Chapter Eighteen
“A re you interested in helping Lord Harbury with his investigations so you may see more of Lord Wycliffe?” Louisa asked.
Edith rolled her eyes. “I’m interested in helping because three men are missing.”
The women were seated in the drawing room in Hanover Square, awaiting Edith’s father to escort them to a card party and late supper at Lady Sandhurst’s townhouse. Edith couldn’t remember an instance when her father wasn’t ready to leave the house before she was.
“It sounds as if you and Lord Harbury uncovered some important information the runners missed.”
She nodded. “Now we know at least one of the veterans was examining a horse right before he disappeared. I’m sure the horses were used to draw the men in to seize them.”
Louisa nodded. “I think you could be right.”
Edith’s father entered the room, dressed immaculately. His color was high, and he swept them a bow.
“Father! You look positively splendid!”
His cheeks were now flushed. “Thank you, my dear! May I say you and Louisa are quite lovely this evening.”
Louisa wore a blush-colored gown, while Edith again wore the new light blue gown Louisa had selected for her.
Once in the carriage, Edith said, “It was kind of Lady Sandhurst to include Louisa in her invitation.”
Edith had yet to ask her father about his recent whereabouts in the evening. She assumed he’d been spending time with Lady Sandhurst.
She fiddled with the earring in her right ear lobe to distract herself from asking him about his relationship with the widow in front of Louisa. In the dim light from the darkening sky outside, Edith could see Louisa turn her head and observe her activity. She wondered if her friend knew that Edith’s particular habit meant she was uncomfortable.
Louisa addressed Edith’s father, “I hear Lady Sandhurst has an exceptional library.”
Her father beamed. “Oh yes! Quite exceptional. The lady has several first editions I would love to own.”
He talked about Lady Sandhurst’s exceptional books until they reached the lady’s townhouse in Bedford Square.
Upon their arrival in the drawing room, Edith looked about her and spied Alicia and her brother. She also noticed Lady Cairs, the notorious matchmaker, speaking with Lady Sandhurst.
Lady Sandhurst left Lady Cairs’ side to greet their party, the warm smile on her lips reserved for Edith’s father. Her father became quite animated whilst greeting the lady, causing a frisson of panic down Edith’s spine.
Oh my goodness! Her father was smitten. If she could tell, Lady Cairs would surely be able to. The thought unsettled her, as her imagination ran wild with possible outcomes of her father having a romantic entanglement. It had been just the two of them for so long.
The baron and his sister walked to stand beside Edith and Louisa. She smiled shyly at Lord Harbury as everyone exchanged greetings. A strange sensation in her chest startled her when the baron smiled back.
Edith didn't have time to reflect on her sudden confusion as Lady Sandhurst walked to the doorway of the parlor and said in a loud voice, “Good evening, everyone!”
“It looks as if the games are to begin,” Baron Harbury replied softly, transferring his gaze to their hostess.
“The tables in this room are for Whist.” Lady Sandhurst, her voluptuous figure encased in midnight blue, waved an elegant hand. “In the adjoining parlor are tables for Piquet and Loo.”
A moment later, Edith’s father escorted the widow into the next room. She tore her gaze away from the couple to find Louisa watching her.
Alicia took the baron’s arm. “Whist, brother?”
Nathaniel glanced at Edith and Louisa.
She said, “I prefer Loo. I wish you both luck.”
Her father preferred Loo, and Edith wanted to watch him and the widow for a time.
After the baron and Alicia were seated at one of the tables, Louisa said, “You do not prefer Loo.”
“Tonight I do.” She shrugged.
Louisa followed Edith into the drawing room. “Lady Sandhurst is a wealthy widow. Your father could do worse.”
She let out a sigh. “Thank you, Louisa.”
There was only one tiny table with two chairs left unoccupied, and Edith took a seat, happy enough to play the two-player game of Piquet. Her father and the widow were seated at a nearby table. Louisa also took a seat.
