Louise shook her head, but then she suddenly frowned, and Anthony knew she’d thought of something important. “She rushed past me, saying something about how late it was and that she had to hurry home.”
“She did thank you for a lovely evening,” Huntley put in.
“Yes, she did, but she’d barely gotten out the door before the Deerfords appeared and ... ah, here they are again.”
It was too late for Anthony to beat a hasty retreat without being deliberately rude, but he really didn’t have time to listen to what either of them might have to say. Lady Rebecca had just been shot in his home, and he’d left his mother and brother to tend to her. He really ought to be getting back to the parlor so he could supervise and offer his support, not to mention the fact that he had quite a few questions for Lady Rebecca and the Griftons.
“Your Grace,” Lady Deerford began. She sounded as if she was struggling for breath. “You must tell us who she is—the blonde with the yellow gown—your sister says her name is Miss Smith, but surely you must know something more, like where she lives? How did you address her invitation, Your Grace? It’s of the utmost importance that we find her.”
“Are you able to tell me why?” Anthony asked, his curiosity piqued.
Wringing her hands together, Lady Deerford glanced at her husband before saying, “When my husband mentioned the startling resemblance Miss Smith’s gown bore to the one our daughter wore when she disappeared all those years ago, I was skeptical.” She made a nervous little chuckling sound that held an underlying note of sadness. “It’s been so long I dared not hope, but then I caught a glimpse of her myself. Upon closer inspection it was clear that she was wearing the exact same gown that our Margaret wore the night she vanished.”
Yet another development Anthony hadn’t anticipated; the night seemed full of them. Wishing to find out more, yet determined to keep Lady Deerford’s peculiarities in mind, Anthony said, “As far as I recall, your daughter went missing when I was but a child. Perhaps the gown was simply similar—after all, it would be difficult to recall the exact fabric and cut after so long.”
“Not at all,” Lady Deerford said, a deep pink coloring her cheeks. “I helped my daughter select the fabric myself and ...” She took a moment to compose herself as she drew a deep breath. “After she went missing, I had a precise replica made for one of my dolls. There’s no mistaking that it was the exact same gown.”
Anthony stood as if frozen. Lady Deerford’s proclamation was truly shocking, for it meant that ... Well, he wasn’t entirely sure of what it meant exactly, except that Miss Smith had somehow come to possess Lady Margaret’s ball gown. Could she have found it somewhere? Stolen it perhaps? Or had Lady Margaret given it to her at some point in time? All were important questions that needed answering.
As for the Deerfords—he understood their desperation. They’d lost a daughter whom they’d probably long since accepted they’d never see again, only to be faced with proof of her existence in the form of Miss Smith. He had to find her, not just for himself anymore but for them as well. And she had said ... “I don’t know her exact location, but based on my conversation with her, I don’t believe she’s far. I’ll do what I can to help you find her.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Lord Deerford said, his voice cracking just enough to convey how emotional this was for him. His wife was beyond speaking and merely nodded her appreciation.
“Now, if you will please excuse me, there is a matter of some importance that I must attend to.” Addressing his brother-in-law he said, “Will you please see to it that the Deerfords receive some refreshments, Huntley?”
“Certainly,” Huntley said, signaling a footman while Anthony strode off in the opposite direction, hoping desperately that Lady Rebecca’s condition had not worsened during his absence. If only the doctor would be quick to arrive.
Chapter 9
With the skirt of the gown hugging her legs, Isabella hurried along the path that would take her back to her cottage. It was a long and tedious walk, for although she lived in Moxley, Kingsborough Hall was a good two miles outside of it. Removing her slippers, Isabella picked up the pace. She was used to walking, just not in a highly impractical evening gown.
The sound of horses approaching filled the air, and she moved hastily to the side of the road, crouching down in the hope that she wouldn’t be seen. A moment later a carriage tumbled past—most likely filled with guests departing the ball. Her own departure had been hasty, not to mention quite ill-mannered considering that she’d failed to thank either of her hosts for a delightful evening, especially after they’d allowed her to stay knowing she’d not been invited.
But what choice had she had? When an elderly couple had approached her asking about her gown, she’d panicked. They’d wanted to know who she was, where she was from, who her parents were and especially where she’d gotten her gown from—all questions that she couldn’t possibly answer without giving herself away and betraying her parents in one clean sweep.
