Chapter 5
The Nature of the Business
“… that she is a clever, insinuating, handsome woman, poor and plausible …”
Jane Austen, Persuasion
Adam returned an hour later, unusually chagrined. He came into the parlor where Rosalind and Alice were waiting, with the drapes now opened, and a fresh pot of tea between them.
“I do not know who our Miss Smith may be, but she is not a schoolgirl, at least not an ordinary one.” He settled onto the sofa.
Rosalind handed him a cup of tea and he nodded his thanks.
“She gave me the slip with embarrassing thoroughness before we’d gotten to the high street.
I’m only glad Goutier and Tauton weren’t there to see it.
” He raised his cup in salute to Alice and drank. “Did Rosalind tell you what happened?”
“She did.” Alice had taken her preferred spot on the window seat and was sipping her own tea. “I’m beginning to wish I’d refused Mr. Colburn’s invitation. It seems that all the truly interesting conversation was happening here.”
“Certainly something was happening.” Adam was plainly annoyed with himself at having lost his quarry. “Who is this Mrs. Lynn our young woman says is her mother?”
“I first heard about her today from Miss Clara Kinsdale, Devon’s fiancée,” said Rosalind.
“Miss Clara says Mrs. Lynn is a Bath widow who has attached herself to the Kinsdale family. Miss Clara and one of her sisters, Cynthia, are afraid that Mrs. Lynn plans to marry their father in order to take advantage of the fact that a wealthy duke is about to become part of their family.”
“What of the third sister?”
“The third sister is Elizabeth. According to Miss Clara, Elizabeth is in favor of the match, or at least the association. Mrs. Lynn was her friend before becoming closely acquainted with the rest of the family.”
Adam looked toward the window, taking in the details of the street outside.
The neighborhood was beginning to show all its afternoon busyness with maids and ladies finishing the day’s errands, while the carriages of doctors and bankers filled the streets so their owners could return home to change before dinner.
“It is very interesting that Miss Smith made her appearance as soon as Casselmaine and Miss Kinsdale were out the door,” Adam said.
“Especially since she said it was Miss Kinsdale she wanted to speak to,” said Rosalind. “If that was the case, why didn’t she approach Miss Kinsdale as she left? Or come to the door while she was still here? Why wait and tell her secrets to a stranger?”
“I was wondering the same thing,” said Adam.
“Perhaps she didn’t want to say anything in front of Devon,” suggested Alice.
“But she knows where Miss Kinsdale is staying,” Rosalind pointed out. “She told us that herself. Why not simply wait for her to come home? Or even follow her home and speak to her once Devon left? Why involve us?”
“Unless it was us, or you, at least, that she wanted to throw off the scent,” concluded Adam.
“Well, schoolgirls are not all saints, or even innocents,” said Alice. “As you and I know, Rosalind.”
“She was not a schoolgirl,” said Adam and Rosalind together.
Alice threw back her head and laughed. “Well! Since you both say it, it must be true. How could you tell?”
“Because she was not as young as she was pretending to be, for one thing,” said Rosalind.
“You noticed?” Adam reached for the teapot again and filled his own cup.
“Her throat,” said Rosalind. “The line of her throat was that of a grown woman, not a girl. She would have done better to affect a high collar.”
“And her figure,” said Adam.
Rosalind quirked a brow.
Adam dropped his gaze, in lieu of a blush. “She’d bound herself to appear … less developed than she is. And she did not take off her gloves.”
“Yes, I saw that as well.” A lady did not eat or drink with her gloves on. But hands were an excellent indicator of age and social class. A woman who wished to pass herself off as a gently bred lady (or girl) could not afford to show a chapped or calloused hand.
“So if she was not the schoolgirl she claimed to be, who was she?” asked Alice. “Could she really have been Mrs. Lynn’s daughter?”
“At this point, there is no knowing,” said Rosalind. “But if she is not, why is she trying to help this Mrs. Lynn?”
“And is she still watching this house?” said Adam quietly. “Or having it watched?”
Rosalind did not let herself glance toward the street, but it was difficult.
“Well, to me it all seems a great deal of trouble to go through to attach oneself to a man of no fortune,” announced Alice. “I mean, a duke in the family is a lovely thing, but there’s no guarantee that Casselmaine will be interested in supporting this profligate Sir Anthony indefinitely.”
“And Miss Kinsdale is of age, I believe,” said Rosalind.
“So she does not need her father’s permission to marry, nor does there necessarily need to be any contracts or settlements.
” She paused. “Casselmaine would not cut his in-laws if he had any other choice, but neither would he permit Sir Anthony to become a danger to the family’s stability.
” Devon had already seen what a careless man could do to even the largest fortune.
“And he certainly would not risk his reputation by allowing Sir Anthony to trade on his title, or expectations.”
They all sat in silence for a moment, each of them turning over this information in their own minds.
“We know this Miss Smith is lying,” said Adam. “The question is, is she working with Mrs. Lynn or against her?”
Rosalind considered. “Yes. I thought the story of an illegitimate daughter was meant to engage sympathy, but it could also be a simple way to create enough of a scandal so that the Kinsdales would decide to drop Mrs. Lynn.”
“But why?” said Alice again. “It was quite the risk to take.”
“It is,” said Adam. “Usually, that means that for someone, the stakes are very high,” he added.
“I think,” said Rosalind, “we need to get to Bath as soon as possible.”
“Good,” said Alice. “I’ll pack, and I’ll write to—”
“I’m sorry, Alice, I will need you to stay in London for the time being.”
“You’d go to Bath without your trusted assistant?” Alice sounded both shocked and wounded.
“I’ll have Adam,” Rosalind reminded her.
Alice frowned. “I thought Adam was looking for that fellow who was defrauding Mrs. Boyle.”
“Found him this afternoon,” Adam told her.
“That was fast,” remarked Alice.
“I caught up with him in Chapel Street,” he told them.
“His name is Leeland, by the by, and he was very sulky about the whole business. But in the end, I took him back to Mrs. Boyle and he turned over the day’s takings and promised not to do it again.
” There was no question of arrest or charges.
What Mr. Leeland had been doing was not, strictly speaking, illegal.
Mrs. Boyle could take him to civil court for blackening her good name, but women’s suits were less likely to succeed on such grounds, so this was the best available outcome.
“Well,” huffed Alice. “I trust that if I am to be excluded from this little expedition to Bath, I hope you have a good reason.”
“I do,” said Rosalind. “I need someone here who can work with Sanderson Faulks, and your brother George.”
Adam nodded. “I agree. Whatever her aims may be, we should keep apprised of Miss Smith’s whereabouts.”
“But if she’s working with Mrs. Lynn, and watching the house, she’s sure to send word to Bath as soon as she sees you leave,” Alice pointed out. “Won’t that tip your hand?”
“It will,” said Rosalind. “Therefore, we must make sure Miss Smith does not know we’ve gone.”