Luckily, Lady Saumon was downstairs attending to the final preparations for the décor, so the girls could converse freely. “I must admit I do not know much either,” Beatrice began, choosing her next words carefully so as not to expose her own nightly activities, “but I should like to think that if a man is truly a gentleman, he will take a lady’s maidenhood with grace and compassion.”
Minnie’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “I hope Mr. DeLancy is like that.” She laughed dryly. “To think I pursued him so relentlessly like a hawk, and here I am frightened of my wedding night.”
Shaking her head, Beatrice playfully admonished, “You must not think so little of yourself, Minnie. You are as brave now as you have ever been, and if you worry about what tonight will bring, you may miss out on Mr. DeLancy’s…talents if he has any.”
The innuendo caused both girls to burst into laughter, a sound that was cut short by Lady Saumon entering the room with Lady Ivanry. “Oh, be careful, dear,” Minnie’s mother chided, swooping in to fix one of her daughter’s curls. “You must not jostle yourself too much, or all our work will go to waste.”
By the door, Lady Ivanry stood as straight as she could with the help of her cane, admiring the scene. Beatrice thought she saw a shimmer of a tear in the older woman’s eye, but her grandmother said nothing, so Beatrice could only assume she was reminiscing about her own wedding from years ago.
And it was a day for remembrance and high spirits and blithe company. Mr. DeLancy and Minnie’s wedding was immaculate in every sense of the word. Beatrice could not keep her head from turning this way and that, admiring the rich colors embellishing the fall accents Lady Saumon had strewn about. The newlyweds themselves were like characters out of a fairytale, desperately in love and more than willing to show it now that they had been bound to each other forever.
During the reception, Beatrice watched fondly as family, friends, and acquaintances of the Saumons and the DeLancys congratulated the couple. She had nearly forgotten about her own slice of good fortune when Anthony appeared and offered his hand. “May I dance the next set with you, Beatrice?” he asked, caressing her knuckles with his thumb gently.
“I would be honored,” Beatrice answered, already rising to take her place by his side. As the band began a new set, they settled in among the other revelers, and Beatrice could not hide her excitement at finally dancing with Anthony.
Like they had on that fateful night, the pair moved as one, keeping their touches innocuous, even as their gazes were still filled with hunger. From afar, Lady Ivanry and the Viscount watched with approval as their grandchildren twirled rhythmically as though their hearts shared the same beat. Several other guests stopped conversing to watch the pair, who only grew bolder as the music swelled, and there were several titters of gossip when the set ended with Beatrice fully within Anthony’s embrace.
Only Mr. Laughton, Mr. Thyme, and Mr. Kingsley seemed put out, and Beatrice could only assume it was because Anthony had won their wager. Surreptitiously, she pointed out their glowering countenances to Anthony, who chuckled heartily at their expense.
“Do you think we managed to fool all of them?” she asked quietly, eyes bright with hope. “I mean, do you think Lord Ivanry will reveal his true self soon enough?”
Anthony looked down at her, seemingly amazed at her appetite for trickery, but Beatrice only smirked back at him as though he should have known better. “Yes, I think so,” he replied contentedly. “Let us only pray it is not in a dramatic fashion at this reception, or else I think the new Mrs. DeLancy will put him out herself.”
The set ended, and Beatrice allowed herself to be gracefully led back to her seat by Anthony who continued quietly, “And, I believe we ourselves made quite the scene just now, my love.” She giggled and glanced around to find her sister, wanting to ensure that she and Mr. Morrison were enjoying themselves just as much as she and Anthony.
But after several moments, Beatrice began to panic, for she could spot neither Penelope nor Lord Ivanry. At first, she tried to calm her nerves and decided to wander about the place searching for them with Anthony at her heels, but then, when they were nowhere to be found, Beatrice rushed over to where her grandmother sat, whispering fervently in her ear, “I cannot find Penelope nor Lord Ivanry!”
That simple phrase was all Beatrice needed to say, for, in the very next second, the older woman was on her feet and alerting Lord Randlay. “Give me a moment to recruit Mr. DeLancy, and we will go find her,” Anthony offered, placing his hand comfortingly on Beatrice’s upper arm. “It is probably nothing – perhaps she has simply stepped outside for some fresh air.”
