Chapter 14 #2
Lady Cumbria smiled. “I am glad to hear it, Lord Finchley. Do you intend to speak to her father?”
A knot formed in his throat. “As soon as I am able,” he said, hoping that no explanation would be required. “I cannot do so as yet.”
For whatever reason, this seemed to satisfy Lady Cumbria.
“Very well, Lord Finchley. I have been absent from society for a few days, but I have returned now and do intend to keep a close eye on my niece and my daughter. But if you and your brother are as good a character as has been said, then perhaps I have nothing to be concerned about.”
Lady Catherine immediately let out a yelp of embarrassment, no doubt at the mention of Rupert’s brother, but Rupert only smiled.
It was quite clear to him – as it was to Lady Cumbria – that Preston was more than a little interested in Lady Catherine’s company.
Soon, Rupert hoped, his brother would pursue her with a clear interest and, given what Lady Cumbria had said, there would be no unwillingness on her part to allow that connection to continue.
“I thank you, Lady Cumbria.” With a smile to the lady, he then offered his arm again to both ladies, and they began to walk, relief and happiness settling in Rupert’s chest.
“I am glad to be able to walk with you, Eleanor,” he said, as Catherine waved hello to a nearby acquaintance. “I am sorry I cannot do more as yet.”
“I know.” She smiled at him, but it disappeared quickly. “I have been trying to think as to what can be done next, but until another note arrives, I fear that we are walking in the dark!”
“Except I received another one.” Instantly garnering the attention of both of the ladies at once, Rupert told them both about the previous evening and what had happened.
Lady Eleanor’s eyes grew wide, as did Lady Catherine’s, but Rupert’s heart sank low as he finished speaking about what he had done.
“The money left in the hackney and was swallowed up in the shadows,” he finished, with a sigh.
“My brother and I both watched it leave, as instructed and – ”
“You said that you were given the name of the hackney driver.” Lady Eleanor stopped in an instant, turning to face him as she dropped his arm. “Is that not so?”
Rupert nodded, not sure why she now sounded so very excited.
“Then all we need to do is find him and speak with him about who gave him those specific instructions,” she exclaimed as Rupert’s eyes flew wide, his heart skittering in his chest. “It would not be a street urchin who told him to do such a thing, I am sure! It would have been the perpetrator for such instructions were imperative for them to get the money from you.”
“Indeed, you are right!” Rupert exclaimed, reaching out to grasp her hand. “I do not know why I did not think of that myself!”
“There are a lot of hackneys in London, however,” Catherine said, slowly. “I do not mean to dampen your spirits, but how are you ever to find such a person?”
Rupert exchanged a glance with Eleanor, seeing the steel flickering in her eyes – the very same determination bolstering his own heart.
“I will ask and ask and ask and ask until I find the right person,” he said, firmly, seeing now that there was, finally, a path forward.
“And once I do, I will find out all he knows about the person who gave him that instruction.” Looking into Lady Eleanor’s eyes and realizing that he still held her hand, he brought it to his lips and kissed it gently, wishing that he could do more.
“Wonderful, beautiful, marvelous Eleanor,” he murmured, as a blush lifted her cheeks.
“You said you wanted to be of assistance to us in this, and now look at just how much you have done!”
“It is only a little thing,” she protested, but Rupert shook his head no.
“It is far more than that,” he said, his path ahead now lit by beacons of hope. “I have something to act upon, something that might very well lead us to the right person – and to an end of all of this… and think just how incredible an ending that would be.”
From the softness of her smile and the flush of color heightening even more in her cheeks, Rupert knew that she was thinking just as he was – that the ending they had hoped and prayed for might finally now be in reach.
Suddenly, he was filled with an urgency and a desperation to quit their company at once and hurry away from the park and begin his search at this very moment!
“You wish to go?” Lady Eleanor smiled at him, pressing his hand and then dropping it back to her side. “I can tell from the flash in your eyes and the way your jaw has set that you very much want to go and start looking for this hackney driver at once.”
Rupert put one hand to his heart. “You know me better than I know myself, it seems,” he said, marveling at just how much she could tell of him simply from the way he looked. “Yes, that was my thought.”
“Then go,” she said, gently, her eyes holding to his. “See if you can find a way out of this darkness so we might walk along the same path, together.”