Lady Gertrude was having such a successful evening at the card table that she didn’t return home until well after her niece was in bed. It was breakfast the next morning before they met. She was dressed for the day in another of her garish ensembles with what looked very much like a canary in her hair. Yes, it was a small stuffed canary.
“How did it go last night, Lizzie?” she asked, before digging into a hearty plate of gammon and eggs. Her strenuous exertions on behalf of her chosen people required fueling. “I heard a rumour that you cut your arm on a broken wineglass. Lady Belmont was quite upset — about the broken glass, I mean. She told me Carbury had taken you home, so I didn’t feel I must go running after you. Did you manage to get the necklace?”
“Oh yes.”
“Excellent! And how’s your arm, dear? Shall I call Doctor Tom?”
“That’s not necessary. It’s fine.” She entertained her aunt over breakfast with a recital of the retrieval of the rubies. Lady Gertrude was vastly amused.
“And Sara actually shot you! I am amazed she had the gumption. To say nothing of the pistol.”
“I was sure she was just pretending she had one, but then she did steal the rubies, so we ought not to have been surprised. There is more to her than we thought.”
“I wonder where she got the pistol, and where she kept it hidden from her aunt, for you didn’t see it when you were searching and it would be too large for her evening bag.”
“I hadn’t finished my search. I had to dart into the clothespress when I heard her coming. I did hear a drawer open, so very likely it was in one of the drawers I hadn’t got around to searching.”
“What time is she coming to call?”
“Around eleven.”
“Can I can be of any help? Shall I stay?”
“No, that’s fine. She’ll be more forthcoming with just me there to quiz her.”
“Then I shall go and pay my respects to King George, and take him the snuffbox. That will encourage him to do his duty by the poor girls who are being abused. This is no new thing for them. A couple of good thrashings will soon get the word about. Such a pity we can’t find decent work for them. Well, Rome wasn’t built in a day. First the clinic, then the school. Do you think there’s any hope of getting money out of Carbury for the clinic?”
“I doubt it, but at least he’s going to go with Tommy tonight to set Hanson by his heels. Best not to drag anyone else into it.”
“Tonight? I presume you are referring to some scheme to recover Sara’s letters. Tell me about it.”
When Elizabeth had outlined the plan, Lady Gertrude nodded her approval. “Such fun. It makes me wish I were young again.” After a frowning pause she said, “Sara ought to be ripe for plucking, after all you’re doing for her.”
“She has no money of her own, Auntie. After she’s married to Buckner she might do something for us. She claims to admire me, so I am hopeful on that score.”
They ate in silence a moment, then Lady Gertrude said in an overly innocent way, “And how about Carbury, Liz?”
“No, I shan’t ask him for money.”
“Money? I meant is there any chance of his offering for you? He was used to be one of your admirers. He seems quite eager to help you now.”
Elizabeth had misjudged his eagerness before and made a fool of herself by taking for granted he wanted to marry her. She would not make that mistake again. “He was not in the least eager. I had to badger him. He only agreed to help because of Tommy,” she said, as if she didn’t care a groat, which was enough to tell her aunt she loved him still, or again. She was coming to suspect from the way Nicholas studied her that he might be in the same state of mind, or heart, or whatever it was that drew couples together.
Elizabeth was alone in the salon when Miss Westlake was announced. Sara was carrying a basket and a bouquet of flowers, which Liz recognized as having seen at the ball the night before, but they were still very nice flowers.
“I’ve brought you some pork jelly and some petits fours left over from last night,” she said. “How is your arm, Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth mentally consigned the pork jelly to Meg. It would be excellent nourishment for a new mother. “Thank you, Sara. The flowers are beautiful. My arm will recover.” Then with a thought that it would be well for Sara to feel indebted to her, she winced and added, “Though it is very sore at the moment.”
Strangely, this caused Sara to smile broadly. “You’ll never guess what, Elizabeth! You are the first to know, other than Auntie. Lord Buckner made a formal offer for me last night, and Auntie agreed. Is it not wonderful? And I have you to thank for it.” She stopped, thought a moment, and added, “For not telling him about the letters I wrote to Hanson, I mean.”
