Chapter 20
Letitia glanced anxiously at the clock. Nearly five o’clock. Not ideal. She’d waited too long to put her plan into motion, which was, of course, her own fault. Tristan and Madeline, the dear creatures, had retired to their rooms.
It was fairly plain that Madeline and Tristan had seen at once that there was something between Stephen and Amelia. Tristan had known Stephen for years, and Madeline was a sweet, clever woman. Tristan, however, would never overstep, and Madeline was too shy to do so.
Fortunately, Letitia was neither shy nor afraid of overstepping. So, as always, it would be up to her.
She found Nancy in the foyer, crouched on the floor between Tiny and Dust. Both animals seemed to have appointed themselves as protectors. Tiny, no doubt, had been her protector for years, but had accepted Dust into their ranks without complaint.
Nancy glanced up as Letitia approached, her face lighting up. “Is it time to get ready for dinner?”
“Very nearly, but I have a little errand I would like you to help me with first. Can you do that, Nancy? Can you help me?”
Nancy nodded eagerly, scrambling to her feet. “Shall I fetch Marjory? She’s in the library. Or Amelia?”
“Not just yet. I want you to promise, Nancy, if you can, that you won’t tell anybody about what I’m going to ask you to do.”
That gave the girl pause.
Good, Letitia thought approvingly. A girl should never uncomplainingly do what she is asked to do. She should always ask questions.
“I’m not good at keeping secrets,” Nancy admitted. “Amelia doesn’t like me to keep secrets.”
“And she is right to do so. But this is a very important secret, and I won’t ask you to keep it for longer than today.
It will do a great deal of good in the end, I think.
You see, Nancy, I am an old woman. At my age, one is not content to sit back and let others manage things on their own.
Sometimes a little interference is needed, and I am very, very good at it.
I am not, however, good at running up and down the stairs.
And that, my dear, is where you come in. ”
“You want me to go upstairs?”
“Yes, I do, and you must hurry, because timing is everything. Perhaps you won’t understand it, but I think you will soon. In short, I must ask you to trust me, Nancy.”
Nancy weighed the facts in her head, and Letitia waited patiently for the little girl to decide. Could she manage her plan without Nancy? Possibly, but probably not.
At last, Nancy gave a slow, tentative nod. “Very well. I will help.”
Letitia smiled. “That’s my girl. Now, here is what I want you to do…”
After she had parted ways with Nancy, Letitia made her way down the corridor to the parlor. As expected, Amelia sat inside, thumbing through a book in the window seat.
“Amelia, my dear, there you are.”
Amelia glanced up from her book and smiled to see Letitia. Carefully marking the page, she set the book aside. “Letitia. Is it time to change for dinner already? I must warn you that I don’t have anything better to change into.”
Letitia chuckled. “Well, not yet, you don’t. That reminds me, I thought we could look through the rest of the fabrics from Mrs. Potts’. There are a few colors and materials I haven’t quite decided what to do with, and you’ll need more than a handful of dresses.”
Amelia laughed awkwardly. She always seemed uncomfortable when others discussed dresses or other accessories.
Perhaps she was simply not very interested in gowns—Letitia had yet to meet a woman who was not at least a little interested in gowns—or perhaps she disliked having so much money spent on her. Letitia thought it might be the latter.
Well, she’ll have to get over that, won’t she?
“I won’t need more than one gown,” Amelia said, swinging her legs down from the window seat. “You are kind, so kind, but so much money…”
“I am already making gowns for your sisters, and I insist on that,” Letitia answered firmly. “Let me make some for you. Now, go to my private parlor and take a look at the fabrics, and I shall join you shortly. We’ll look through them before dinner, what do you say?”
“If that’s what you want, Letitia, of course.”
“It is. Off you go, I’ll see you soon.”
Amelia scuttled off obediently.
Letitia watched her go with a small smile.
Perfect.
Somebody tapped on the door to Stephen’s parlor. He froze, nearly dropping his book.
His first thought was that it might be Amelia. But why would she return to his chambers at such an hour?
Rationality surged to the forefront of his mind then, scolding him.
It was not Amelia. Of course, it was not.
Why would she risk returning to his room?
She had already told him in no uncertain terms that their ‘mistake’ could not be repeated, and that she had no intention of becoming his mistress or anything similar.
She was unwilling to risk her future or that of her sisters.
