Goddess of the Hunt (The Wanton Dairymaid Trilogy #1)

“But what about Gervais? How is he going to know to come for you if he never receives the letter?”


Sophia let out a strangled sigh. “Gervais is never going to come for me. Gervais doesn’t exist.”

“What?”

“He doesn’t exist. I made him up. My real painting master is a balding prig called Mr. Turklethwaite. I’d lighten my tea with paint before I touched his forearm, let alone any other part of his body.” Sophia shuddered.

Lucy was stunned. “But, the letter …”

“Wasyour idea!” Sophia exclaimed in a loud whisper. “I thought you were suggesting a bit of fun, just like you proposed writing that letter to the pirates. I thought you understood.” Her face softened. “All that talk about wishing for something so hard it would come true … Lucy, I thought youunderstood .”

“I do,” she said, thinking of her own infatuation with Toby. Lucy took her friend’s hand and squeezed it. “I do understand. Oh, but how did you ever invent such a sordid tale in the first place? The sketching, the … thepainting! The rabbits and cabbage!”

“Thewine.” Sophia rolled her eyes. “And, so long as I’m being momentarily honest, the envy.”

“Envy?”

“Yes, of course, envy! You’re getting kissed under trees and worked over in cupboards, and I’m getting lessons in geometry!”

Lucy smiled despite herself. This probably wasn’t the moment to tell Sophia she’d just been kissed to distraction in Henry’s study. “But if Gervais isn’t real,” she asked, “then whose address did you give?”

“Mymodiste’s.” Sophia cringed and let go of Lucy’s shoulders. “Oh, I’ll be ruined,” she moaned, putting one hand over her eyes.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Your name wasn’t on the letter. It isn’t even in your hand.”

Sophia uncovered her eyes. “You’re right. But how brilliant! Madame Pamplemousse sells more gossip than gowns. That letter will end up in the scandal sheets, and all of England will be mad to find out who wrote it. We’ll be the talk of the drawing room all winter long. We’ll be infamous!” She grabbed Lucy’s hand in hers. “Oh, tell me you posted it!”

“I didn’t post it.”

“Well give it to me, then. I’ll post it myself.”

“I can’t.” Lucy brushed past her and exited the room. She went down the corridor to the next room. The latch rattled in her hand. It was locked. She turned around and jumped at the sight of Sophia’s nose three inches from hers.

“What do you mean, you can’t? Where is it?”

“Er …”

Lucy was saved by a series of male shouts emanating from the courtyard. She crossed the corridor and entered the first open room. She hurried to the window and wrenched it open. Footmen scurried about in the courtyard, brandishing torches and shouting directions to one another.

Sophia put a hand on Lucy’s shoulder and leaned over her, craning her neck. “They must have found her.”

Lucy turned from the window and started back toward the door. She froze in her tracks. This was Jeremy’s room. She looked around. The fire was banked and growing dim. The bed had not been slept in; the counterpane remained unwrinkled. There were no personal objects to speak of. No book lay on the bedside table. No flask awaited filling at the bar. No discarded cravat hung from the corner of the mirror. Only two objects in the room evidenced his occupancy.

Two valises, standing at attention by the door.

He was leaving.

“Well, come on then.” Sophia tugged at her elbow, and Lucy followed numbly.

Of course, Lucy thought as they hurried down the corridor. Of course he was leaving. Why else would he be leaving a note for Henry in the middle of the night?

“What’s all this, then?” Kitty stepped into the corridor, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with one hand and clutching the neck of her dressing gown with the other.

“Aunt Matilda,” Sophia called over her shoulder as they breezed past. “She’s wandered off again. All the men are out searching for her.”

Lucy and Sophia started down the stairs, and Kitty hurried after them. “Wait!” she called.

Sophia stopped, and Lucy halted likewise. They stared at Kitty.

Kitty huffed. “Well, I’m not going to be left here all alone.” She planted one hand on her hip and leaned against the banister.

“Come along then,” Lucy said with a shrug, resuming her progress down the stairs.Really , she thought. Kitty was insufferable. One would think she’d missed her invitation to a garden party.