“Yes, it was remarkable. She’d also had access to your mother’s property. Do you have any idea who she may be?”
“Suspicions, yes, but nothing concrete. It may involve an old family scandal, but I prefer to say nothing more on that head at the moment. Rest assured that while you’re in France, I’ll look into this young woman’s identity. If it should happen that you can’t find irrefutable proof that Merriana is my sister, perhaps I can at least prove that this other woman is not.”
The two men soon parted, Justin to begin preparations for his trip to France, and Charles to begin soothing his uncle and making plans to effect the move to the country with the least upheaval possible.
Chapter 14
Due to circumstances he could not have foreseen, three days passed before Justin could complete plans for his trip to France. The day after his visit with Charles, he received a note from his stepmother informing him that she and her daughters were paying a visit to the metropolis and would expect him to call upon them the following morning.
Justin occasionally felt a twinge of guilt regarding his stepfamily. While it was true that he’d left in his stepmother’s possession both Hilltops and his town house in London, he’d also gone out of his way to avoid actually spending time in her company. His activities of recent years had been an excellent excuse and quite a salve to his conscience, but nevertheless, he sometimes felt that he’d shamefully neglected both his stepmother and her daughters. He would tell himself that none of them really desired his company, and he might even have believed this was true, had it not been for the youngest of the three girls. Antonia had been but a child when her mother and Justin’s father married, but she was a young lady of seventeen now, not yet out of the schoolroom, but certainly old enough to worship Justin with the depth of adoration that could be found only among very young girls.
Thus, although he was unusually busy with efforts to settle his affairs and prepare for his upcoming trip, Justin made time to call on his stepfamily the following day. Antonia had spent the entire length of his visit trying to send him secret messages through speaking glances and strange grimaces when she thought no one else was looking. Unfortunately, her mother had intercepted one of the grimaces and had been convinced that her youngest daughter had developed a twitch. It took liberal doses of smelling salts and hartshorn supplied by one of the older girls before the countess could be convinced that it was a unique phenomenon and not a lifetime affliction.
“For you know, dearest,” she had assured her youngest child, “nothing in the world turns away the affections of gentlemen like a twitch. I recall that Dorothy Gentry’s daughter had one, and despite having a wonderful dowry, the girl is to this day on the shelf, and she is now at least twenty-five years old.”
By this time, Antonia had become so embarrassed that Justin had taken pity on her and asked if he might escort her to see the lions and tigers at the Exeter ’Change on the following day. Since the older girls obviously could think of nothing they would be less interested in doing, they appeared totally unaffected by jealousy at their sister’s projected treat, and even urged their mother to give her consent. The countess at last did so, rather reluctantly, saying she couldn’t imagine why her stepson, who had been on the town for twelve years, would wish to saddle himself with a schoolroom chit for the afternoon. Antonia had blushed and Justin had hurriedly stated that he could think of nothing he would rather do.
The following day, when he would have preferred to be headed toward the coast, Justin instead called for his young stepsister in preparation for their outing.
Antonia, he decided as he was handing her into his curricle, was really rather a promising young lady. Her eyes, which were sparkling with excitement, were dark brown and so large that they seemed to dominate her heart-shaped face. Her brown ringlets bounced around her shoulders as she herself bounced on the seat beside Justin, and although her nose was a trifle small and her lips a bit large, she was basically a very pretty girl.
“Susan and Fanny are green with envy,” she announced happily as Justin gave his horses their head and his groom jumped up behind.
Justin’s eyebrows rose. “But why should your sisters be jealous? You aren’t going to convince me that they wished to see the wild beasts.”
“Of course not. They hate sightseeing excursions. But they would have loved to go for a ride in your curricle. It’s a very nice one. Did you have it built to your specifications? Was it very expensive?”
Justin’s lips twitched. “Yes, I did, and I’m afraid it was.”
“Well, I think it’s wonderful. I must tell you that I was very pleased when you picked up on my silent messages to you yesterday. That is why you suggested this outing, isn’t it? You realized that I wished to talk with you?”
Justin agreed that he had indeed been able to deduce during their previous meeting that his young stepsister wanted to communicate something of a private nature to him.
“Well, it was very clever of you, I think. But then you have no doubt been used to picking up on secret signals.” Suddenly she paused and gazed toward the left. “Look, Justin, I think that man in the curricle is trying to attract your attention.”
Justin glanced to the left and quickly pulled his horses to a halt. “Charles, how are you?” he asked. “More to the point, how’s your leg?”
“Much better, thank you. How are your affairs going?”
“Not badly.”
The two men exchanged looks and both indicated that their grooms were to go to the horses’ heads.
“Excuse me a moment, Antonia,” Justin said as he jumped to the pavement. “I need to speak with this gentleman.”
Antonia watched with great interest as the two men walked a few feet away and stood talking softly together. Antonia had extremely sharp hearing, but despite her best efforts to eavesdrop, she could pick out only a few words and phrases from the conversation such as “Merriana” and “Leaving first thing in the morning,” and “France” and “Drake and Cock.”