He believed her. Perhaps she was drawn to him, but she was, above all else, a practical woman. So, whoever was at the door could not be Amelia.
He marked the page and then closed the book with a snap.
“Who is it?” he called.
The door creaked open, and Nancy peered around the door. Stephen relaxed a little.
“Little one. What brings you up here?”
“I heard a noise from Letitia’s parlor,” Nancy mumbled shyly. “It was loud. A crash, like something had fallen.”
Or someone, Stephen thought, his eyes sharpening.
He leaned forward, setting aside his book. “Did you hear anything else? Did you go in?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t see a footman, so I came straight here.”
“You did well, Nancy. I shall investigate at once.”
Nancy nodded earnestly, then scurried off.
By the time Stephen reached the hallway outside, the little girl was nearly out of sight. He hurried after her, anxiety bubbling up in his chest. He tried not to think of his grandmother lying prone on the floor. At her age, even a simple fall could be dangerous.
By the time he reached the ground floor, his anxiety had peaked into real concern. He broke into a sprint, hurrying toward Letitia’s rooms. There was no sign of Nancy, but that hardly mattered now.
The door was barely ajar, and he threw it open, his heart hammering.
“Grandmother?” he burst out. “Are you…”
He stopped dead. There was no sign of Letitia in the parlor. Instead, Amelia stood by the window, looking out. She flinched at his dramatic entrance and eyed him warily.
“Letitia isn’t here,” she said.
Stephen frowned. Could Nancy have meant that his grandmother had fallen in her room? He walked over to the door that led into her chambers and tried the door. It was locked.
“Letitia told me to come here,” Amelia said quickly. “I was supposed to look at some fabrics with her, but there aren’t any fabrics here.”
Stephen froze, his eyes widening.
Oh, dear.
Outside, footsteps scurried in the hall, and a small voice barely suppressed a giggle. Then the door slammed shut.
Stephen leaped across the room, grabbing the handle, but as he’d guessed, it was locked already.
“Nancy!” he shouted, rattling the door handle.
There was no point in bracing his shoulder and trying to force the door open, for it opened inward. He would have to smash the doorframe itself, and these doors were old and exceptionally sturdy.
A giggle came from outside, and he rattled the handle once more.
“Nancy, you will be in a great deal of trouble if you don’t open the door,” he warned, clenching his jaw.
In a flash, Amelia was at his side, pale-faced.
“Nancy?” she called. “If you are the one who did this, you had better unlock the door at once. Are you listening to me?”
Only silence greeted them.
Stephen’s heart sank into his stomach. “Oh, hell,” he muttered, giving the handle one last rattle and stepping back. “It seems we are my grandmother’s prisoners.”
“Letitia? But you said that Nancy…”
“I doubt that my grandmother would have been quick enough to lock us in here. She’s gotten Nancy to do her dirty work for her, I think.”
Amelia eyed him warily, drawing her lower lip between her teeth. She let it slip free almost immediately, her lip red and slick from her tongue.
A wave of desire, almost impossible to ignore, rushed through Stephen. He cleared his throat and strode over to the windows, pretending to rattle them.
There was no sense in doing that. The parlor windows were always drafty, so they had been painted shut decades ago. There’d be no escape that way. He briefly considered using a chair or something to break the glass, but that would only make a mess and potentially hurt someone.
Besides, they wouldn’t be in here for too long.
“I’m sorry, I am confused,” Amelia said. “I don’t understand what’s happening. Why have we been locked in here? Is it Nancy or Letitia behind this?”
“Grandmother, certainly,” Stephen snapped. He turned, lowering himself onto the window seat, and heaved a tired sigh. “I swear, that woman is going to drive me crazy. Perhaps she already has. That would explain a good deal about me.”
“I do not understand.”
He spread his hands. “What is there to understand? Grandmother is not pleased that we’ve spent all day avoiding each other, so she’s taken it upon herself to force some conversation on us. I imagine she thinks we’ll talk if we’re left in here long enough.”
Amelia pressed her lips together and folded her arms tightly. “Well, we won’t. I shall ignore you out of principle.”
He sighed. “Lovely. Thank you.”
“I don’t… I don’t mean to offend, you know that. I just don’t like being cornered.”
That seemed like a pointed remark.
Pursing his lips, he glanced up at her. “Is that supposed to mean something? Are you perhaps remarking on what happened between us after you barged into my washroom?”
She went pink. “I did not mean to barge into your washroom.”