“What is it, Maria? Is the house on fire?”
“No.” She swallowed hard. “I went up to see if I could help Henrietta. She went upstairs with a headache. But I can’t get her to answer the door, and it’s locked. Please come and help me get it open.” She had turned her pleading look on Nicholas as well.
“Shall we have the butler open her door?”
Sir Lemmick and his daughter followed Nicholas as he made his way through the crowd. He found the butler in the dining room, instructing the footmen. They explained the situation, and the butler led their procession up to Henrietta’s room. Only now more people had joined them. This could easily turn into an ugly scandal, depending on what they found in Mrs. Tromburg’s room.
Nicholas hung back, wishing he hadn’t come with them. Before they reached her door, Sir Lemmick turned around and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you, my daughter and I will take care of Mrs. Tromburg, whatever her needs may be. I pray you, go back to the ball and enjoy yourselves. We shall all be down soon.”
The people slowly dispersed and went back down the stairs, and Nicholas was happy to disperse with them, just as the butler found the right key and started to open the door.
“She isn’t here,” he heard Miss Lemmick say.
“Langdon, where are you?” Sir Lemmick was squinting down the stairs, looking for him.
Nicholas stifled a groan. He wouldn’t escape so easily. “I am here.”
“Come, man. Help us look for her.”
Nicholas came back up the stairs and reluctantly stepped inside the room as Sir Lemmick and his daughter looked bewildered. He waited as they searched everywhere, even in her wardrobe.
“She simply isn’t here,” Miss Lemmick said, her eyes wide. “What shall we do? Where could she be?”
“Darling,” Sir Lemmick said, “Mrs. Tromburg is a grown woman. She . . . she can be responsible for herself. She does not need us following her around.”
“But Father! She could be sick, unable to walk. Perhaps she wandered into the garden and could not make it back to the house.”
Sir Lemmick and Nicholas exchanged glances.
“If she were sick,” Nicholas said, “she would be in her room. Therefore, she does not wish to be found.”
“Are you so suspicious? Father?”
Indecision and dread were all over Sir Lemmick’s face. “Darling, please. Listen to reason. Mr. Langdon is right.”
“Father, Mrs. Tromburg is my particular friend. You must look for her. You must help her.”
“Very well. Mr. Langdon and I will search the garden and the stable and ask the servants if they’ve seen her. Meanwhile, go back to the dance, my dear, or go to your room, but please don’t say anything to anyone. And we shall inform you as soon as we find her.”
Miss Lemmick nodded, her mouth slightly open, her expression forlorn as she headed down the hall.
Sir Lemmick gave Nicholas an apologetic look. “Forgive me, Langdon. She strong-armed me. When you have a daughter, you’ll understand.”
Nicholas tried to put on his good-natured face and nodded. He and Sir Lemmick hurried down the back stairs and searched outside. It was dark, and they called out, “Anyone here? Hallooo! Anyone?”
Soon Sir Lemmick said, “Let’s try the stable yard and ask the groomsmen.”
He and Nicholas made their way to the stable area, which was crowded with extra horses and carriages, but the extra drivers and stable boys and groomsmen were nowhere to be seen. Finally, they located a few drivers standing outside the kitchen door just as Smith, Nicholas’s valet, came toward them.
“Smith, have you seen Mrs. Tromburg?”
“Sir,” he said quietly to Nicholas, and Sir Lemmick leaned in to listen, “one of the groomsmen saw Mrs. Tromburg get in Mr. Edgerton’s carriage. A few minutes later, Mr. Edgerton left the house and got in the carriage with her and drove away. That was about an hour ago.”
Nicholas wanted to ignore the information, to go back inside and forget it.
“Perhaps he was mistaken. Perhaps it wasn’t Mrs. Tromburg,” Sir Lemmick offered.
“Sir, a servant also saw Mrs. Tromburg leave from the back door a few minutes before Mr. Edgerton.”
He wanted to shake Henrietta. How could she be so indiscreet, so stupid? Her reputation would be forever wrecked.
“Should we go after them and try to save Mrs. Tromburg’s reputation? For my daughter’s sake?” Sir Lemmick’s expression was pained.
“Mrs. Tromburg is a grown woman, a widow, and she knows her own mind. I refuse to chase after her. If she wants to destroy her reputation, that’s her decision.”
“Just so. Quite right.” Sir Lemmick shook his head and stared at the ground for a moment. “We shan’t breathe a word. Only, what shall I say to my daughter? This is a fine, embarrassing way . . .” Sir Lemmick’s words ended in an unintelligible mumble.
“Tell her the truth.”