In less than five minutes, Justin climbed back into the curricle and apologized to Antonia for keeping her waiting.
“Don’t apologize, Justin,” she said with a bright smile. “I can understand that extremely important affairs must take precedence. In fact, I have something of extreme importance to say to you myself.”
“Do you? Then by all means, go ahead.”
“I want to volunteer to be a secret agent for our government.”
Justin had never been more relieved that he was capable of hiding his emotions. Not a trace of amusement entered his voice as he asked, “And why would you wish to volunteer for such a dangerous job, Antonia?” He was a little surprised to note a look of disappointment on her face.
“I should think you of all people would know the answer to that, Justin. I wish to help my country, of course.” Then she added ingenuously, “And besides, I am bored silly with all the frivolous things my mother and sisters try to interest me in, like pretty dresses and learning to sketch and play the harp. You can have no notion of how tiresome it all is.”
Justin was beginning to realize that none of his specialized training had prepared him for dealing with a little sister, and he began praying silently for guidance.
“It certainly sounds tiresome,” he agreed. “But perhaps when you’re older, you’ll change your mind.” He saw at once that his prayers had not been answered. Antonia was looking at him with an expression of disgust written clearly in her eyes.
“That’s what everybody says,” she said, heaving a sigh. “But I know I’ll never be like Susan and Fanny. They’re silly beyond imagination. I don’t want to be like them, and I am determined not to be.”
Justin thought this an admirable ambition but could hardly say so. Instead he took a deep breath and tried another tack. “I can sympathize with your desire to be a secret agent, Antonia, but I don’t believe the government uses females for such dangerous work.”
“But what about Merriana?” Antoni
a asked with a sweet smile. It was a shot in the dark for she’d heard the name only once when she’d eavesdropped on Justin’s conversation just moments before, but she was delighted to note that her shot struck home. Justin actually jerked on his reins, and it took him a moment to bring his horses under control. His voice seemed a bit unsteady as he demanded an explanation of what she knew of Merriana.
“But she is the girl you borrowed my clothes for, isn’t she?” Antonia asked, again using her considerable astuteness to make an accurate guess. “And she was going to France with you, wasn’t she?”
“Merriana is not an agent and never was,” Justin said sharply. “She is… that was… that is…, eh, the circumstances were unusual. She has nothing to do with you, and you must forget about her going to France with me. You must also forget about being a spy. Can you imagine your mother’s reaction if you went into the secret service?”
“That is a problem,” Antonia admitted, “but I’ve decided that if I were with you, she would have no cause to worry. And you could take me with you, couldn’t you, Justin?”
“No,” Justin stated flatly.
“Why not?”
Justin ground his teeth but kept his voice as calm as possible as he searched for a reason his stepsister couldn’t argue with. “For one thing, it requires a great deal of training. People just don’t join the secret service and immediately set forth on missions.”
”Oh,” Antonia said. For the first time, Justin felt that he had made a point that impressed his little sister, and he decided to press his advantage. “Years of training are required,” he continued. “By the time you were finished with your training, the war would be over and you would have wasted a great deal of time. So, you see, you had best give up this idea altogether.”
“Yes, I do see,” Antonia said with her sweetest smile. There was an angelic look on her face which, had her stepbrother been better acquainted with her, would have filled him with foreboding. But he was not well acquainted with her and thus was not forewarned. Rather, he was relieved, feeling that he had made his point very well.
Antonia immediately changed the subject, complimenting him on how well he handled the reins, and Justin, a member of the Four-in-Hand Club, thanked her solemnly.
The rest of the afternoon went just as he had envisioned it with Antonia exclaiming with wonder over the beasts on display at the ’Change. He was a bit surprised when she asked to be treated to various meat pies and sweetmeats being sold by vendors on the street, knowing that she’d have finished her breakfast only a couple of hours previously, but he concluded that it was the novelty of such treats that made her seem so voraciously hungry. Happily, he was unaware that she was merely putting into effect the first phase of her plan to join him on his upcoming trip to France.
Antonia moved into the second phase of her plan soon after Justin had left her at her front door. After thanking him sweetly and telling him she hoped to see him soon, she had danced up the stairs and then, when no one was about, had slipped into her mother’s dressing room and lavishly applied her mother’s white powder to her face. Since there was little else she could do until suppertime, she went back to her own room to rummage through her belongings and decide what clothing was best suited for a secret mission into France.
During the family meal, Antonia entered the most critical phase of her plan. After refusing the soup course, she took very small portions of the second course and spent a few minutes pushing those portions around on her plate. When the countess at last commented on her lack of appetite, Antonia was ready to respond.
“Mama,” she ventured in a weak voice, “I don’t feel hungry in the least, which as you know, is most unusual for me. I have been considering the situation, and I am not at all sure the air in London agrees with me.”
“What are you talking about?” Susan asked sharply. “You gave poor Mama no peace until she agreed to bring you with us. We heard nothing but ‘I want to go to London’ from you for months.”
“Don’t berate your sister, Susan,” the countess responded before turning to Antonia. “Now, my dear, what are you talking about?”