Dear Lord, her mother would never forgive her if a lord and lady came knocking at their door demanding answers. Her mother, who spoke the wordaristocratwith particular emphasis on the-ratpart, would find herself humiliated by their accusatory questions. And they would be accusatory, for although Isabella knew that they were mistaken in their belief that the gown was familiar to them, they believed they were correct in their assumption—she’d seen it in their eyes.
The duke would undoubtedly become involved in the whole process as well then, discovering who she was and that she lived in nothing more than a measly cottage. The thought of that happening was unbearable. It was better never to see any of them ever again, to prevent tarnishing His Grace’s good opinion of her, to avoid seeing the truth she knew in her heart reflected in his eyes—that his confidence in finding a way for them to be together had been misplaced and was, as she had told him, impossible.
It was with a heavy heart and aching feet that she arrived home, entering the garden through the back gate. She’d left the kitchen window unlatched, and, nudging it open, she climbed through it. It was a tight squeeze, given that she wasn’t the skinniest girl in the world, but she managed it all the same, stepping carefully down onto the counter. Marjorie would be livid if she saw—she was hysterical about scrubbing and cleaning and would not take well to knowing that Isabella’s dirty feet had occupied the same space as the food for the Chilcott household.
Having considered this beforehand and knowing that it would be dark upon her return and consequently difficult to see what she was doing, Isabella had prepared a bowl of soapy water, which stood to one side. Taking the cloth she’d laid out beside it, she soaked it, wrung it, and quickly washed away any evidence that Marjorie might discover in the morning. She then gathered up her slippers and exited the room.
Arriving in the hallway, Isabella started making her way across the floor to her bedroom door, but a sliver of light coming from under the door to the parlor caught her attention, and she froze. Her heart pounded in her chest. Somebody was awake, which could only mean that her absence had not gone unnoticed, for her parents never stayed up late.
Remaining completely still, she considered her options. She could either go back the way she’d come, or she could risk discovery and move forward. If nobody noticed her, she could wake up the following morning and claim she’d been unable to sleep and had gone for a walk—a stretch perhaps, but one that would be hard to dispute.
Sucking in a breath, she stepped slowly forward, balancing herself on her tiptoes. One step ... two steps... creak. Isabella stopped midstride. She was right outside the parlor door now. Her heart hammered in her chest and her legs began to tremble, and then the worst possible thing happened. She sneezed. Footsteps sounded and then the parlor door opened, revealing her mother, who was standing there in her dressing gown, staring back at her with the sort of disapproval that only a disappointed parent can emanate. At that very moment, Isabella wanted nothing more than to run out the front door and never look back. But the steel in her mother’s eyes warned her against further disobedience, forcing her to enter the parlor instead, where she silently took a seat.
Her mother closed the door behind her. “This is not the sort of behavior I would have expected from you,” she said, her voice slicing the air like a knife. Her mother could be gentle and loving, but when she was angry, she was absolutely terrifying, her voice eerily calm while her eyes took on a frosty glare.
“I’m sorry, Mama, I—”
“Have you any idea how worried I’ve been? Any number of things could have happened to you, but you decided to sneak off with no regard for anyone other than yourself. Even your sister, as recklessly loyal to you as she is, refused to tell me anything when I woke her, though I can well imagine what you’ve been up to given the way you look. Really, Isabella, I’ve half a mind to throttle both of you for this harebrained scheme of yours, and with my gown, no less.”
“I had nothing else to wear that would have been appropriate,” Isabella muttered, feeling wretched for deceiving her mother like this. She’d suspected that the gown had been her mother’s, but she hadn’t been certain until now. In spite of the awful situation at hand, her curiosity got the better of her, and she found herself saying, “I can’t help but wonder where you got such an exquisite gown. How did you ... I mean, it must have been very expensive.”
Her mother’s eyes closed momentarily, and when she looked at Isabella again, there was something shining there—an emotion so strong that it took Isabella’s breath away. “If you must know, I bought it from a peddler before you were born so I’d have something decent to wear when I married your father. I never gave much thought to where he might have gotten it and have no intention of doing so now.” Her mother’s eyes darkened. “You will take it off immediately and return it to the trunk in the loft, is that understood?”
