She looked over her shoulder. “You have misplaced her? I thought she was living under your protection at Radcliffe Hall.”
His lips tightened and he said, “She left two days ago.”
Suzanne lifted one eyebrow. “So? Christa is of age.”
The earl said smoothly, as if it had been said several times before, “Yes, but she had been unwell, feverish, and I am worried about her. She has never recovered from the loss of her family.”
“And of course, you wish to rescue her?” The irony in Suzanne’s tone was so gentle it might have been imagined.
Lord Radcliffe nodded stiffly. “Of course. I am very worried about her. Here is my card,” he said as he drew out his card case. “If you hear any word of her, I would be very appreciative if you would inform me as quickly as possible.” He looked around the shabby room significantly. “Veryappreciative.”
Suzanne’s initially open mind closed with a snap. Why, the man wanted her tosellinformation about her little cousin, her good angel! No wonder Christa wanted nothing to do with him.
Fortunately, the children arrived at that moment and their noisy entrance prevented her from any rash statements. Lord Radcliffe took his leave; Suzanne hoped that Christa would not choose that moment to return.
* * *
Footsore and bemused, Christa very nearly walked into the carriage parked in front of Suzanne’s. Swerving around it, she saw the coat of arms painted on the door—a golden lion, rampant, a silver stag—and gasped with sudden shock. Fortunately, there was considerable foot traffic as people made their way home in the gathering dusk, and she let the movement carry her along until she could dart into an alley. Drawing several deep breaths to calm herself, she peered cautiously out, just in time to see Lord Radcliffe emerging from Suzanne’s door. He had a black look on his face, and she could only be grateful he did not glance in her direction.
Her relief was checked when the earl spoke to one of his footmen before entering the carriage. The footman nodded and dropped off the back of the vehicle, then crossed the street to stand in the shadow of the building opposite Suzanne’s.
Christa felt a chill. She had passed unnoticed when she was part of a group, but the man set to watch would certainly have seen her enter her cousin’s if she had returned a few minutes later. What would he have done then—sent for her uncle? Captured her in the dark passage outside Suzanne’s, then carried her away?
Luckily, her cousin had a rear entrance. By working her way through the maze of odoriferous alleys, Christa was able to safely reach the rickety outside stairs that led to the flat.
Suzanne answered her knock quickly. “Thankle bon Dieuyou are safe!” she exclaimed. “You saw Lord Radcliffe leaving?”
“Oui,” Christa confirmed as she removed her voluminous cloak and shook out her dark curls. “And he has left a man outside to watch. I hope it will be averycold night!”
“I do not like your Lord Radcliffe,” Suzanne said as they walked toward the combination kitchen/sitting room/dining room. “He seems a determined man, perhaps a dangerous one.”
“‘He is notmyLord Radcliffe, and I do not intend he ever shall be!”
The children’s enthusiastic welcome prevented further discussion, and once again it was late in the evening before the two could speak privately. Since coffee was too precious to drink two nights in a row, they sipped hot cider as Christa described her day.
“In the morning I went to visit the friends we thought might write characters for me. Mme. Gerard, the d’Au-bossons, the Comtesse du Thonon.Mon Dieu, but it was sad to see them in such reduced circumstances! Yet they are bearing up well. In fact, Mme. d’Aubosson sent some sweets for the children.”
Christa drew a carefully wrapped parcel from the cloak she had hung earlier and handed it to her cousin. “She owns a sweet shop and made these with her own hands—she, who could not pick up her scarf when it fell to the floor! I think she has pride in her accomplishments—not altogether a bad compensation for what she has lost.”
“How kind of her,” Suzanne said. “I shall save these until Pierre’s name day—it’s next week.” She looked searchingly at Christa. “You had no other luck?”
Christa gave a wry half smile. “I didn’t expect it to be easy! Two of the offices were disgraceful places, best suited to luring young girls from the path of virtue. The others were respectable but gave no hope for a position soon. The gentleman at the last agency was most kind and gave me the addresses of more offices to visit tomorrow, ones he said were safe.” She sipped her cider and said, “Were you able to complete your arrangement with Mme. Bouchet?”
Suzanne’s face lit up. “Oh yes! It made us both very happy. She will stay another fortnight to teach me more about keeping the accounts. Mme. Bouchet was kind enough to say that my fashion sense was superior to hers.”
“Very proper of her.”
“What will you do? It will not be safe for you to stay here if Lord Radcliffe maintains a watch.” Suzanne shivered slightly. “I think he had called on others before he came here. How did he know whom to visit?”
“He must have remembered the addresses of letters he franked for me. I could admire his lordship’s efficiency more if he did not remind me of a cat in pursuit of a mouse.” She chuckled. “But more often than not the mouse gets away. I will just have to find a situation quickly.” Christa stood and yawned. “When I have disappeared into one of these great London households, he will never find me.”
* * *
The afternoon was well advanced when Christa reached Mrs. Haywood’s Select Domestic Establishment in Hans Town. When she entered, the prim young woman writing at a desk in the front room looked at her disapprovingly. “Do you have an appointment?” The eyes that raked her implied that Covent Garden was more suited to the likes ofher.
“No, I fear not. I realize it is very forward of me, but is it possible that Mrs. Haywood might be able to see me this afternoon?” Christa accompanied the remark with her sweetest smile and had the satisfaction of seeing the young woman thaw a bit.
She nibbled on her quill, then stood and said, “I’ll see what I can do. You may take a seat.”
