‘I have been expecting you, Lord Torbay,’ she said, ‘and am glad that Aitken had the sense to place his trust in you. God alone knows, someone needs to get to the bottom of this unfortunate business before something terrible happens.’ She frowned. ‘I blame myself. Would that I had…however, it does no good to repine. Lord Glynde.’ She offered Ros her hand, which he bowed over. ‘Please take a seat, gentlemen.’
As they did so Ros took the opportunity to examine Lady Barlow’s face. The worry lines etched into her brow emphasised her concern for Annabel’s welfare. She clearly had not slept much since the girl went missing and did indeed blame herself for that situation.
‘You have come to ask me about Annabel, I expect. She has not been found?’
Ros shook his head and the brief hope that had flared in the old lady’s eyes was extinguished. ‘Sadly, she has not.’
Lady Barlow sighed. ‘Then it is as I feared. She has been taken by someone wanting to influence her father.’
‘We wonder why you did not conduct a more thorough search when she was first missed,’ Jake said. ‘We have just spoken to Archie Lawrence and he remains in ignorance as to her disappearance.’
‘Then at least I did something right.’
The return of the maid with coffee brought the conversation to a pause. Once they had all been served and the maid had retired, Lady Barlow spoke again.
‘When the girl couldn’t be found I knew almost immediately that someone must have taken her. She would not have wandered very far alone and we would have heard her scream if someone had attempted to attack her.’
‘But the same applies if she was abducted,’ Jake said. ‘Which makes me suppose you assume she colluded with her abductor.’
‘Not necessarily. A well-planned abduction by people who knew what they were doing could have taken her unawares. They waited for her to wander away from the party, threw a sack over her head, or placed a hand over her mouth and spirited her away in a waiting carriage. It could easily have been managed.’
‘Always assuming she obligingly wandered away on her own,’ Ros mused. ‘That hardly implies a well thought out plan.’
‘What’s to say this was their first attempt?’ Lady Barlow stirred her coffee with considerable vigour. ‘They might have planned previous efforts that came to naught. There again, perhaps they got lucky.’
‘Your first thought was to protect her reputation, I take it,’ Jake said.
Lady Barlow nodded. ‘And her father’s. If her disappearance became common knowledge, he would become a liability as far as the coalition is concerned. But then you don’t need me to tell you that, do you, Lord Glynde?’
‘No, ma’am, I do not, but I will admit that I am surprised it was your first thought.’
She gave a tight smile. ‘My husband was closely involved with politics all his adult life, which means that I am conversant with some of the underhand tactics unscrupulous people are willing to employ in order to get their way. Aitken is an asset to this sorry excuse for a coalition and I would not be responsible for his removal from it.’
‘We commend your foresight, Lady Barlow, but the girl was in your care and—’
‘And I lost her.’ Lady Barlow straightened her shoulders. ‘I am well aware of that. However, I did what I thought was right at the time. Creating a fuss would not have magically produced the girl out of thin air, but would have made matters considerably worse.’
‘Tell us how you came to miss her and what action you took to try and find her,’ Jake said.
‘She thoroughly enjoyed being the centre of attention.’ There was an edge to Lady Barlow’s voice.
Jake raised a brow. ‘You did not approve of her behaviour?’
‘I neither approved nor disapproved. She is a beautiful young woman, albeit rather silly. I have a great deal more time for her sister. Have you met Jemima?’
Ros inclined his head. ‘I have,’ he said, refraining from adding that he agreed with Lady Barlow’s assessment of the sisters’ respective characters.
‘Anyway, regardless of her lack of intellect, Annabel is quite exquisite and deserved to be admired. And no one can accuse her of not lapping up the attention. For my part, I was grateful to her because her attendance at my picnic ensured that every young man I invited to join the excursion accepted the moment I accidently allowed him to know that she would be there.’
‘Thereby ensuring its success,’ Ros said, chuckling.