“I don’t feel quite the thing, Mama. Do I look a little pale to you?”
The countess gasped. “Oh my heavenly stars, you do look pale. Whatever can be the matter?”
“I’m sure it’s nothing serious,” Antonia assured her mother quickly. “Maybe it’s just that I’ve had too much excitement. I’ve been thinking that perhaps you were right all along and I should have stayed at Hilltops.”
The countess sighed in disgust. “I might have known that dreadful brother of yours would do something wretched. He has let you mix with the riffraff of this city to look at wild beasts, and now you have taken something contagious.”
“Oh no, Mama,” Antonia exclaimed, appalled that her stepbrother would come under attack. “I assure you that I have not been feeling quite myself since we arrived.”
“Since that was only the day before yesterday,” Fanny said, sneering, “you have not been unwell long.”
Antonia ignored this remark. “I just think, Mama, that perhaps I should return to Hilltops. Lucy could go with me, for you said yourself that she is of no use here since you have hired an abigail for Susan and Fanny. And I daresay that all I need is some fresh air.”
Her mother sighed deeply. “Oh dear. I suppose I must send for a doctor. Was a mother ever so beset with worries? I vow I shall go to an early grave.”
“No, no, Mama,” Antonia exclaimed. “You mustn’t worry. Why I’m sure that if dear Dr. Sotherby could see me, he would immediately prescribe a cordial that would make me quite myself again.”
“Why yes,” the countess said, her expression of distress changing to one of relief. She had great faith in the doctor who had waited upon her girls at Hilltops and had kept them alive through various episodes with the measles and other childhood ailments. “Dr. Sotherby has always known just what to do. I shall send you home with Lucy first thing tomorrow, and she can have someone ride for the doctor as soon as you arrive.”
“Thank you so much, Mama,” Antonia replied in a weak voice. “You are the best of mothers. You always know exactly what to do to watch over us.”
The countess smiled fondly. “I should hope I do, dearest. After all, I have not raised three daughters to adulthood without learning a thing or two.”
“Then you probably think I should make an early night of it so that Lucy and I can get away right after breakfast in the morning.”
“Poor child. I know you don’t like the idea, but you must be guided by your mother and do just that. The sooner you get away, the sooner you will be able to see Dr. Sotherby.”
“You’re right, of course, Mama, and I shall do just as you asked. May I be excused?”
The countess, too touched by this filial obedience to speak, nodded her head as she pressed a lace handkerchief to her mouth and rose to escort her ailing daughter to the door with a supportive arm around Antonia’s shoulders. Then she kissed her brow and adjured her to get a good night’s rest.
As soon as she was alone in the hallway, Antonia abandoned her languishing airs and bounded up the stairs. It had worked. Tomorrow morning she would be in a chaise headed for Hilltops while Justin drove to the Drake and Cock. She did not doubt that he would spend the night there, and it would be easy enough for her to intercept him.
Chapter 15
Justin arrived at the Drake and Cock shortly after dusk on the following day. He hadn’t had an opportunity to apprise Tom and Luke of his plans, but he had no doubt he’d receive a warm welcome. The camaraderie the three had shared as children had carried over into adulthood, and despite the difference in their stations, Justin counted no men as better friends to him than the two brothers who had helped him slay imaginary dragons in the forest many years before.
However, the expression on Tom’s face when he opened the door to Justin’s knock didn’t indicate any overwhelming joy at this unexpected reunion between former
comrades. On the contrary, Tom’s surprise appeared to be surpassed only by displeasure at the sight of his old friend.
“Justin!” he exclaimed. “What in the devil are you doing here?”
Justin stiffened. “I had hoped to spend the night,” he replied in a level but somewhat strained tone. “Is the Drake and Cock still open for business, or should I seek lodging elsewhere?”
“W-w-well, yes, we’re still open,” Tom stammered. “It’s just that… Oh, you might as well come on in.”
With these words of welcome, he turned to lead Justin into the inn and then, with a shrug of his shoulders, into the taproom.
Justin’s eyes darkened with anger as his gaze quickly identified the room’s occupants. “What in the name of all that’s holy are you doing here?” he demanded.
Merriana had been sitting next to the fire in quiet conversation with Luke, but upon Justin’s snarled inquiry, she jumped to her feet and twirled to face him, an expression of surprise mingling with chagrin on her face. She was speechless for a moment. Then she straightened her shoulders, tightened her lips, and replied, in a haughty tone, “I might ask the same of you, my lord. But I will not. I believe both of us are free to go where we choose.”
“I’ll be damned if that’s so,” he countered. “You’re supposed to be in the country with your uncle and that young woman who’s claiming to be you. I ask you again, what are you doing here?”
“What do you know of that young woman?” Merriana demanded. “It was my understanding that her claim was to be kept in the strictest confidence for the time being.”
“I fear, Merriana, that I know as much about her as you do. You see, I had been visiting with Charles and quickly ducked behind the draperies when the young woman made her entrance. I heard more of her claims than you did.”
Merriana’s chin shot up. “How contemptible. You might at least have made your presence known, sir.”
The Mysterious Merriana Page 12
