Chapter Ten #2
“But I was not one… at least, not an acknowledged one, on the night of the masque. It was my first dance in a ballroom, even if it was with a man who proved to be my brother, it was heavenly.”
He grinned at her then. “I am assuredly not your brother, my lady.”
“Did you wish to kiss me?” she asked boldly.
“Very much so,” he admitted with a smile.
“Good,” she declared though the memory of the kiss made her ears pink with embarrassment.
“Very good,” he declared. “Spectacular even.”
“You have returned at last,” Audrey gushed as Caroline embraced her upon her cousin’s entrance.
Though the action was a bit awkward, Audrey attempted not to flinch, but, since having the conversation with both her brother and Beaufort, Audrey suddenly felt quite awkward regarding Caroline’s open display of affection.
Her uncle overrode his daughter’s welcomed reunion. “Have the servants returned, Audrey?” he asked in curt tones.
“Yes, sir. This morning. I assume you will find everything in order. Mrs. Sable says she received a letter from you regarding your instructions for reopening the house.” Audrey would truly miss spending her evenings with Alexander, but especially with Lord Beaufort.
Both men had quickly become essential to her well-being.
She seriously believed she would have known great melancholy by being banished to nearly a month of solitude.
“And the cleaning?” her uncle asked, ignoring Audrey’s response.
“All but the guest rooms, sir. I saved those for last, as guest quarters were not required at the time.” Alexander had pointed out Honfleur’s expectations for Audrey to clean the whole house would have been impossible as she was alone.
Moving heavy furniture and beating rugs was not a solitary occupation.
They had decided his servants would leave the four guest rooms untouched as well as the two larger chandeliers, for there was no ladder in the house, which Alexander suspected Honfleur knew before leaving for France.
“With the servants’ return, the two maids and I have finished one of the rooms completely and have nearly finished the second of the four guest rooms.”
“You will continue to assist the maids for the foreseeable future,” her uncle pronounced in sour tones.
“But, Father,” Caroline began her protest; yet, a flick of Uncle Jacobi’s wrist silenced his daughter’s defense of Audrey.
“We all must do what is necessary to place our family forward in British society. You and I are the public faces to that end, Caroline. You are to bring a suitable gentleman with both a title and wealth up to snuff to assist in protecting us in this period of transition. The French are welcomed, but generally with a caveat attached as to what is acceptable in English society. My role is to open the door for your success.” He turned his steady gaze on Audrey.
“As you have no role in this march to an end, it seems to me the least you could do is to assist in making the house presentable for Caroline to entertain her callers. I do feed and clothe you, after all.”
Audrey had thought perhaps her following her uncle’s orders would have earned her a bit of praise, but it appeared he wished to be rid of her.
He meant to cut any ties which held them together.
Until this very moment, she had privately rejected the idea of having no true allegiance to the man who had claimed her when no others stepped forward.
Now, as if it had a mind of its own, with his further neglect, her heart instantly hardened.
“As you wish, my lord,” she said in obedience, but she purposely omitted the familial moniker of “uncle.” In the passage of less than a minute, her mind switched from being Jacobi Moreau’s obedient niece, a girl named Audrey Moreau, to being the sister of an earl, Lady Annalise Dutton.
“Here you are,” Caroline stated the obvious.
Audrey had retreated to the attic room to be as far away from Jacobi Moreau as she could remove herself without leaving the house.
Initially, she thought to pack her meager belongings and hire a hackney to take her to Alexander’s home.
Yet, she could not risk the British government’s investigation just to protect her from a bit of labor.
“I am resilient enough to see this through,” she had told herself as she had climbed the stairs to the attic to take out her frustrations on a wooden characterization of a man with a sword.
“Where else might a servant be found, but in the attic?” she quipped as she set the sword aside. Caroline flinched in obvious surprise, but her cousin’s reaction was not as satisfying as Audrey had anticipated. In reality, Caroline was not at fault in this matter.
“Father never meant for you to be a house maid at Amgen Place,” Caroline argued.
