So Kynaston might have triggered this new disaster, but she’d caused the root of it.
“We were wondering how the printer would make a profit from this, but if it was his own vile plan, that wouldn’t bother him.” She realized something else. “If you don’t have the plates, they can’t be destroyed, can they?”
Norris grimaced. “I fear not.”
“Which means there’s nothing we can do. I find that intolerable.”
“As do I.”
Ethel returned, followed by a maid with a tankard of ale and some slices of cold game pie. Sensible Ethel knew that food would calm Norris. He set to with appetite, but Ariana wondered if she’d ever be able to eat again.
“How can this happen?” she demanded of the room and the world in general. “I’m not ripe for scandal. I’ve lived a quiet, respectable life. Why is this even believed?” No one had an answer, but she did. “Because of my height. I’m a freak, and therefore anything is possible, even this.”
“Oh, no, dear,” her mother said, but her heart wasn’t in it.
On instinct Ariana fought back tears, but she was tempted to surrender to them. Perhaps then someone would cradle her and make every problem go away. Perhaps Norris. But no. He was taking the manly part, but he was still her younger brother. He and her mother began to go over everything, worrying at it like dogswith a shredding ball, creating nothing but mess. Ariana went to a front room and peered around the edge of the curtain. The crowd was growing.
She moved away before anyone saw her. She’d have liked to go to her room, but that seemed like a cowardly retreat, so she returned to the library. She didn’t sit, however, but browsed the shelves, as if she could be considering sitting to read a book.
Then the door opened and their footman said, “Lord Kynaston.”
He took in the mood of the room. “What new trouble?”
“None,” Ariana said, wanting to rush to him with relief. Instead she resumed her seat at the table. “Only acceptance of disaster. Do you have hope to offer?”
He seemed more weary than angry, however, and not at all hopeful. “Only that this will pass. It’s clearly nonsense.”
“I’m not sure people care. They relish stories of pig-faced men and women giving birth to rabbits. Is anything being attempted?”
He sat in the chair next to her, turning to face her. “A magistrate is interrogating Yarby’s print man, but he’s a tough nut to crack. It’s as if Yarby sees this as a holy crusade against the sinful rich.”
“But it’s alie.”
“All in a good cause.”
“You’re sure this Yarby is behind it?”
“It’s the most likely explanation.”
Ariana considered her next words, but Kynaston sought purposeful action and so did she. “I do wonder,” she said. “Yarby must have been raged at by victims many a time, so why take such action now? Could he have been urged to it, and even paid to do it?”
“By whom? Inching?”
It was time to tell everyone what Ethel had discovered. “Inching got wind of the story from Lord Churston. Might he have urged Yarby to this extra step?”
Everyone stared; then Norris exploded, “Churston!I’ll have his gizzard! But why?”
“Because I found his assumption of superiority intolerable and made it plain, and he doesn’t approve of women with firm opinions.”
“But how did he find out about events at Peake’s?” Kynaston asked.
She turned to him. “That’s my fault. At Covent Garden, a Lord and Lady Hatchard mentioned my being in Peake’s cellars, trying to tease out information about what is down there. I was with Churston at the time. They added that you’d been there with me, and Churston was shocked. I should have said that Ethel was with us, but I wanted to be rid of him, so I let him think what he chose. I’m sorry.”
“You couldn’t have known he’d turn to spite. How did you find this out?”
“Ethel did. She went to Inching and he confessed all.”
Everyone looked at Ethel.