“That is wonderful news, Sara. I am very happy I could help you.”
“It will be in the journals today. Auntie rushed the announcement down to the journals this morning, and Buckner is seeing about announcing the banns. He has sent home for the family engagement ring.”
“An early marriage, I expect?”
“We have not decided on a date, but soon. Very soon.”
“That’s splendid news. But about tonight, have you decided how you’ll get out of the house?”
The smile faded to uncertainty. “I don’t know. Auntie is a very light sleeper.”
“You’ll have to give her a sleeping draught. Does she take a posset or cocoa before retiring?”
“Cocoa,” she replied, then looked aghast as she realized what Elizabeth was suggesting. “Oh I couldn’t. Lady Belmont doesn’t approve of laudanum.”
“I daresay she doesn’t approve of your stealing her necklace either. I’ll give you some laudanum before you leave. Can you get it into her cocoa?”
Sara offered no more objections. “I usually take her cocoa up to her when I’m home. I shall be home this evening. How much do I use?”
“Not more than five drops. Here is what we’ve decided to do. You take the rubies for Hanson.”
“You mean give them to him?” Sara cried.
“Certainly, but not until you have got your letters and checked them. Make sure they’re all there, and are the originals, not copies.”
“Oh that’s easy. I wrote them on my own stationery, with my initials engraved on top.”
“Good. You get your notes, give him the rubies, and dart home as fast as your legs will carry you.”
“But — but what about Auntie’s rubies? Is Hanson allowed to keep them? Surely that is no help to Mr. Gower.”
“Hanson will be — er, accosted soon after he leaves you, and be relieved of the rubies.”
“Oh Elizabeth, I know you are very brave, but do you think you can handle him with that sore arm?”
Elizabeth just smiled in disbelief. “No, I am not quite that brave, Sara. I have arranged with some friends to do the retrieving.”
“But then — how do we get them back to Auntie? She’ll insist on knowing where you got them, how you come to have them I mean, unless Tommy Gower stole them.”
“I shan’t give them back to her.” Before Sara could ask the obvious question, Elizabeth continued, “I shall arrange for them to be found.”
“Where?”
“Perhaps it’s best you not know that, Sara, so you can be surprised when they are found.”
“She lost them — I mean I took them — at Galveston’s rout.”
“Yes, I remember very well, Sara. Now, you take the necklace and make sure your aunt doesn’t see it.” She handed her the rubies and watched as they were stowed in her reticule, then continued. “You’re sure you know what you have to do tonight? Give your aunt the sleeping draught, and be at the corner of Grosvenor Square and Duke Street at two a.m. with the rubies. Best take your pistol with you. Insist on examining the letters before you give Hanson the necklace.”
Sara firmed her jaw, lifted her chin and said, “Yes, I’ll do it. I’ll do just as you say.”
“You had best do it, if you don’t want Buckner to see those love letters.”
“You can count on me.”
“Good. I’ll get the laudanum now. Don’t let your aunt see it.”
“I’ll hide it at the back of my stationery drawer, where I hide my little pistol.”
“I have been wondering where you got that pistol, Sara?”
“Hanson gave it to me when I was seeing him. It was at the time the footpads were attacking everyone. He was very thoughtful like that at first. I had planned to take it with me tonight, just in case.”
“Good!”
“Though I do hope I don’t have to shoot him.”
“I shouldn’t think that will be necessary, but if he cuts up rough and you do have to, aim for his legs, not his chest. After all, you don’t want to kill him.”
“Oh no indeed! I had planned to shoot his arm.”
“The leg would be safer. Unless you are a very good shot, you might accidentally hit him in the chest.”
“All right. I’ll remember that. I’ve never used the pistol before. Before last night, I mean.”
Elizabeth got the laudanum and Sara rose to leave. Elizabeth offered her best wishes on the coming marriage, which put the smile back on Sara’s face. She left with her shoulders back and a firmer step than usual.
It was Elizabeth who sat, frowning. It seemed she had brought off a match for Sara, or at least prevented its imploding, but she could see no way to accomplish her own desired match. She would not so much as hint that she would accept if he offered.