Beatrice nodded and returned her attention to her grandmother who was issuing orders like a colonel to the Viscount and Mr. Morrison. “He cannot have gotten far with her, so you should send some men out into the grounds and some into town. I have suspected him of the worst from the very beginning and have taken steps to ensure that this wretched gentleman gets ataste of his own medicine. Lord Randlay, I suggest you tell them to capture him the moment he is discovered even if my granddaughter is not with him, for I fear my worst nightmare may have been realized.”
Thinking back to when she told Lord Ivanry about her engagement and Penelope’s potential suitor, Beatrice cursed herself for not noticing the abrupt change in behavior from her vile guardian. Of course, she should have known that he would not take kindly to losing and take matters into his own hands by kidnapping Penelope.
By now, most of the party was in uproar, the men donning their coats and boots to aid in the rescue while the women came up with potential places Penelope could have been taken to. When Minnie appeared behind Beatrice with her husband to help, Beatrice tried to apologize profusely, “Oh, I am so sorry your wedding day has turned into this, Minnie! I did not think he would do something so wicked–”
Minnie DeLancy cut her friend off with a hug. “Do not say such things, Beatrice. I have had a wonderful time and will continue to do so once we find dear Penelope.”
Tearfully, Beatrice thanked Minnie and gazed up at her best friend’s husband, saying, “You are an exceptional man, Mr. DeLancy.”
He accepted the compliment bashfully and was about to respond when Anthony reappeared, joking, “Am I not exceptional as well, Beatrice?” He wore a smirk that in the past Beatrice would have thought contemptible, but now she only saw it as his charm.
Anthony’s levity made Beatrice smile and promise, “You are the man I love, and I can pay you no higher compliment.”
To her left, Minnie cooed and fawned over such a display before they were abruptly interrupted by the Viscount collecting his grandson and Mr. DeLancy. “Come, lads, let us go stop this fiend in his tracks.”
Everyone who wished to join swiftly filled the several carriages Lord Saumon had ordered, and the caravan set off for town. During the journey, Beatrice sat beside her grandmother and Lady Saumon, who stared out the window, watching for any sign of Beatrice’s missing sister in the woods that those who stayed behind were currently traversing.
When they arrived, horses thundering in the muck and plowing through the village streets, nearly twenty people spilled out of the carriages in the hopes of locating Penelope. Ever the gentleman, Lord Randlay offered his arm to Beatrice’s grandmother, and they set off for an abandoned cottage in a distant field with Beatrice, Anthony, and Mr. Morrison in tow.
Their boots crunched against the frosted ground, and Beatrice shuddered to think of her sister in a place like the cottage in front of them with nothing to keep her warm. “I have reason to believe,” the Viscount announced, his breath fogging out from his lips in the chill, “that your guardian is not who he says he is.”
Her grandmother gasped as she hobbled along with her mahogany cane, speaking the words Beatrice dreaded to hear, “Then he is an imposter? A man whom we have no connection with has been sleeping in the same house as myself and my granddaughters with God knows what sort of intent?”
“Indeed,” Lord Randlay answered gravely, and Beatrice clung tighter to Anthony, whose expression was aptly full of rage, given everything Beatrice had told him. They came to a stop a few feet away from the front door of the cabin, and the entire field seemed to quiver when the Viscount roared, “The game is up, Lord Ivanry! Come out so that you may face justice!”
And there was silence. He called out again, his voice even sterner, but there was still no answer. Finally, Lord Ivanry started for the front door, commanding everyone to stay put while he explored the cabin. Beatrice felt Anthony pull away from her as he disobeyed his grandfather’s orders, choosing instead to follow the older man inside.
For the next few minutes, Beatrice stood huddled with her grandmother as Mr. Morrison guarded them gallantly. Although the sun was high in the sky, the air still felt frozen, and Beatrice did not know how much longer they could remain out there without catching frostbite. Finally, Lord Randlay emerged, and Anthony after him with Penelope in his arms.