‘Quite. She didn’t show any one of them particular favouritism, in case you were about to ask. Late in the day she told me she needed a respite and would I object to her taking a short stroll alone. I saw no harm in it, so long as she didn’t wander too far. Even the most assiduously pursued amongst us sometimes craves a respite so, stupidly it now transpires, I dissuaded her posse of admirers from following her.’
‘Was she within your line of sight the entire time?’ Ros asked.
‘Obviously not, otherwise I would have noticed what happened to her.’ Lady Barlow exhaled slowly. ‘But I can tell you that none of my guests left the main group, so if one of them arranged her abduction he did not do it in person.’ She shuddered. ‘Not that I suspect any of them. They are all young men of consequence, with expectations and responsibilities, whose reputations would be ruined if they did anything quite so rash.’
‘Was she her usual self?’ Jake asked.
‘Actually, she seemed preoccupied. A little cross, in fact. I heard her speak quite sharply to a servant who had committed some minor transgression, which is not at all like her. But I am not the right person to ask about her state of mind. If she had secrets and confided in anyone, it would have been Fiona Farrell.’ Lady Barlow sipped at her coffee and replaced the cup in its saucer with a gentle click. ‘They are very close friends and I am not so old that I don’t remember sharing all my secrets with my best friend when I was a gal.’
‘What did you do when she didn’t return and you couldn’t see her?’ Jake asked.
‘I had to think quickly. I got rid of most of the party on some excuse, telling Annabel’s admirers that she would be returning with our group. Once they were gone, Lord and Lady Farrell and our servants conducted a thorough search of the immediate area.’ She spread her hands. ‘Alas, she was nowhere to be found. I swore Lady Farrell to secrecy and I know she will not speak out of turn. She is one of the few women of my acquaintance who knows how to keep a confidence—even something as juicy as Annabel’s possible fall from grace.’
Jake and Ros shared a glance. For his part Ros was convinced that Lady Barlow had been transparently honest with them. They thanked her and took their leave, assuring her that she would be the first person they told when Annabel was recovered.
‘You believed her?’ Ros asked as another Hansom conveyed them in the direction of Ros’s rooms.
‘Her quick thinking prevented a scandal.’
‘Almost too quick to be believed. I do wonder if she knew what was about to happen and followed orders, allowing the abductors time to spirit Annabel away.’
Jake gave a grim nod. ‘It’s possible, I’ll grant you that, but I think it’s unlikely. Lady Barlow possesses integrity. I can sense it.’
‘It had not occurred to me that the girl might have been taken from a public place in order to force Aitken’s resignation. I had assumed she’d been taken so that they could persuade him to use his influence in favour of their cause.’
‘But they didn’t count on Lady Barlow’s level-headedness.’
Ros sighed. ‘We are no further forward, are we?’
‘Perhaps Olivia will have more luck with Fiona Farrell.’
The cab deposited them outside of Ros’s rooms. ‘Come up for a moment, if you can spare the time,’ Ros said. ‘I jotted down a few more thoughts about my father’s situation that you might find useful.’
‘By all means.’
The front door was locked. ‘Mrs Gaunt must have been called out,�
� Ros said, extracting a key from his pocket. ‘She’s a midwife.’
Jake nodded and followed Ros up to his rooms. Ros frowned when he noticed that his door was ajar. ‘What the devil?’ He shot Jake a wary look. ‘I always lock my door. You watched me do so.’
‘I did. Perhaps your landlady…’
‘Knows better than to invade my privacy.’
He walked through the door, relieved to see that everything was just as he had left it. His desk, containing sensitive papers locked in a drawer, remained undisturbed. That was a relief, but even so, someone had been here. Why?
‘Nothing seems to be missing,’ Ros said slowly, ‘but still, it doesn’t feel right. Someone gains entry and wanted to be sure that I knew it.’
Jake prowled around the spacious room and shook his head when he found no intruders lurking behind the furniture. ‘Whoever it was is long gone.’
‘Then why? What did they hope to…’ He approached the open doors to his bedroom and let out a string of oaths.
‘What is it?’