Lady Cairs was thankfully still in the drawing room.
Louisa was right that most would consider the widow a fine matrimonial choice. Lady Sandhurst was beautiful and wealthy, with a collection of rare books. No wonder her father was smitten.
* * * * *
A fter his adventure with Cecil in St. Giles, Nathaniel was determined not to go anywhere with the viscount again without his own pistol.
He’d anticipated a quiet night at home as he’d forgotten about Lady Sandhurst’s card party. Given a choice, he had to admit the chance to see Lady Edith was not to be passed up.
The lady looked pleased to see him, and it had taken great resolve not to follow her into the drawing room.
There was obviously something between Lady Edith’s father and their hostess, and he suspected the lady had gone into the next room merely to observe the couple. He sat at a Whist table with his sister, his mind occupied with Edith and the missing veterans.
“Nathaniel! Do pay attention.” Alicia frowned at him. “It is your turn.”
He was a dab hand at cards. Whist was more about playing your opponent’s cards instead of your own, and he was a shrewd judge of character.
Nathaniel remembered something Alicia had said to him in the carriage. “Lady Sandhurst was kind to invite us this evening despite the bitterness Lord Norwich feels toward you.”
He’d frowned in reply. “Is the lady a particular friend of the earl’s?”
“Oh yes. Lt. Cooper was her godson.”
So his being at the card party wasn’t by chance. Was Lady Sandhurst connected to the RA? If she was Cooper’s godmother he expected she might also feel some animosity towards him.
Despite Lady Sandhurst’s connection to Lord Norwich, he expected the earl’s dementia would prevent him and his daughter from attending the card party. With so few families left in town, he’d assumed he and Alicia were merely invited to the party to make up numbers.
He would speak with Cecil first time tomorrow about the connection between Lt. Cooper and Lady Sandhurst.
Alicia playfully swatted his arm. “Nathaniel, do attend to your cards.”
* * * * *
E dith cut the higher card twice, dealt twice, and lost twice. She was poised to deal a third time when Lady Sandhurst announced the supper break.
A buffet was displayed on a long table in the nearby ballroom, with small dining tables scattered around the room. The menu consisted of rout cakes, stewed oysters, French beans, cauliflower, asparagus, sweetbreads, boiled potatoes, and roast onions. The dessert table displayed custards, plain cakes, and fruit.
Edith’s father was seated with the widow and another older couple she didn’t recognize. She and Louisa selected delicacies from the buffet and sat together a short distance from Edith’s father.
“You don’t have much on your plate,” Louisa observed.
She shook her head. “I’m not particularly hungry.”
“Edith, as Charlotte is not here, I shall play devil’s advocate. Don’t you wish for your father to be happy?”
She frowned. “Of course I do.”
“Then why are you upset he may be interested in Lady Sandhurst?”
She took a moment to answer, reflecting that it was the sort of question Charlotte would have asked her. “It has just been us two for so long. My father has been lying about his whereabouts. Why would he lie?”
“Your father may not wish to discuss Lady Sandhurst with you until he understands his feelings for her.” Louisa paused. “Being Charlotte isn’t so very hard. I simply must try to be empathetic as hard as that is for me.”
Edith shook her head and chuckled. “Do not strain yourself, Louisa. What you say does have merit.”
“There now, don’t you feel better? Finish up your cake. Perhaps we will be able to get seats at a Whist table.”
She took a few more bites of Savoy cake, her favorite sweet.
“My father is leaving the room.” She stood up. “I want to speak with him a moment.” Edith was determined to put aside her fears about his possibly being in a relationship with Lady Sandhurst.
“Edith, my dear.” Her father said, halting near her table and gifting her an affectionate smile.
“How have you fared this evening?” she asked brightly, returning his smile and including the lady beside him.
“Very well, we have been most lucky.”
“That is splendid to hear.”
Her father put out his arm, and Lady Sandhurst took it. “We shall see you at the tables, ladies.”
