“At your place,” Sweeney said helpfully.
“That is not going to happen.” Ned saw no reason to mince words.
“We met at your place a time or two, Your Grace,” Dawson said.
“Aye, and a good time we had.” Winderton smiled and then turned serious. “The truth is, we shall have to find a new location. I say we head for the posting house and we do so now.” The posting house was some four miles away. It was a busy inn along the Newmarket Road.
“I could use a drink to wash down that nonsense,” Sweeney said. “Can you imagine tossing me out over a curtain?” He still held it in his hand. The others glumly nodded agreement.
“To the posting house,”one of the Dawson brothers shouted and like a clan of crusaders, two of them in sedan chairs, they went off down the road.
Everyone, that is, save the duke and Ned. “You aren’t going, Your Grace?” So far Winderton had been ready for any party.
“Oh, I’ll join them. Except I’m going to ride.” He looked at Ned. “As chairman, Thurlowe, all of this is your problem. You need to talk to Mars and change his mind. We can’t have the women thinking they won.”
“They did win, Your Grace.”
“Not if Mars reverses his opinion.”
“He won’t.”
“You could change his mind. I expect it of you.” On that thought, the duke began walking toward the smithy, where he must have left his horse that morning.
For a second Ned considered the matter. Could he convince Mars that he was wrong? Ned didn’t know.
As he had expected, he found Mars was in the stable. Bruno was saddled. Mars was just handing a vail over to the stable lad who came in every morning to see to the chores. Mars waved the lad away and calmly faced him.
“What happened?” Ned demanded.
“The law happened.”
“Letter of Wishes?” Ned snorted his doubts.
“There is such a thing in the law. And last night you were encouraging me to have a purpose. Now you know the truth. I do take my positionas magistrate seriously. I always have. And don’t believe Shielding or anything he claims. He has the wits of a knob of wood. Besides, Andy’s letter was very clear he was fond of his niece.”
“I’d never heard him speak of her before her arrival in the village and I saw Andy almost every day.”
“Well, you didn’t see him the evening of the last Cotillion Dance, because she was there.”
“Summerall said he met her. Did you?”
“No, I learned about her the day of the rook hunt. After breakfast, I stayed when everyone else left. Andy was preparing to make the pies and he said he was expecting his niece. He was excited. The next day, at the lecture, I asked where she was. He said she had already traveled on. He’d also said their meeting had been good. He was proud, and sad. You know how we men are.”
“No, I don’t know. I don’t pine after my family, such as they are.”
“Well, Andy did.”
“What the devil is this about?”
“Last night you lectured me. Today I lecture you.”
“No, youbetrayedme.”
Mars’s easiness vanished. “Be careful, my friend.” His warning was soft, and meaningful.
Ned stepped back. “I beg pardon. That was unnecessary. However, what becomes of the Society?” He paused and then added, “Of my hopes for the lecture series. I asked if we couldstill hold the lecture at The Garland. Mrs. Estep flatly refused.”
Mars grunted his thoughts. “When did you ask?”
