have the same color hair. We are as alike as brothers. It will be just as it was when we were children. Me pretending to be you, and you, pretending to be me.”
“But things are different now. I do not have a gentleman’s manners, though I was educated as one. My accent still reflects the commoners, and my clothes are not that of a noble.”
Beaujean, who had been pretending to nap upon the sofa during all this, rose with a laugh. “I can teach you how to be a dandy, Hodge. I can dress you up as one, teach you how to walk, how to talk. It will be great fun! Lord knows, I could use some diversion in a place like this.” He had been depressed ever since he returned to The King Richard and found his lady-love already occupied with another gentleman.
Oliver remained unconvinced. “How are we to pass this off? There are too many who know our true identities.”
“Come, Oliver, there are not as many as you think. Your father, I am sure, will be happy to play along, once we explain, and the other servants will not disobey my direct orders. As for the villagers and the townspeople, none of them have seen me since before I went away to Oxford. I look different now. It will be easy to pass me off as you. And you, dressed in Beaujean’s clothes and acting the part of the dandy, will make an excellent Lord Connally in my stead.”
“But you are not a dandy at all!” Oliver complained.
“They do not know that. Nobody does. For all they know, I went away, and came back looking like Beau Brummel.”
“Or Jean Beaujean!” Beaujean quipped, loving every bit of this. “After all, my name does mean ‘John Pretty-John!’”
Oliver shook his head. “Even if you have been gone for over ten years, I have not. I was the one who returned every holiday, while we were at Oxford, you recall. For me, it has only been five years since I was in the area. Suppose I should meet an acquaintance who remembers me better than they remember you? What shall I say to them? More than that, what shallyousay, if they notice that you are not Oliver Hodge?”
“If we play our parts well, nobody will suspect the truth, until it is all done.”
“And when will that be? How long do you plan on keeping up this charade?”
“Until I am certain that Miss Bingley is not merely after Lord Connally’s money and title. Or never, if Beaujean’s assertions prove true.”
“Never is a long time to play a character not your own.”
“Not never, as in,forever. Eventually, Miss Bingley will leave the area, and when she does, I shall resume my role as Lord Connally and you may complete your ordination and take possession of your living. Please, Oliver. Do this for me.”
Oliver’s arms remained crossed. “This Miss Bingley must have made a strong impression on you for you to go to such trouble.”
“She has.”
Oliver sighed. “Very well, I shall do it.”
Theo threw his arms around his friend. “You are the best! I knew I could count on you for anything.”
Beaujean laughed. “This shall be quite entertaining!”
