4. Chapter 4
His sister glanced up as Andrew entered the breakfast room. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, Caroline. Mother,” he greeted, leaning down to give their mother a kiss on the cheek.
“Good morning, Andrew, how did you sleep last night?” his mother asked.
“Well, thank you.” His rote response made his sister roll her eyes.
He took his seat. The truth was, he never slept well anymore. Several glasses of brandy consumed in his study always did the trick and had him stumbling off to bed or passing out on the sofa. But in the months since he had given up the bottle, he hardly slept at all.
Caroline filled her plate with eggs and toast from the buffet table while Andrew poured himself a cup of tea. He sipped the strong Assam brew and let its warmth fill his soul. “Caroline, are you familiar with a Miss Whittingham?”
Caroline sat down across from him. “No, I don’t think so. Why do you ask?”
“Yesterday, the boys and I literally ran into Miss Whittingham, her brothers, and all their dogs in Hyde Park. She and I chatted while the boys, who are all of an age, played with the dogs.”
Andrew didn’t miss the look of surprise Caroline exchanged with their mother.
“I am capable of socializing civilly. Even if the last year hasn’t been entirely representative of that,” he grumbled, then took a bite of his toast. “Anyway, she left her reticule sitting on the bench. I would like to return it, but I don’t want to show up on her doorstep by myself. Would you be willing to come with me?”
“Andrew, couldn’t you simply have the item returned by a footman?” His mother assessed him with her sharp gray eyes.
He shook his head. “There is a sizable ring in the purse. I think I should return such a valuable item myself.”
“Yes, I will come. I am free this morning. How about eleven?” Caroline said.
“Excellent.” He took one more bite of toast and then rose from his chair. He had plenty to take care of before eleven. All his boring ducal duties didn’t seem so bad now that he could look forward to finding out more about the pretty Miss Whittingham.
“Andrew, sit back down and have some breakfast. You are not eating enough.”
“I’m fine, Mother.”
“Stop saying that. You’re not sleeping well either. I can see the dark circles under your eyes clear as day. What you need is a wife to take care of you.”
Andrew stiffened. “A wife is the last thing I need. I don’t want to jump from one bad marriage straight into another. I will not make the same mistakes as last time.”
His mother huffed and turned to Caroline. “Talk to your brother. He certainly doesn’t listen to me.”
“Mother, let him be. He needs to heal in his own time. Look what we are doing today, visiting a Miss Whittingham. Maybe there is hope yet.” She winked at him and dug into her eggs.
Andrew tried to stifle his smile. Caroline was insufferable, egging their mother on when she herself wouldn’t choose a suitor to save her life. He grabbed another piece of toast and took a large bite in front of his mother before striding out of the room.
Later that morning, he met Caroline at the front door, and they headed outside into a perfect November day. The air was crisp, the sky blue. A few leaves swirled around the walkway as they walked along. “You don’t mind walking? It’s not too far,” Andrew asked.
“Not at all. It’s perfect weather for walking,” Caroline replied. “So tell me more about your encounter in the park.”
“Miss Whittingham’s younger brothers came careening around the bend, and all four boys and all four dogs got tangled up together.
It was quite the disaster, and I admit I was supremely annoyed, but Miss Whittingham could not stop giggling behind her hand.
She somehow made the whole debacle seem funny.
” Andrew smiled. “She owns this ridiculously enormous dog, a wolfhound. Who would have such a large pet in the city?”
He pulled the little blue purse from his pocket. “She left this on the park bench. When I lifted it, I felt something protruding, and well…look at this ring which was in one of the pockets. Why would she carry such an expensive piece of jewelry around Hyde Park?”
Caroline’s eyes widened. “That is an impressive stone, although I must say it’s a bit grandiose for a young lady.” She put her arm through his. “Let’s go find out more about your Miss Whittingham. You always did love a good puzzle.”
The avenue was quiet except for one lone carriage rumbling by.
Was that it? Was it the reason he couldn’t stop thinking about Miss Whittingham?
Was she a puzzle he must solve before he could set her firmly out of his mind?
They turned the corner. “This should be the street.” Andrew pulled a small scrap of paper Holmes had given him with the Whittinghams’ address. “It’s number four.”
