“But Arthur—” whined Lady Catherine.
“Come along, Catherine,” Candelstone ordered as he rose from the table. “They have no conception of what is due ourKing and Country!”
* * *
“I thought usingthe traveling coach for a jaunt to Richmond to be ridiculous; however, it is a more comfortable ride compared to the town carriage,” Gwinnie said as they left the tight, slow-going streets of the city for the road out to Richmond, and the coach moved on comfortably.
“Yes. I love this old thing,” Lady Malmsby said. “I’d refurbish it before I’d replace it. You can’t find springs like these in many carriages. Perhaps I should go ahead and have it refurbished before all the family weddings occur. You know I am looking at you, Gwinnie, to fall in line with your cousins and find a husband.”
Gwinnie sighed. “We’ve gone over this multiple times, so all I’ll say is don’t get your hopes up. I’d look to Aidan and Lake before me.”
“Aidan and Bella shall be next,” Lady Malmsby said, expecting a reaction from Bella. “Bella,” she said. She touched her leg.
Bella looked up. “Did you say something?”
“Yes, I did,” said Lady Malmsby, “but what I said is of no matter, it was me being a tease. You are wool-gathering. What are you thinking?”
“I am thinking of Ellinbourne’s sketchbook,” Bella said. She tilted her head, a faraway expression in her eyes.
“Ellinbourne’s sketchbook? Why?” Lady Malmsby asked.
“Because last night Lady Candelstone suddenly developed an interest in looking through it.”
Gwinnie looked puzzled. “Yes, but we all have looked at it and said how wonderful the sketches are,” she said.
Bella nodded. “I watched as Lady Candelstone looked through it. She flipped quickly through one sketch after another. She didn’t stop on any sketch until she came to the one of Don Joaquín, or who wethinkis Don Joaquín. “
“What do you mean?” Gwinnie asked.
“Haven’t you ever noted his poorly died hair?”
“Of course, I have. Many men have vanity about their looks and growing older. I took it to be his vanity. It doesn’t affect his musical ability.”
Bella nodded. “After she put the book down—never looking at another sketch after she had come on that one—I picked up the book to look at that sketch again. Don Joaquín reminds me of someone, and has every time I’ve seen him. And it is a feeling of disquiet, almost fear that I get. He reminds me of a ghost.”
“A ghost!” exclaimed Lady Malmsby. “What do you mean?”
“He reminds me of the Vizconde Miguel Carrasco-Torres.”
“Who is that?”
“The man I shot in Brussels with a similar small pistol. I have been tormented for over a year with the memory of that night. I left not knowing if he was alive or dead. Yesterday, Lord Candelstone told me he was dead. But this musician, some of his mannerisms, his way of phrasing something, all remind me of the Vizconde.”
“A relative?” Gwinnie suggested.
“I don’t know, but I would say I was the intended victim and likely still am.” She looked at both of them. “I am sorry. I should not burden you with this. I should not have allowed you to come with me! Since he heard us discuss the trip last night at dinner, I don’t trust the Vizconde not to think our trip to Richmond is a splendid opportunity for revenge. We should have the coachman stop at the next inn or alehouse and allow you to stay there. It is not wise to be in my company.
“Well,thatwe won’t be doing,” declared Lady Malmsby. “It would be foolish of him to try anything while we are together.”
“This makes little sense,” Gwinnie protested. “You’re reaching conclusions without facts. If this man wants revenge, why curry favor with me? I met him a month ago at the music publishers. I didn’t know you, and only knew of you from three years ago when Uncle Aidan became a person I could no longer talk to as he fell into the darkest depression. We did not know you were coming to London or would stay with us.”
Bella nodded. “Yes. The only people who knew I was coming to London were my brother and the lawyers.” She scrunched her nose. “And if someone struck up a conversation with Andrew, I could see Andrew naively providing information about me, if he were asked.”
“But that doesn’t answer why befriend me and become a member of our ensemble,” Gwinnie said.
“I disagree,” said Lady Malmsby. “That is quite an astute move for a person who is a proficient musician, as this man obviously is. Musicians are needed for parties, balls, concerts, and musicales throughout the social season. If a person got with the right group of musicians, they would be able to eventually see Lady Blessingame, if she went to any entertainments. Once they found her, it would be a simple matter to discover her direction and whom she associates with, to discern what events she would attend,” Lady Malmsby suggested.
“So, the only coincidence is Bella staying with us. His plan could work wherever she was,” Gwinnie said.
