“Measles,” Rosemary blurted out.
At that, both women took a step back.
“Explain,” Miss Doyle insisted.
Quickly, Eliza told them about Abigail and her spots and that they’d been inside Lord Norbright’s home and they could be exposed.
“Of course, she insists it’s the mummy’s curse when the gentleman in the box wasn’t a mummy at all,” Eliza laughed. “But they are young yet and I’m certain their minds are filled with imagination. When they mature, they’ll realize that there is no such thing as a curse.”
Sophia blinked at Eliza. What had happened to her friend? While it was a relief that Eliza wasn’t giving in to her usual fanciful thoughts, it was bothersome as well.
“What are you talking about?” Miss Doyle asked in confusion. “What mummy.”
“Well, they assume it is the mummy that was stolen from Mayfair and it did arrive in a coffin.”
“And this accident and the measles were caused by the curse?”
“Of the Mayfair mummy, yes,” Eliza clarified.
“At first we thought it had come with Lord Kilsyth since he lives in Mayfair and that is where the mummy had been stolen from,” Rosemary added.
* * *
“But it isn’t a mummy at all,” Sophia clarified. “Just an injured gentleman, all bandaged about the head and face.”
Eve heard what the girls were saying, but couldn’t really concentrate or comprehend any longer. As soon as they said that Kilsyth was here, all coherent thought disappeared.
“Girls!” Cait ordered. “Stop. Start at the beginning. Who is at Harrington Manor and why did you think they had a mummy?”
Eliza took a deep breath and then calmly explained how the two carriages had arrived and then the wagon carrying a coffin. That all the passengers were injured from what they believe was a carriage accident. And, because they hadn’t known about the accident and only saw the coffin, Norbright’s sisters wanted to learn who had died and that Sophia, Rosemary and Eliza had gone with them. Then the newest students, Abigail, Mary and Ruth had followed them inside and screamed when they saw the mummy, which wasn’t a mummy at all.
Eve blinked at them. Her sister had certainly not exaggerated in her letters when she described the students and what they’d gotten up to.
“Now Abigail insists that her measles are because of the mummy,” Eliza concluded.
“The curse of the Mayfair mummy,” Rosemary added with a giggle.
“And Mrs. Wiggons wanted us to come over and warn Lady Norbright that her family and Lord Norbright’s friends may have been exposed to the measles.”
“Are all the gentlemen who arrived with Mr. Ashford still at Harrington Manor, or have they gone?” Eve asked. What were the chances that Kilsyth had left?
Oh, she hoped he had and that it was only a coincidence that he was in the area.
“They are all still there, I’m certain,” Eliza answered. “All four gentlemen were injured, just not as badly as the one in the coffin.”
Eve’s heart skipped.
“Not so badly that they couldn’t move about, but they were bandaged,” Sophia added.
At least Kilsyth wasn’t seriously injured, thank goodness.
Though, as much as Eve would like to see Kilsyth, and be assured that he didn’t suffer any serious injury, he could not know that she was here. She was just as certain that as soon as he recovered, he’d be gone, so Eve would just need to remain out of sight and in hiding, if necessary, until he took his leave.
“We’ve both suffered through measles when we were girls,” Eve reminded her sister.
“I remember.”
“As Lord Norbright has guests, it isn’t right that we intrude, especially if they are injured.”