“Edith!” Alicia approached them. “You have already had supper?”
She nodded. “Yes. Would you like our company?”
“Please. Nathaniel should be along any moment.”
Edith retook her seat and ignored Louisa’s drawn-out sigh when Alicia moved to the buffet tables and filled a plate.
Once Alicia was seated, she asked the girl, “Do you recall speaking with my father and Lady Sandhurst about the production of Guy Mannering ?”
Alicia chewed and swallowed a bite of asparagus. “Oh yes, they did attend the play together and agreed that Sarah Egerton in the role ofMeg Merrilies was a brilliant choice.”
Her father had attended the theater with Lady Sandhurst! With her volunteer work and worry about the missing veterans, she’d not read the papers the last few days. Perhaps it was time she perused the society pages.
The baron entered the room and crossed to them. “Lady Edith, Lady Louisa, might I fetch you some refreshment?”
Both ladies shook their heads. “No thank you, my lord.”
Edith’s stomach rumbled loudly, and she felt heat on her cheeks as she jumped to her feet. “Pardon me.”
She walked quickly away as her stomach rumbled again. Edith knew where the retiring room was and made straight for it. Several minutes later, she exited the chamber to see Louisa standing further down the corridor.
Her friend rushed forward. “Are you all right? You left the drawing room rather quickly.”
“I don’t feel well.”
“Edith!” Lady Sandhurst appeared. “I thought you looked rather peaky.”
“I’ll be all right, my lady.” She smiled weakly.
The lady patted Edith’s arm. “Your father is having his carriage brought around. You should go home immediately. I do hope the supper did not make you ill.”
She took a deep breath, willing nausea away. “Perhaps I merely ate too much, Lady Sandhurst.”
Louisa snorted softly but did not speak.
During the carriage ride back to Hanover Square, her father and Louisa complained of stomach discomfort. When their party reached the townhouse, they fled to their bedchambers in search of privacy to cast up their accounts.
* * * * *
E dith hadn’t looked well when she exited the ballroom, Louisa close behind her.
“Don’t eat anything else,” he said to Alicia firmly.
His sister frowned. “Nathaniel?”
He looked about the room at the other guests. Several were looking green about the gills. The culprit must be the food or drink.
“I think something is wrong with the supper.”
Alicia dropped her fork against her plate with a clatter. She had ingested the asparagus and green beans thus far. His sister loved vegetables.
“We should go.” He rose to his feet and took Alicia’s arm.
They made their way out of the ballroom and into the drawing room to say goodnight to their hostess. As they did so, he heard other guests complaining about stomach pains. Once outside in the fresh air, he let out a breath. He hadn’t eaten anything, but he did have some port.
“Nathaniel, I feel queasy.” Alicia’s face looked pale and drawn.
His carriage arrived in front of the steps to the house, and he lifted his sister into the coach. Once inside, he tapped his cane on the roof. When Nathaniel entered the mansion in Grosvenor Square, he directed a footman to fetch his private physician.
“It may be some time before the doctor can see you,” the servant informed him. “We already had word that Doctor Leeds is treating several patients in the square this evening.”
Although he felt no worse for wear, Nathaniel had cook send up a tincture for Alicia, who complained of stomach pains. Alicia pleaded with him not to attend her as she had started to retch and did not wish him to be a witness to her distress.
His thoughts strayed to Edith. He imagined she was also ill after her rapid exit from the ballroom.
Lady Sandhurst would be appalled that her supper had sickened so many people. The story would be in the papers in the morning, a narrative that would distract society from any reports of missing veterans.
As his valet helped him into his nightclothes, a missive arrived from Ashford.
Ashford House. In the morning.
Excellent. The men could discuss what each had learned about the missing veterans and how to proceed with their investigation. Tomorrow was Sunday. The registry office would remain closed for another week. They had to find out what was happening to their veterans. And soon.