A Lady Never Tells(108)
“What incident? There was something else?”
Royce told him about the fright Mary had had in the maze. Fitz, listening to the description of the footprint, frowned.
“But that footprint would not fit the man the girls say tried to abduct Rose just now,” Fitz pointed out. “They said he wore a cap and rough clothes.”
“Yes. I’ve seen the cap; it does not seem to go with the gentleman’s shoeprint. Which is a trifle worrisome.”
“You think there could be two of them?” Fitz’s voice rose skeptically.
“Frankly, I didn’t see how there could be one of him. I sent my grooms to the village, even went there myself to ask a few questions. No one has seen a stranger around lately. Certainly no one’s been at the inn or renting a cottage. Oliver’s gamekeeper said that once or twice he’s found evidence of a campfire in the woods, but that could be travelers camping off the road, or a poacher.” He shrugged. “I’ve instructed the gardeners to watch out for the girls and to stay around whenever they are in the garden. I have the gamekeeper’s men patrolling the perimeter of the grounds, and at night there is a guard outside the house.”
“I would think that would have been enough to scare away even the most determined abductor.”
“I thought so as well. Until this afternoon.”
“It doesn’t seem practical in the long run to continue keeping such a heavy guard on the girls.”
“I agree.”
“And my cousins appear to be chafing at the restrictions imposed upon them.”
“That is putting it mildly.”
“Then I suppose we’d better figure out who this fellow is and why he’s after Rose.” Fitz tossed back the rest of his drink and stood. “Camellia said that she winged the fellow. So I suggest that while we still have enough light to see, you and I go back to the area where he fled and look for a trail of blood.”
A feral smile touched Royce’s lips, and he too set aside his drink. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 20
The footmen were bringing up the trunks by the time the women reached Lily’s room, and Mary and her sisters went straight to pulling out the marvelous goods within, while Vivian and Charlotte looked on with indulgent smiles. The girls began to spread the clothes out over the bed, then all other available spaces as well.#p#分页标题#e#
“Cousin Charlotte! These cannot all be ours!” Mary exclaimed.
“Of course they are,” Charlotte answered with a smile. “There are four of you, after all, and you must have day dresses and evening dresses. Riding habits—Royce told me to include those. Except for the riding habits, it’s what you chose in London, the bare minimum, I assure you. For your come-outs, you must have a great deal more.”
“I cannot imagine how.” Mary looked around at the frocks scattered all over the room.
“It looks like so much more here than in the drawings,” Rose agreed softly. Not only were there dresses in varying degrees of elegance, but there were also slippers, nightgowns, cloaks, pelisses, and underclothes of the softest cotton and lawn.
“Jewelry?” Rose exclaimed, opening a small box and turning toward Charlotte, astonished. “You bought us jewelry?”
“Just a few pins and earbobs and such,” Vivian assured them. “You must have some, after all.”
Charlotte looked around at the Bascombes. “Do you not like them?”
“Of course we like them!” Mary replied.
“We love them!” Lily corrected, bouncing over to hug her cousin, then Vivian. “You are wonderful to do so much for us.”
“We can scarcely have you going about looking like ragamuffins, can we?” Charlotte grinned. “It would, after all, reflect badly on the family.”
“Then I suppose it is our duty to look as elegant as we can.” Mary smiled.
Vivian pushed aside some of the clothes on the end of the bed and perched on it. “Now, you have to try them on so Charlotte and I can see how glorious you look.”
It did not take any persuasion to convince the girls. Mary went straight to one of the evening dresses she had chosen. The narrow white silk gown was slightly lower in the waist, as was the new fashion, so that it hinted at the slenderness of the body beneath it. The neckline was lower than on any dress Mary had ever owned, exposing the tops of her white breasts—and her bare shoulders as well, for the short puffed sleeves started on her upper arms just below the points of her shoulders. The overskirt, trimmed around the bottom by a single ruffle of blond lace, was draped and held in place with satin rosettes of the same subtle honey color, exposing the pale golden and white-striped underskirt below.