‘Of course, Wittenham. Any idea how long you will need?’
‘Only a few days, sir, to sort things, I think.’
Had Miss Tyneham heard this, she might not have sat drinking her coffee with a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
His lordship then changed into civilian clothes so that he might be less obvious, had his batman pack a small valise, and hailed a cab to take him to a posting house where he was unknown, and he could hire a post chaise and four. It was in this equipage that he drew up at the Halfway House an hour later, and collected Miss Tyneham, who was just beginning to fret.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Harriet returned home with her brain in awhirl. She had initially thought merely that she and Susan were, in effect, playing hide-and-seek between the bookshelves. She felt a little guilty, since interest in a volume had meant she had not noticed Susan move away. However, it seemed ridiculous that she ought to have to gaze at the same titles as her cousin, so Harriet was not concerned. When neither she nor the maid could find her after methodical searching, and a word with the gentleman issuing the books had discovered he had seen a lady such as her ladyship described walk out some ten minutes since, Harriet panicked. It took all her self-control not to lift the hem of her skirts and run all the way back to Hill Street, and she arrived having walked as fast as possible, with the maid keeping up as best she could. As soon as the door was opened, Harriet fled up the stairs calling for her sister.
Sophy was finishing a letter to Lady Chelmarsh, a difficult letter to compose, in that hiding recent events was wrong, but that telling her about things she could do nothing about would only distress her at a time when she might have enough problems.
‘Harry, what is it?’ Sophy turned from the desk, and saw her sister’s heaving bosom and trembling lips.
‘Oh Sophy, I am so sorry, so very sorry. I could never have imagined … I mean what possible cause was there and—’
‘Harriet, sit down, take a breath, and tell me what has happened, slowly.’
Harriet obeyed, as far as the part about speaking slowly. Then Sophy had to concentrate.
‘She was in the library with us, and I was just hunting for that book that Corinna Lewisham recommended and—’
‘She.’ Sophy had a sinking feeling. ‘Susan. Of course, it had to be about Susan.’
‘Yes, yes. We went to Hookham’s Library though I had suggested we went to Mme Clément’s first to have the gown altered, and she said no, we could do it afterwards …’
‘What gown?’
‘When we went out, she gave the maid a small bag, a small valise, to carry. She said there were alterations that needed to be made.’
Sophy ran a mental check through her cousin’s wardrobe, and could think of nothing that could need any alteration at this point in the Season. Harriet would not have questioned further, since she had no reason to assume anything out of the ordinary.
‘So you went to the library and she left whilst you were choosing a book.’
‘Yes. Oh Sophy, I am so very sorry. I know Susan had to be accompanied, but I thought it was just so that she did not make some scandal … except this will be an even bigger scandal, won’t it?’
‘Harry, I have no idea. We need to find out where she went but how can we achieve that other than sending servants to the major posting houses and asking after a young woman of her description carrying a small valise. I cannot say that I feel that is likely to be successful, but what else … Oh dear. I ought to inform Cousin Tyneham.’
‘Must you? I cannot face him, Sophy. He will look at me just so and—’
‘Do not worry, Harry. You may retire before he arrives.’ Sophy tried to think. ‘Which maid accompanied you?’
‘Lucy.’
‘Well, she is a dependable sort. Bembridge will try and keep the gossip within the house. The staff cannot fail to notice that you went out with Cousin Susan, and returned in some distress without her. Where could she have gone, though? I would hope she could not bribe any of the servants to take a message for her, but there was no specific ban on her doing so, so perhaps … I shall ring for Bembridge.’ Harriet bit her lip. ‘Harry, dearest, this was not your fault, remember that. Now go and remove your pelisse and bonnet and try to be calm. You could always sit at the pianoforte for a half hour, with that sonatina you liked. Do something to distract yourself.’
Sophy rose, smiled reassuringly at her sister, and pulled the bell-rope. Harriet gave a wavering smile in return and blinked away a tear. Bembridge, under no illusions about what must have occurred, appeared before Harriet even reached the door, and bowed her out. He turned a troubled face to Sophy.
‘Yes, Bembridge, I know. We are, in the popular phrase, “in the suds”.’
‘I could not but surmise that, my lady, when Lady Harriet returned in such a state and without the young lady.’
Sophy noticed how he distanced himself from Susan. Susan was not ‘part of the family’, she was a guest, and a troublesome one at that.
‘Indeed. Well, there is no point in trying to disguise the fact that Miss Susan has run away. However, for all our sakes, it is important that this does not spread beyond this household. I am trusting you to make that clear to the staff. Should she be found, it may yet be possible to keep this from making us the talk of the Ton for all the worst reasons. I need not tell you how much it would upset my mother, and reflect upon the Chelmarsh family.’
Bembridge nodded, looking grim. Sophy knew he would protect the family name as a soldier upon ancient battlements, to his last breath. He had been born upon the Chelmarsh estates, started his service as a lad at their country estate, and come to the London house before her parents were married. There was nothing he would not do, perhaps short of burying Susan in the garden, to keep the Chelmarsh name from being besmirched.