Jake came up behind him, saw for himself and both men rushed into the room. The bed was no longer rumpled but neatly made. And a female body—beautiful and deathly pale—had been posed on top of the covers.
‘Annabel,’ they said together, exchanging an astounded look.
Chapter Nine
Jemima was ready to leave well before she could reasonably expect Lady Torbay to call for her. Her mother had woken uncharacteristically early, inventing reasons why Jemima ought not to involve herself with Lady Torbay.
‘I cannot see any reason for Lady Torbay to take you up,’ she complained. ‘Our problems are not her concern.’
‘She wants to help.’
Mama tutted. ‘Help from her quarter will doubtless hinder any progress that might otherwise be made, and will set tongues wagging. She is not universally accepted, you know, despite having managed to somehow secure the protection of Jake’s name to lend her tarnished reputation a veneer of respectability.’
Jemima sent her mother a speaking look but resisted the urge to remind her that she barely spared Jemima a passing glance as a general rule. But now that she had attracted the attention of Lady Torbay, Mama was envious of the association and wanted to insert herself into it, presumably in the hope of seeing more of Jake. Jemima shook her head, aware that she had no evidence upon which to base such an unkind assumption but knowing she had got it right anyway. Annabel adored being admired, looked upon it as her due, and she had learned to behave in such a fashion at the feet of a mother who still paid more attention to her appearance than to her elder daughter.
‘You astound me, Mama,’ she said in a clipped tone. ‘I spent an hour in Lord and Lady Torbay’s company yesterday and saw nothing in that gentleman’s conduct that suggested anything other than total adoration for his wife.’
‘Ha, Jake has never been one to show his feelings, and maintaining appearances is all that matters to him. He has made a terrible mistake and must live with the consequences.’ She gave a self-pitying little huff. ‘However, if you insist upon going out with the woman then I ought to be with you.’
‘No, Mama, there is no need for you to exert yourself. You are not well enough to leave this room. You have told me so often enough.’
‘And it is true, but I never put my own concerns ahead of those of my children, as well you know.’
I do?
Not trusting herself to make a polite reply, Jemima left her mother in the care of her maid and waited in the drawing room, twitching the curtains aside every time a carriage rumbled past the window. Papa had left early for Westminster, providing her with a rare moment of tranquillity in a house that normally buzzed with activity centred almost exclusively around Annabel’s requirements.
Lady Torbay arrived in a small closed carriage, and Jemima left the house as soon as it drew to a halt outside, saving her coachman from the trouble of leaving his conveyance and knocking at the door.
‘Good morning, Jemima,’ Lady Torbay said as the coachman opened the door and assisted her into the carriage. ‘I may call you Jemima, may I not?’
‘Please do.’
‘Good. And you must call me Olivia.’
Jemima blinked, somewhat taken about by the countess’s informality. ‘Very well. Thank you. I shall.’
‘Good. That’s settled. Now then, I wonder what Fiona Farrell will have to tell us. I suggest that I engage the mother in conversation whilst you tackle the daughter. If Fiona knows something that might help us to find Annabel, she is more likely to reveal it to you out of her mother’s hearing.’
‘I am happy to try, but how shall we separate mother and daughter?’
‘Oh, leave that to me,’ Olivia replied, with a casual wave of one hand. ‘I am sure I shall think of something.’
Jemima smiled, perfectly sure that she would.
Olivia chatted about nothing in particular until the conveyance delivered them to Lady Farrell’s door. They were admitted by a maid and not kept waiting above a minute before they were shown into a drawing room occupied by mother and daughter.
‘A very great pleasure,’ Lady Farrell said to Jemima, glancing dubiously at Olivia. ‘I have been…well, anxious for news.’
‘Thank you for seeing us,’ Jemima replied. ‘And you can speak freely in front of Lady Torbay. She is aware of the situation.’
Lady Farrell’s forced smile gave way to a grim expression. ‘I take it you bring no news of your sister.’
‘Unfortunately not, but Lord Torbay is now conducting the search and we are confident that he will have more success.’