“Did he not?” Audrey countered. “How else might you describe his edict? I could understand his pressing me into service if his lordship wished to economize; but, even then, I would not be able to quash the feeling I have lost any station I might once have claimed in your family. I am to be treated as was my mother in the bayman’s household.
The bayman was a stranger. Your father is not.
I have spent fifteen years of my life in the Moreau family.
” Audrey swallowed the words rushing to her lips and announcing she now knew herself to be a Dutton.
“Father still looks upon you as family,” Caroline insisted.
“Does he?” Audrey accused. “Then why were you not also presented a list of duties to the household?”
“How would my doing so appear to London society?” Caroline questioned. “Servants do talk. I am making my debut. Callers will make appearances. I cannot greet them with dust-covered hands or clothing.”
“I would say your debut has nothing to do with his lordship’s decision. Lord Honfleur still blames me for not retrieving the note at the masque.”
Caroline’s eyes dropped, which meant she intended to offer Audrey a half truth. Audrey had long ago learned Caroline’s many mannerisms and the conditions of each. “Your being detained by Lord Marksman meant another found the note.”
“We do not know who that someone was,” Audrey declared.
“It was likely another of Lady Godfrey’s guests who found it on the floor and simply discarded it as nothing of importance.
Just as likely, a servant could have discovered it and turned it over to Lady Godfrey.
No one other than your father would have knowledge of its meaning or its purpose.
I doubt her ladyship is wise enough to know the nature of its intent. ”
In obvious frustration at Audrey’s refusal to permit the issue to drop, Caroline said, “All you say is true, but you must realize my father would wish you to avoid Lord Marksman, for he possesses powerful associates in the government.”
It was Audrey’s turn to disguise her surprise.
If what Caroline said was true, Honfleur knew something of Marksman—perhaps even Alexander’s true connection to her.
Had Honfleur purposely kept her away to prevent her from claiming her real family?
“I imagine such could be said of a number of English lords,” she repeated in defensive tones.
All Alexander had told her raced through Audrey’s mind.
She did not know how she would warn him, but somehow, she would discover a means to tell Alexander what she had learned.
“You and your father think Lord Marksman’s interference on that evening to be purposeful? ” she questioned.
“How could we not?” Caroline argued. “You think it coincidence of all the gentlemen in the ballroom, it was Lord Marksman who stepped forward to prevent Lord Bacggart from detaining you? Do you not see how manipulative his actions were? And I have no doubt it was Lady Theodora who retrieved the note meant for you. Father says the girl left the ballroom while Lord Marksman approached you.”
Audrey wished to deny any knowledge of Marksman’s involvement in the investigation, but she kept silent. Too many protests could be construed as proof.
“I have no means of knowing Lord Marksman’s intent. After all, my costume that evening was meant to draw attention—such was its design. As to the earl, I have spoken to him less than three-quarters of an hour in the whole of our acquaintance,” she asserted.
“What did you discuss with the gentleman?” Caroline demanded.
“Mostly of family,” Audrey admitted, but then quickly realized what she had said.
If Moreau knew of her relationship with Alexander, likely so did Caroline.
“I was nervous, and I confided how the dance we shared was the first time I had danced in a ballroom. His lordship attempted to quash my trepidation by telling me of how his mother would dance around with him when he was a boy. I thought the idea was quite lovely.” She quickly added to draw more attention away from Marksman knowing something of their connection when Alexander had asked her to dance, “Can you imagine a countess dancing about a room with her young son?
How sweet must that particular memory be for his lordship.
I relaxed more after that moment. I imagine the earl meant only not to have my collapsing in shame if I took a misstep, but, afterwards, I thought the gesture was very kind.
“On our walk together, we spoke of the best booksellers in London, for I told him of how you and I had called in at a little lending library before we encountered him and Lady Theodora.”
“Did you speak of specific books?” The question meant Caroline remained suspicious.
“Nothing specific. He said Lady Theodora enjoys poetry, but he tends to choose historical tomes. Although we had spoken of this previously, his lordship asked if he might call on me, and he offered to escort me to his favorite bookshop, one which carries rare books not so easy to find. You already know, I told him I was not allowed callers.”
“Do you think Lord Marksman’s attention is odd?”