‘Do?’ Reverend Shackleford put Flossy back down on the floor. ‘Naturally, as I told the gentleman, I’ll pray for a satisfactory conclusion to the matter.’
‘Pardon me, but it ain’t like you to just sit around an’ pray, your revrenship. Looks to me like there’s something smoky goin’ on. Din’t like that nob’s eyes. Dead they was.’
The Reverend determinedly finished his pint. ‘Well, if I happen to bump into a chit dressed as a lad, I’ll decide on the best course of action then. Come along, Flossy.’ He started towards the door, before pausing and turning back. ‘If any of you gentlemen happen to spy such an irregularity, I’ll be at the vicarage.’
It wasn’t the Reverend’s habit to turn up at the Duke and Duchess of Blackmore’s house unannounced, but such was his apprehension, he decided to walk there directly. His son-in-law would know what to do.
Unfortunately, only his daughter, Grace was in residence. ‘He’s gone to Wheal Tredennick for a meeting with Jago,’ the Duchess explained to her father as they waited for tea.
‘So why didn’t you go with him?’ the Reverend asked with a frown. ‘I’m certain Charity would be happy to see you.’
‘She would if she was there,’ Grace answered, ‘but she’s visiting with Chastity in Cottesmore.’ She paused as Huntley came in with a tray of tea and biscuits.
‘So,’ she commented at length, handing him a dish of tea. ‘As much as it’s a delight as always to see you, Father, why are you here.’ Her voice was dry but wary. She knew her father well enough to know this was no social visit, especially since trouble generally followed him around like a bad smell. While she waited, she took a biscuit, broke it up and fed the pieces to Flossy who was gazing at her adoringly.
‘The thing is…’ Reverend Shackleford started, only to pause as Grace held up her hand.
‘Is this you meddling in affairs that are none of your business, Father?’
‘Certainly not,’ her father retorted indignantly. ‘Thunder an’ turf, I’m cut to the deuced quick that you could think such a thing. Why, not one of you girls would be married today if it weren’t for my quick thinking over the years.’
Grace raised her eyebrows. The fact that all his daughters had made good marriages was despite his involvement, not because of it. Well, mayhap that was not strictly true, but whenever he was left to his own devices, things had a tendency to go to hell in a handcart. She gave an inward sigh. No one could ever accuse her father of being dull.
Gritting her teeth, she forced a conciliatory smile and offered him a biscuit. Then she waited.
‘The thing is,’ Reverend Shackleford repeated, ‘Anthony’s found himself this labourer to help with the renovations of Bovey Manor.’ He paused and took a slurp of his tea.
‘And…?’ Grace encouraged.
‘Well, thefirstproblem is, it looks as though this deuced labourer could well be a female, but Anthony don’t know it.’ He paused again and frowned. ‘At least I don’t think he knows it. I deuced well hope not anyway, I didn’t bring him up to fornicate with paid employees.’
‘What the devil are you talking about, Father?’ Grace interrupted his tirade in exasperation. ‘You think Anthony is having an illicit relationship with a woman masquerading as a man?’
‘No … yes … well, in truth, I don’t know if there’s anything havey cavey about their relationship.’
Grace blinked. ‘And that’s only thefirstproblem?’ She picked Flossy up and set the little dog on her lap. Otherwise she might have been tempted to get to her feet and box her father’s ears.
‘I suggest you start at the beginning, Father.’ She used her clipped Duchess of Blackmore voice which was usually effective in ensuring the Reverend presented the facts without any of his legendary dissembling.
Augustus Shackleford took a deep breath, then presented the specifics as he knew them.
When he’d finished, Grace simply stared at him without speaking. How was it that her family continually became embroiled in such bizarre events? She was tempted to dismiss the whole thing as a bag of moonshine but for the description of the gentleman looking for thisGeorge.
Stalling, she leaned forward and picked up another biscuit, and nibbling on it absently before sharing the last piece with Flossy. She couldn’t help wishing that Felicity was here in Nicholas’s absence, but the matron was visiting friends in Bath and did not intend to come home until the end of the month when Nicholas and Malcolm returned.
‘What do you think, then?’ the Reverend demanded when he could wait no longer. ‘Naturally, I’d have brought the whole havey cavey business to Nicholas had he been here.’
Grace shook her head. ‘I really don’t know what to think,’ she confessed. ‘We don’t even know if this … missing personisthe same labourer Anthony employed.’
‘Well, given that the fellow wasn’t the first person to ask, and this George fits the description…’ Reverend Shackleford trailed off.
‘Did the lad have any feminine ways about him?’ the Duchess quizzed. ‘Anything at all that might lead you to think he wasn’t a boy?’
Her father shook his head. ‘He was small, granted. But his face was so deuced dirty, it was difficult to see his features clearly.’
‘So, we must assume that Anthony still believes this George is a boy, and the only way we’ll put that to the test is by going to Bovey Manor to discover it for ourselves.’
Tucking Flossy under her arm, Grace stood up and walked over to ring the bell summoning Huntley. ‘If this labourer does turn out to be female, we’ll know that she is the person these unpleasant people are looking for. And at the very least, we must warn Anthony.’