They came to a stop in front of a fine old house of good size.
Pleasingly symmetrical, the windows gleamed in the midmorning sunshine.
But as they entered through the wrought iron gate, they had to brush past overgrown shrubbery to make their way up the walkway.
Ivy grew wild up the sides of the brick walls and covered the bell pull.
As he knocked at the front door, a loud scream pealed out from inside the house.
He looked over at Caroline, who raised her eyebrows.
Andrew pounded his fist against the door.
After a few moments, there was still no response.
Then a loud crash came from inside, and wild barking erupted.
Andrew grabbed the door handle, thinking he would have to force the door open, but the handle gave way easily in his hand, and he flung the door open wide.
As they stepped through the threshold, a pack of dogs of all different sizes raced through the foyer, followed by a pack of children.
Finally, Miss Whittingham careened around the corner, her stocking feet sliding across the marble tiles.
Spotting Caroline and him in the doorway, she came to a sudden halt.
“Close the door, before they all get loose!”
Andrew pulled Caroline all the way into the house and slammed shut the front door.
“Are you all right?” Andrew asked. “We heard someone scream.”
Miss Whittingham took a deep breath and blew a stray piece of hair out of her eyes. Before she could answer, a bird flew right between them, and the whole pack of dogs and children came running back out of the room they had just ran into.
“Get him!”
“He’s too fast!”
Andrew quickly deduced the situation. He let loose a sharp whistle, which had all the dogs stopping in their tracks. “Sit,” he commanded.
The dogs immediately sat, and all four children looked up in surprise at the two guests. The children were draped in bedsheets and had crowns of ivy in their hair. Andrew could not for the life of him come up with an explanation as to why.
“Thank goodness for that whistle! You really must teach me how to do that someday,” Miss Whittingham said, relief etched into her features. Just then, the rogue bird flew back through the foyer, circling above their heads before disappearing down the hallway. The dogs all began to bark again.
“Everyone, grab hold of a dog, for goodness’ sake!” Miss Whittingham ordered her siblings. “I will take care of the bird.” She hurried down the hallway, a broom grasped in her hands.
Andrew grabbed up a small, fluffy white dog and thrust it at Caroline. “Hold this one.” He strode off after Miss Whittingham, finding her in what looked to be the breakfast room. The bird flapped around the chandelier, and Miss Whittingham batted at it ineffectually with her broom.
She froze mid-swat as he entered the room. Lowering the broom, she shrugged her shoulders. “I hoped to chase it out that open window.”
Andrew looked around and saw a large silver serving tray with a lid. “Let’s be still and see if it will set itself down somewhere I can capture it.” Walking over, he grabbed up the tray and lid.
“Brilliant!” Miss Whittingham said. They waited patiently for the badly frightened bird to settle down.
“It was my sister,” she said. “Who screamed, I mean. We were watching the children put on a play, and the bird flew in the window and landed right atop Lucy’s blonde curls. ” Her lips twitched in amusement.
Andrew found himself grinning at the picture she described.
“I would have been able to shoo it out the window easily enough if the boys hadn’t thought it was a grand idea to send the dogs after it while I was getting the broom from the kitchen.” She stilled and slowly nodded her head to the left.
The bird had landed on the table. It picked delicately at a leftover biscuit on one of the plates.
Andrew edged nearer to the bird, then swiftly lowered the lid on top of it.
A great flapping of wings sounded from underneath.
He managed to slide the top over to the edge of the table.
By placing the tray underneath, he neatly trapped the bird inside.
“Good job,” Miss Whittingham exclaimed.
Grinning triumphantly, he turned to show her his prize.
From behind her, a deep woof emanated, and a giant furry body leapt up, knocking Miss Whittingham to the side before landing directly against his chest. Andrew overbalanced, falling backward onto his rear end, arms flailing.
The bird escaped his trap and flew calmly out the window.
Andrew shoved at Fergus ineffectually, stuck under more than one hundred pounds of wolfhound.
The dog’s large paws pinned him to the ground.
“Fergus, off,” cried Miss Whittingham. Fergus immediately got up and returned to her side. He sat on his haunches with his head tilted innocently to one side.