“No, that will not be necessary. I would like to know why we lag behind the caravan. We can no longer see the other carriages.”
“I was instructed to use another route, milady as there were complaints from one of the lords in the area that our caravan was destroying his roads. I was assured that this road leads to the inn where we plan to meet the others. But if you prefer, I can turn around.”
“That will not be necessary and will delay our journey. The hour grows late, and I know I speak for Miss Mercer when I say we are anxious to arrive at our destination. Carry on.”
The driver touched his hand to his hat in agreement and respect and resumed his position.
Elizabeth settled against the tufted seat. “What a bother. Oh, well. Cannot be helped, I suppose. I hope I haven’t frightened you with all my chatter of spies and what not. Robert would be furious if he knew I told you about Devonshire. But I thought about it and knew it was the right thing to do. Because of how you bravely prevented Devonshire from carrying out his plan to kill Robert, you might be in danger. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.”
“An expression my mother also believes. Honestly, I am glad you told me. Besides, the duke, who else knows about Devonshire?”
“In the beginning, the circle of knowledge was small, and I dare not reveal their identities. But be assured that thanks to the information you overheard between Devonshire and the footman, a plan has been devised to capture Devonshire. Jeremy and the duke have used the Frost Fair as a diversion. They join a contingency of the military in the castle’s village, where they expect to capture Devonshire and his cohorts. That said, there are many hidey holes in the castle where the servants might listen in on conversations and potentially warn Devonshire. The duke and I did not want to believe that any of his servants might alert Devonshire, but nothing is certain. After all, one of the duke’s own footmen was working with Devonshire.”
Madeline nodded, bracing against the sides inside the carriage as it rumbled over a rut in the road. Elizabeth’s words were a reminder. Had the servants also overheard conversations between her and her mother? The thought was unsettling. They must be more careful in the future.
“Hopefully, he is the only one who betrayed the duke. My mother is a firm believer that the greatest source of information is gleaned from befriending the servants in a household such as the one at Conclarton Castle. If you want to know a person’s secrets, you ask a servant. She also believes that knowledge is the true measure of a person’s worth. Perhaps we should find a way to question those at the castle without alerting them to our purpose. We might discover who else is working with Devonshire.”
“An excellent idea. I will send word to someone I trust at the castle. Your mother sounds like a truly amazing woman. Mine was a lot like yours and the duchess. My mother chafed at the rules that confined her and believed all women should have a voice in Parliament. There were a few incidents where women who were landowners were allowed to vote in government elections, but she worried that would be taken away. She told me she wanted a strong daughter, and she went against my father’s wishes, naming me after the great Queen Elizabeth.” She narrowed her gaze. “He wanted me named after his mother, Gertrude, a truly milk-toast of a woman.”
Madeline laughed. “I am glad your mother prevailed. We were both fortunate. I would love to meet your mother.”
Her brow deepened into a frown. “She died twenty-one years ago, giving birth to my brother, and I miss her still.” Elizabeth leaned forward. “Enough of all that. What I long to learn is more about your country. Robert told me you attended university in America. How extraordinary.”
“I am surprised he mentioned it,” Madeline said, caught by surprise. “The duke seemed to disapprove.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Robert fights a battle between two worlds. The world he was born into and the world he wishes to inhabit. Give him time!” She winked. “Tell me more of America.”
Madeline’s thoughts chased round and round. Was the duke more open to change than she had thought? And why did that idea please her so much?
“You are deep in thought,” Elizabeth said. “Thinking of the duke?”
Madeline’s breath quickened. Elizabeth was uncanny, as though she could read her mind. “Collecting my thoughts, is all,” she lied, turning back to Elizabeth’s question. “In America, women are allowed more freedom and, in certain circumstances, encouraged to seek out their own endeavors. Because of her business, my mother was able to help women who were interested in seeking to educate themselves or better their lives.”
Elizabeth eyed Madeline like a butterfly trapped under glass. “America sounds like a wondrous place of opportunity.” She paused. “And new beginnings.”
Madeline fidgeted with a loose thread on the cuff of her sleeve as she glanced out the window at the tranquil forest. Instead of offering peace, the quiet was unsettling. It was as though all the woodland creatures had fled when they witnessed the Frost Fair Caravan invading their forest. She breathed deeply, trying to dispel her own sense of foreboding. She wasn’t as calm regarding the revelation of Devonshire as she had claimed.
“Yes, new beginnings are indeed something America aspires to as a goal for those who call it their home.”
Elizabeth gazed out the window as Madeline had moments before. “I envy you your life in America. Men like my father would never have approved my attending university. He does not believe women have the intellect capable of grasping complex issues, beyond bearing children, doing needlework, and hosting parties.”
“I am so sorry. I think my mother would have gone mad if she had been confined to those tasks with no other ways to occupy her time.”
“Your mother was fortunate. Most women have little choice in how they live out their lives. Robert mentioned that she married a wealthy railroad tycoon, who died leaving her a wealthy widow. Few women in her position would feel the need to do more than garden or host parties. What is your mother’s type of business?”
Madeline felt her blood run cold. Elizabeth had been easy to talk to and had taken Madeline into her confidence regarding Devonshire, adding that their mothers were both rebellious in their own ways as well as recognizing Madeline’s growing attraction to the duke. Those revelations and confidences had lulled Madeline into a false sense of shared comradery. and she had let down her guard. Elizabeth was a product of her British culture, the daughter of an earl, and therefore would not approve of Madeline’s deception nor her mother’s occupation.
Madeline glanced out the window of the carriage to regain her composure as she slipped the mask of deception back into place. Trees, dusted with snow, slid past in shades of forest green and pristine white. “The carriage has slowed.”
Elizabeth followed Madeline’s gaze. “Understandable, given the state of the roads.”
Elizabeth had also been gazing out the window but now brought her attention back to Madeline. “I notice you have not developed the art of deception. Some might question, let us say, that the disparities in your mother’s story might invite unwanted scrutiny. There is a similarity between playing cards and the game of life. In each, a person must learn tokeep hidden the value and secrets of their hand. Your expression gives you away, I fear. You and your mother are hiding something. It has been observed that your mother’s mannerisms are more closely aligned to those of someone of noble breeding and birth than of a daughter of America as she claims.” Elizabeth reached over to take Madeline’s hands in hers. “No, do not despair. We are friends. Please do not disagree, for I have declared it so. You are entitled to your secrets. My mother had hers. I have mine, and I believe the duchess has some as well. As women we must protect each other. I say this to you as a warning.”
Elizabeth settled back against the seat. “Now for more interesting topics.Is it true that in America you are in constant danger of attack?”
Madeline cleared her throat, taking a shallow breath to calm her frayed nerves. She seized on the opportunity Elizabeth had provided to change the topic, relieved for a subject on safer ground.
She sat up straighter. “In America, lawlessness is common in the territories out west that have yet to join the union and become states. But my mother and I live in Boston, Massachusetts, and it is most civilized, not unlike your London.”