‘That is most comforting.’ Lady Farrell dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief. ‘I blame myself. Your sister was in my care.’
‘I cannot see how you can be culpable,’ Olivia said.
‘That is what I have tried to tell Mama,’ Fiona observed. ‘Annabel does as she pleases. She always has.’
Fiona’s acerbic tone surprised Jemima, who sent her a curious look. She had always thought that the young woman was too insipid, too anxious to be accepted by the leading lights within the younger set, to form opinions of her own. Clearly she had underestimated her. She surprised Jemima for a second time by standing and inviting her to give an opinion upon the designs for a new gown which were laid out in her sitting room. She knew very well that Jemima had little interest in such subjects, making her wonder what it was that she was so keen to say to her alone. Since her suggestion fit in so conveniently with their own plans, Jemima gladly agreed, sparing Olivia from the need to contrive that very situation.
Fiona led the way upstairs and flopped down on the window seat in her room, ushering Jemima to a chair that faced it.
‘I’m sorry to say this, Jemima,’ she said with more confidence than Jemima had ever seen from her in the past. Perhaps that was because she had always been overshadowed by Annabel’s exuberant personality and probably assumed that no one would have any interest in her. Jemima was well acquainted with that particular feeling. ‘However, your sister has been…well, most disobliging. Not only has her selfishness had a detrimental effect upon my mother’s health, but she has also made life very difficult for me. What few freedoms I once enjoyed are now denied to me for fear that I too will be abducted.’
‘I am sorry to hear that,’ Jemima replied sincerely. ‘I take it you don’t think that she has been abducted.’
Fiona fixed Jemima with a shrewd look. ‘Can you imagine her allowing herself to be taken by anyone she would prefer not to be taken by? In broad daylight. There were plenty of other people on the heath that day, as well as our party, and no one saw anything the slightest bit suspicious. They all say that one moment Annabel was there, strolling about, and the next she had simply vanished. No one was seen anywhere near her and she was not so fond of her own company that she would endure it for long.’
‘You have expressed your opinion to your mother? To my father?’
> ‘Lud no! I have no proof and would be accused of jealousy if I made my feelings plain.’
Jemima leaned forward and dealt Fiona a searing look. ‘Do you have reason to suppose that she had made arrangements to meet someone? Had she confided in you about an attachment that she thought would not meet with parental approval?’
‘No, but there was someone. I am absolutely sure of it. She liked Lord Glynde very much.’
Jemima’s stomach lurched. Leave him alone. He’s mine! Where had that possessive thought come from? She shook her head to dislodge it and took a moment to recover her composure. ‘Yes, she met him at one of my mother’s soirees and I noticed that he was just about the only single man there who didn’t dance attendance upon Annabel.’
‘Well, there you are then. That would be enough to invoke Annabel’s determination to have him notice her. I hear he’s fearful good looking.’
‘He is, but since he has no interest in Annabel it’s reasonable to suppose that he did not abduct her, or persuade her to elope with him, or whatever it is that we think might have happened. He has no reason I am aware of to do something as risky as abducting a young woman, and had no apparent interest in eloping with her. If they had formed a secret attachment, there would be no reason to keep it…well, secret. Lord Glynde will be an earl one day and that would be sufficient to satisfy Mama’s ambitions for the beauty of the family.’
Jemima leaned her elbow on the window ledge and rested her chin in her cupped hand, oddly unsettled by thoughts of Annabel and Lord Glynde becoming intimate. She wondered why she had not told Fiona that Lord Glynde couldn’t possibly be involved since he was helping with the hunt for Annabel. A small voice in the back of her head suggested that would be an excellent way for him to know what progress had been made and remain one step ahead of those attempting to find Annabel. She dismissed the possibility, telling herself that he was too honourable to behave so deviously. For the first time in her eighteen years, she had met a gentleman whom she admired and whose company she enjoyed. She refused to believe that he too had fallen victim to Annabel’s charms and liked him all the more because her was impervious to them.
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