She noticed that the Duke was cautious enough to stop his carriage in front of the main gate not the house. If careful, the girls would be able to sneak back into the house unnoticed. Lydia wondered if she should tell him something else, offer some kind of assurance that she would solve the mystery of his whereabouts easily, but she opted against that.
She would prove herself by doing exactly what was required of her. She didn’t need to waste any more words.
“Good night, ladies,” the Duke addressed them, and just before he closed the door, he added mischievously. “Try not to go to any more taverns.”
Lydia blushed fervently, but before she could say anything to that, the Duke closed the door, and the carriage drove off into the darkness. She watched it until it disappeared from sight then she turned to Susannah.
“Well, this was one night we shall never forget.”
She had no idea how true that was because the adventure she had always been hoping for was just beginning.
CHAPTER6
It was around noon that Lydia found herself seated in the drawing room with her two sisters. Their father had excused himself with work although he had been hospitable enough to greet their guest and exchange a few pleasantries with him. It was obvious that her sister, Selina, had been absolutely smitten by the man who had been courting her, Daniel Pearson.
Lydia had to admit that she could understand where this infatuation was coming from. Daniel was a strikingly handsome man with his tall stature, broad shoulders, and square jaw. His blonde hair stood in perfect contrast with his eyes that were the color of the bluest skies. Lydia had witnessed her sister stop in the middle of the sentence upon being accosted by those same eyes, unable to continue where she had left off.
In fact, there was a sort of a mystery surrounding this man as well. Lydia had heard from a dear friend of hers that he had changed quite a lot since his childhood. He had never been considered even fairly good-looking, and for that, the other boys always ridiculed him which resulted in him shying away from company and withdrawing to himself. Then, a tragedy struck. He lost both of his parents and was sent abroad to live with an aunt. When he returned, people could not believe it was him. He was truly a changed man. More eloquent, more social, even more handsome.
Some people grew out of their ugly childhood, Lydia remembered her friend saying, while others wallow in it for the rest of their lives. It just depends on how fortunate one was.
This morning, a very fortunate man was in the company of three lovely young ladies, one of whom he had been courting for several months now. Everyone in Lydia’s family welcomed it. Daniel seemed to be the epitome of good manners and seemed to have eyes only for Selina. Lydia could see the joy in her sister’s eyes every time she saw him, and this morning was no exception.
He had amused them with one of his numerous stories of living abroad and how the language barrier had proven to be a predicament on more than one occasion.
“… and then I said, well, I don’t know whose cat this is, but it certainly isn’t mine!” Daniel finished his story, and all three ladies burst into an amused chuckle.
Lydia had been listening intently, just like her sisters had, although she had a secret agenda of her own. Daniel would be her first step in endeavoring to find out where Edwin had spent the previous Saturday evening. It seemed an easy enough task. Most gentlemen spent their nights in one of the gentlemen’s clubs. The question would be simply figuring out which one. There were several of them scattered about London, but eventually she would cross all of them off her list but one, and she would be victorious in this easy task that she had been given.
“That was such an amusing story,” Selina said, as always not taking her eyes off of Daniel.
“Indeed,” Lydia nodded. “I bet that even the gentlemen you were with on Saturday night might have found it entertaining.”
Daniel turned to her a little surprised that she would be referring to his evening as no one mentioned it. Lydia had to admit that she did not handle that topic transition as well as she had hoped she would. She hoped to ease into it and not barge through the door like a raging bull. However, she would need to steer the conversation from here.
“Speaking of company on Saturday night,” Lydia continued as if she weren’t really interested in the conversation, but was rather forced to have it, “were you, perchance in the company of the Duke of Combston?”
“No,” Daniel shook his head, still bemused with the questions regarding his whereabouts. “I have been acquainted with the Duke, but we do not share the same company.”
“Did you see him on Saturday night?” Lydia asked again.
“No,” Daniel’s eyebrows furrowed at the question. “Why do you ask?”
“Yes, Lydia,” Anna suddenly became interested in the conversation as well. “Why would you be asking about the Duke’s whereabouts on Saturday night?”
Lydia had to admit that she hadn’t thought about it this far. In her mind, the conversation flowed much more smoothly. There were no questions, other than the ones asked by her. She had truly done this rather clumsily, and now, she was paying the price.
“I uhm…” Lydia said, clearing her throat a little in an effort to provide some time. “I am merely helping a friend.”
Come on, Lydia, think.
“Which friend?” Anna continued urging.
“Penelope,” Lydia could only think of the name of her dear friend who had recently returned to London from a trip abroad.
“Does she know the Duke?” Anna would not stop with the incessant questions, and Lydia knew that she would need to weave an elaborate wen of lies, hoping not to get entangled in it.
“She does not,” Lydia admitted. “But her father does. As far as I understood, the Duke was supposed to come to their home for dinner on Saturday evening, and he uhm… simply did not appear.”