Edward gritted his teeth, wondering again what could possibly be so pressing that it couldn’t wait until after the Ball.
* * *
Pleased with Edward’s obedience,if nothing else, Lady Bitterwood set to work putting her plan to trap Edward and Miss Wingfield into motion.
She pulled a hastily scrawled note out of her reticule and scanned the ballroom for the most gullible-looking footman she could find.
It took her a moment, but she finally found a young man with big cow eyes and an eager to please expression.
“Young man, can you assist me?”
The footman snapped to attention.
“Of course, my Lady. How may I help?”
“Lady Billington asked me to give this note to Miss Wingfield, but I cannot seem to find her, and Lady Rosebury needs to speak with me. Can you please locate Miss Wingfield and see that she gets this letter immediately? Lady Billington said it was most urgent that this note reach her sister quickly.”
The footman nodded and was off in a flash. Lady Bitterwood smiled to herself as she wound her way through the crowd in search of Lady Rosebury. This was all too easy, really.
* * *
Eliza was very much enjoyingher conversation with Lady Catherine Stewart when a footman materialised beside her bearing a note.
“A Lady Billington sent this to you.”
The footman passed her the note with a bow, then excused himself.
Worried that something might be wrong, Eliza opened the note and read over its hastily scrawled, terse contents. Frankly, the note did not sound like Georgiana at all, and when they’d spoken that morning, Georgiana had said she wasn’t sure whether she would feel well enough to attend the Ball tonight at all. Besides that, the note had been scrawled so hastily that she couldn’t be sure whether it was in Georgiana’s hand or not.
“Hmmmm…”
Eliza frowned down at the note, shaking her head.
“What is the matter, Eliza?”
Lady Catherine stood just to Eliza’s right, sipping a glass of orgeat.
“This note asking me to come to the library seems awfully suspicious to me, and I do not wish to go by myself.”
Catherine peered over Eliza’s shoulder and read the note, her brow furrowing.
“Yes, I see what you mean. Do not worry. I will go with you.”
Lady Catherine looped her arm through Eliza’s and the two of them set out for the library, both burning with equal measures of suspicion and curiosity.
They entered the library expecting to find Eliza’s sister Georgiana — better known as Lady Billington — only to stumble to a stop when they found themselves face-to-face with Lord Edward Melthorn instead.
“Oh! I beg your pardon.” Eliza looked around, frowning with consternation. “You are not who we are looking for at all.”
It took her a moment to realise how rude she must sound, and her cheeks burned with embarrassment. Heavens above, but this was confusing and awkward.
Catherine hurried over to Lord Edward and took his hands in hers, her brow furrowing.
“Did you send for Eliza?”
“No!” Edward shook his head, frowning. “Why would I have done?”
Suddenly, footsteps sounded out in the hall and instinct spurred Eliza into action.
