Chapter Twenty-Four
Parker and Mrs. Reynolds followed me to my study and stood by as I wrote out a note to Miss Bennet to send with Maggie along with sufficient provisions for her to serve as cook for a few days. Neither asked questions nor had to be told to smooth over any hint that the night had been eventful. Carsten also refrained from an enquiry though he saw my tightly wrapped ribs and the bruising that had begun to show on my collarbone. He worked quietly and quickly.
“Wake me at ten,” I said, and in minutes, I fell into restless sleep.
Waking was painful as I am unused to brawling, and I ached from head to toe. And though I longed to stay in bed and indulge my pains, I could not do so without fueling speculation about where I had been all night. Besides, I had left Georgiana abruptly in the midst of a pleasant evening, and I wished to gloss over any appearance of irregularity.
Summoning the required stoicism, I managed to look a reasonable semblance of myself and went in search of my sister. She sat over a half-eaten late breakfast with two kittens in her lap and a third wreaking havoc on her braids from the perch of her shoulder.
“What a charming picture,” I said, as I sat down with my plate, noticing with a tinge of relief that my knuckles were only slightly reddened and unlikely to give me away. The cut on my lip was small enough that I hoped it, too, would escape notice, but I was prepared to blame Carsten for too close a shave if needs must.
Georgiana smiled wistfully, put her tormentors in the basket at her feet, and said, “You are hungry this morning.”
“Starving, in fact. What are your plans today?” I asked.
Rather than answer me, my sister spoke to her companion. “Mrs. Annesley, would you mind very much taking the kittens to Marie in the kitchen? I am sure that is where Buttons can be found, and she should be mothering her brood instead of helping with the cream buckets.”
She continued to pick at her breakfast, and I continued to devour mine, but I could not help but notice that the air in the room had changed—that my sister was oddly preoccupied. No sooner had the footman left the room with the tray of cleared dishes, than she confirmed my suspicion.
With uncharacteristic directness, she asked, “What happened last night?”
Damn.I had not thought to ask Parker what she had been told. “A bit of a row at the squire’s. I wish I could share some exciting news, but it was a bit of hum.”
She looked piercingly at me throughout this lie, and after a protracted silence, Georgiana spoke with grim intent. “Wickham is in Lambton again. You may as well tell me.”
“What? No!” I cried, searching my sister’s face. “What makes you think so?”
“What else would cause you to leave in such a way and with so many men?” she demanded. “I know Wickham has been seen lurking around somewhere,” she said darkly, “and you are going to fight him.”
I stood abruptly and moved my chair close enough to take my sister’s hand, to look earnestly into her eyes, and disabuse her of her horrible suspicion.
“The truth is, love, that a band of criminals was seen coming down from Sheffield. I went to warn Miss Bennet and Mrs. Jennings.”
“Are you in earnest? But nothing happened, surely.”
“They had a scare. Nothing more, but I am glad I went.”
She sat back in amazement, and with a touch of relief in her voice that her worst nightmare had not come to pass, she said, “Well! We must visit them today, make sure they are comfortable, and help them forget any upset.”
I was too battered to protest and only too anxious to fall in with my sister’s plan.Love only wishes to see what it loves, and though it was hopeless, I wished to lay eyes on Elizabeth and see for myself that she was no worse for wear. She would leave Derbyshire soon enough, I consoled myself, and then time would mend the great tear in my life. Surely, I would not die of love. To do so would be silly and useless besides.
In order to stop thinking of myself, I turned my attention to Georgiana, who was intent upon leaving as soon as was seemly.
On the carriage ride to Mrs. Jennings’s house, I asked, “What did Parker tell you about where I went last night?”
“He concocted a little story about Sir Hugh having need of you for a magisterial matter.”
“That is not so very unbelievable.”
“No, and I would have swallowed it whole had you not taught me to observe people more closely.”
“Oh?”
“He sniffs.”
“What?”
“Mr. Parker sniffs.”
