An army of maids must be working here to keep a spare room in such good condition to be used at the drop of a hat. Grace ran her fingers along the dresser and found not a trace of dust. She walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked out at what must be the back yard. The fresh snow from last night covered everything, leaving interesting lumps and bumps hiding under its softness. She tried to pick what bumps might be hedges and bushes and which ones might be bench seats.
Now that she was awake and out of bed, her head was beginning to clear, making it easier to put together the pieces from last night.
Victoria had called the doctor, as she said she would, and Grace had played her part as best she could and everything was going quite well until Grace suffered an attack of giggles when the doctor was announced. He looked like a young version of Santa Claus. His cheeks were even rosy from the cold night air. Grace half expected him to pull handmade toys from his black doctor’s bag. He instead placed a hand on her forehead and told her to shush.
The doctor had kind eyes as he examined the back of her head where she had hit it. He gave her a smile and ordered her to be put to bed for a night’s rest. Grace was able to regain some of her ‘memory’ before he left and he seemed to think she would be fully recovered in a few days.
Grace wasn’t sure what story Victoria had come up with but by the time she was safely in her room everyone seemed to accept that she had no escort or maid or clothes and wouldn’t be expecting any of those to arrive.
There was a quiet knock on the door and the maid returned with her coffee. The aroma warmed her soul even before she took a sip of the hot, rich liquid.
“Lady Harrison has sent some things for you to try on. It’s a pity all your lovely clothes were lost when you arrived. She told Hoskins what happened. It must have been so scary, travelling all that way only to arrive with nothing and nobody. It’s a miracle, that’s what it is, that you’re even here with us today.”
What had Victoria told them?
“I was sayin’ to Polly, I was, we’s lucky you’re here, what with the fire aboard the ship and all. Lucky, that’s what I says.”
There was another knock on the door and another maid came in, again, without Grace telling her to enter.
“Kamy, Cook needs you in the kitchen.” Once the first maid left the second introduced herself. “I’m Polly, I’m to be your personal maid. If there’s anything you need at all, you just ask me.”
“Oh. Thank you, Polly, that’s very kind. My name’s Grace. It’s very nice to meet you.”
“Thank you, miss.” Polly turned towards the wardrobe. “Now, should we get you ready for breakfast?”
It took a while to find him but Robin finally located the man he was looking for in the dark part of London. Gentlemen generally avoided this part of town but if he was ever going to see Bingham’s money he needed to act fast and he couldn’t trust anyone to do it for him; besides, he couldn’t pay anyone to fetch the man he sought and, since losing his money, he’d found his friends to be few and far between.
Rupert led him down a dark alley away from prying eyes and curious ears. He was beginning to question his own intelligence for following him, when they reached the back of the alley and Rupert focused all his attention on him.
“You got me money?”
“Umm no. But I know how to get it.” His eyes drifted to his feet no matter how hard he tried to look the man in the eyes.
“You dare come ’ere without me money?”
Robin’s eyes flew to Rupert’s face at the violent outburst.
“I’s gonna tear ye apart.” Rupert stepped close enough to grab Robin’s collar and Robin closed his eyes, waiting for the impact of Rupert’s fist. “Ye really are a pansy, aren’t ye, boy?”
Robin cracked one eye open to see Rupert laughing down at him. “I am not a pansy, but seeing as I owe you money and cannot pay it, I was going to take what was coming to me like a man.” Robin stood as tall as he could but gave away his false bravado with a loud sniff. He straightened his jacket and smoothed his hair. His hands were shaking so badly he did more damage to his appearance than good.
“What’s this grand plan ye have then?”
“Getting rid of one Miss Grace Lancaster.”
“Of the Lancasters?”
“How do you know the Lancasters?”
“Everyone knows ’em. Ol’ Lord Lancaster has done a lot for us blokes down on the wharf…besides, his son owed me a lot of money,” he added with a smirk.
The blood drained from Robin’s head and pooled at his feet when he saw the gleam in Rupert’s eyes as he rubbed his hands together. Things had not ended well for Colin Lancaster. “Well, we need to get rid of her. She’s managed to weasel a betrothal out of my sister’s intended. He is the one who owes us the money.”
“Huh?” Rupert stood staring down at him with a look that Robin couldn’t quite read. “You sure about this, boy? They be no going back, you know? Once it’s done, it’s done.”
Robin wasn’t a short man himself, but at the moment he felt like one of those little people he saw at the fairs, as he craned his neck to look the other man in the eyes. “That’s exactly what I want; for it to be done. There’s no other way.”
“Right then, leave it to me, boy, no one will know she ever existed.”
Robin nodded and turned to go but he paused before he reached the end of the alleyway, Rupert’s last words ringing in his ears.
“I’ll do this favour for ye for double my normal fee plus another fifty per cent on top of the bill you already owe me; for your stupidity. Now get out of here before I decide to take it out of your hide!”
Robin fled to the sound of Rupert’s cracking knuckles and his menacing laugh.
***
What was he going to do about Anne? Jasper mulled this over as he walked the two short blocks to his sister’s house. He was glad when she married Neal they didn’t move too far away. He liked to have his family close by. Now he would have a family all of his own when he married Grace…there was a thought.
And what about Grace? Her lips had glowed and her checks flushed after that wonderful, disastrous kiss they shared. If only Lady Barrett had not seen them. Although if they hadn’t been interrupted he imagined things would have become a lot more heated than they had. Either way he was not sure he would be able to walk away from any lady he’d compromised so thoroughly. There must have been something in the water last night. He’d never behaved that way before. He’d always thought of the consequences before he did anything. Maybe it was a good thing they’d been caught before it had got even more out of control.
But he worried at her reaction to their conversation in the library. She seemed genuinely distressed when the Duchess arrived. He could have sworn she honestly thought she’d organised the ball herself. Did he believe what the doctor said and accept that her behaviour was due to hitting her head? If that was the case, what about the kiss? Did she even know what they’d done?
And Lady Anne? He just wished she hadn’t been left wondering where her engagement went. Damn. He’d just passed his destination. Turning sharply on his heel he walked back the way he’d come and stalked up the steps to the door.
Hoskins opened the door well before he reached the knocker. “Good Morning, my lord. Lady Harrison is in the breakfast room with Miss Lancaster.”