“It’s early.” Goldie sighed as she stared at the offending newspaper. “Oh, Caroline.”
Caroline would find some way to fix the problem she’d made for the Duchess of Crossings. Furthermore, she’d give Maxwell Black a piece of her mind for printing the lie about her brother.
But first… “I need stories for the society page.”
For half a second, Caroline wondered if her sister-in-law was going to leave without helping her. But then Goldie sighed.
“Nia’s expecting.”
“Expecting what?” Caroline asked.
“No, she’s not—She’s expecting expecting.”
Caroline’s mouth dropped open. “A baby?” And then she realized what Goldie was saying. “You want me to put that in the Society section tonight?”
“It’ll come out eventually. There’s no reason to hide it. And really, people knowing won’t hurt anything.”
“I don’t think—”
“I know, I know,” Goldie winced. “But news that the man formerly known as the Piccadilly Player might beget an heir could draw attention away from the investigation… and Reed,” Goldie finished sheepishly.
But… “What about your parents?” She’d been careless already.
“It might help with that as well. He’ll be their grandchild, after all.”
“Or she.”
Goldie smiled weakly. “Or she.”
But Caroline had already made trouble for the two sisters. She needed to proceed with caution. “Tell her the situation and ask her permission. If your sister wants her news kept private, I’ll leave it be.” And then she clutched her hands to her chest. “But that’s so exciting! And terrifying! I didn’t notice anything different about her last night. When…? How long until you become an aunt?”
Following Goldie and Reed’s early morning visit, Caroline dressed and, rather than taking her usual tea in her private chamber, brought her pencil and paper downstairs so she could jot down story ideas while breaking her fast in the morning room.
But just as she opened the paper for a thorough readthrough, her mother joined her.
“Where were you last night?” Her mother skipped the usual morning felicitations, making Caroline wish she’d stayed in her chamber after all. She had forgotten that her mother knew she’d not been with Reed and Goldie the night before. “And what’s happened to your face?”
“I ran into a door.” It was the truth. In a way…
“Oh really?”
“Really. It’s nothing.”
“Did you run into this door at the Gazette’s office last night?”
Caroline took a breath to answer, to confess at least part of her and Goldie’s plan, but before the words came out, Mr. Long interrupted. “My apologies, Mrs. Rutherford, my lady. Mr. Black is here to see you. Shall I tell him you are indisposed?”
Mr. Black? Was here? Caroline shot out of her chair. “No. No. I’ll meet with him in the drawing room.” On the one hand, she was grateful for the interruption. But on the other hand, what on earth was he doing here? “Erm, excuse me, Mother.”
But her mother was rising as well. “You can’t meet with the earl without a chaperone, darling.” Mrs. Rutherford slid Caroline a meaningful look—a look that broached no argument.
“He isn’t courting me,” Caroline said.
“Why else would a gentleman come calling for you?”
“For a thousand different reasons. Perhaps he wants to be friends. Or perhaps he requires my help.”
“With his newspaper?” Her mother cocked a brow and Caroline winced.
