Mr. Dalrymple Revealed

by Lydia M Sheridan

  “About the Cabalier! About the Cabalier!” Meg squealed, jumping up and down.

  “I — what?” Kate had to smile, partly in relief, partly because their enthusiasm was so infectious.

  Heedless of sticky fingers and dirty faces, the two hurled themselves at her, tugging at her skirt in excitement. Carolyn and Bertie, equally thrilled, ran up. Lady Alice and Lucy followed at a more decorous pace.

  “Katie, Mrs. Dogget wants me to be in a coach that gets robbed,” Carolyn said over the squeals of the others.

  Not to be outdone, Bertie chimed in, “I get to be on the jury, Katie, just think!”

  “I am,” she answered. “What do you think about this, Aunt?”

  “I think there can be no harm in it, Katherine. The village council is sponsoring it and the money is to benefit the poorhouse. After all, it’s simply a bit of fancy dress. It’s not as though they will truly run about robbing people.” Lady Alice smiled at the gentleman beside her niece, including him in her gentle joke. He responded by tipping his hat and laughing warmly.

  “Ha, ha,” Kate joined in weakly. To cover her confusion, she took a handkerchief out of her reticule, licked it, and scrubbed a squirming Simon’s face. “Well,” she began, beginning on Meg’s dirty features, “If Auntie Alice feels this is appropriate, then you may all be in the pageant.”

  “Huzzah!” shouted Bertie. The four youngsters ran back in the direction of the green to join an excited group by the stocks. Lucy frowned and bit her lip.

  Kate couldn’t resist the chance to tease her sister. “What part did they ask you to play, Lu?” she enquired wickedly. “The lecherous Marchioness?”

  Lucy turned red. “Kate!” she gasped, darting a warning look at the stranger. To his credit, Mr. Dalrymple had moved away, courteously appearing to be engrossed in the headstone of one Aloyisous Wallingford, who was At Rest With The Angels since 1701.

  Looking uncertainly from her sister to her aunt, Lucy replied in a low voice, “Adam says the pageant will glorify evil and wickedness and no pure thinking person should take part.” She bit her lip with a serious expression. “He says that it would violate several of the Seven Deadly Sins, not to mention—”

  Kate, fed-up to the back teeth with “what Adam says” opened her mouth to favor Lu with her opinion. Lady Alice stopped her with a warning hand on her arm.

  “Goodness, what a fuss,” she said calmly. “After all, to many people, Captain Harrison was a hero, fighting the Roundheads long after the war was over.”

  “He was? He was.” Kate turned her aunt. “And think how much money the pageant will raise. I think it’s every pure thinking lady’s duty to participate. Noblesse oblige,” she added piously.

  Lady Alice nodded thoughtfully. “I shall certainly do my part with the organizing committee. I would not care to have people believe I was shirking my charitable duties.” She turned as if to head back across the green. Kate read her intent and followed. After one agonizing second, Lucy hastened to join them. Kate and Lady Alice stopped.

  “Perhaps you’re right. Our duty, after all, is to our fellow man.”

  “No, Lucy, dearest. Your scruples do you credit,” Lady Alice assured her.

  “But if we are obligated—”

  Kate chimed in. “No, Lu, you are quite correct. You wouldn’t want to disobey your future husband, would you?”

  Lucy shot her sister a narrow look. Kate kept her composure and her innocent gaze. It was an exercise which required a great deal of effort.

  “Katherine, will you join us on the committee?” Lady Alice turned to Lucy. “My dear, I shall depend upon you to look after the children while Katherine and I take on new responsibilities.”

  “Yes,” Lucy blurted out. “I’ll do it. The pageant, I mean. I shall make Adam understand. For such a praiseworthy cause, of course.” She stood irresolute, biting her lip. A relieved smile lit her face. “Mrs. Dogget said Belinda and I could play the Duchess of Ortranto and her abigail. Because I dance well, she said.” Lucy blushed and beamed. “May I stay to luncheon at Belinda’s?”

  Lady Alice nodded and smiled as her niece hurried over to her friend, waiting at the gate to the graveyard. In an instant, the two had their heads together and were chattering like magpies.

  “Well done, Aunt!” Kate turned back to her aunt to hide her grin. “But I am surprised you think it’s seemly for her to participate.” She watched the two girls as they practically skipped back to the village in their enthusiasm. “She’s seventeen. Not a girl anymore.”

  Lady Alice looked troubled. “Believe me, I do not believe this is in any way seemly. However, it is less appropriate that she is under the thumb of Mr. Weilmunster. If it takes a public performance to remove his influence, the price must be paid . And no one shall hear of it outside the village.” She cleared her throat gently to remind her niece of the social niceties.

  Amused at this heretofore unknown manipulative streak in her aunt, Kate called to Mr. Dalrymple and presented him to Lady Alice, for all the world as if they were in a London drawing room. He bowed over her aunt’s hand, agreed that it was indeed a rare coincidence to meet his friend Lady Katherine again after so many years, and accepted an invitation to call.

  “And now,” Lady Alice announced, eyes twinkling, “I had best visit Lady Malford and volunteer to help with the pageant. I should not like to be exposed for telling taradiddles. So happy to meet you, Mr. Dalrymple. I shall see you at home, Katherine.”

  Mr. Dalrymple waited until Lady Alice was out of hearing range. “Do you attend the assembly tonight?” he inquired.

  Kate nodded.

  “We’ll meet there.” Mr. Dalrymple took her hand in his. “Your country will thank you for this.”

  Kate wrenched her hand from his. “I need no thanks to help my country,” she replied icily.

  “I didn’t mean—” he began.

  “What sort of a person do you think I am?”

  “Well—” Mr. Dalrymple tried again.

  “Just because I’m a thief doesn’t mean I am without honor!”

  “Yes it—”

  “Why didn’t you simply ask for my help from the first?”

  Edmund glared at her. The answer, of course, was that he was new at this espionage lark and it wasn’t proving as easy as he’d imagined. However, he’d be nibbled to death by ducks before admitting such to her. “It is standard operating procedure of the War Office,” he lied loftily.

  Kate threw him a glance which spoke volumes. She obviously didn’t believe a word he said.

  She handed him his parasol. It was an odd-shaped trifle, quite heavy and with a large handle. A clumsy object for a dandy of his stripe to carry, though the lace was exquisite, she thought idly.

  “I need time to think.”

  “There is a reward of five thousand pounds.”

  Kate gripped the headstone to keep from staggering.

  “Five thousand pounds?” Her mind reeled as though she’d had too much wine. Five thousand pounds—it was a fortune.

  Edmund nodded, bowed, and strode away. Kate watched as he paused, unfurled the parasol, and changed his stride to a mince.

  Oh, for pity’s sake. What was the government thinking?

  Her thoughts whirling, Kate plucked a rose from the bush on the late Mr. Wallingford’s eternal resting place and mangled the petals absently. Chief amongst the thoughts chasing each other around her brain was the idea of a reward. “For it just so happens I know where those counterfeiters might be,” she bragged to Mr. Wallingford. He, however, was keeping his own counsel, so Kate strolled out of the graveyard and down the path to the green, scheming happily.

  Behind her, the eavesdropper emerged from the concealing shadow cast by the Wallingford mausoleum and stood, fingering a rosary.

  “Do you now, Lady Katherine? What a fragile flower of saintliness you are, lass. And such a generous soul, to share with the likes of me.”

  ridan, Mr. Dalrymple Revealed