Felicia (19 page)

Impatiently he started for the door, for he wanted to check for himself that Felicia was safely at home with his mother. “I will see myself out, ma’am. Good day.” He snapped the noisy door shut behind him and waited while the footman fetched his hat and gloves. Impulsively, he pulled a coin out of his pocket and pressed it into the lackey’s hand. “Has a Miss Richards visited with Lady Ormstead today?” he asked casually.

“No…no…me lord. You’re the only bit of gentry that ’as called.”

“Do you know if Miss Richards has ever been here?” he pressed.

“No…not that I can recall,” the footman answered, wrinkling up his nose in concentration. “No. That name is not one I’ve ’eard afore.”

“I see. Thank you.” Lord Umber stepped out of the house with a sigh of relief and ordered his coachman to spring the horses to his mother’s house. He felt something was wrong and needed to seek reassurance that Felicia was well.

After his departure, Lady Ormstead sat for several minutes laughing to herself. “Oh! yes, my fine young dandy. Felicia is far better off where she is. Far better off. And don’t think you can come back again and bamboozle me into telling you anything more. Ha! Ha! No one is ever going to find you now, Felicia. No one.” She stood up abruptly and rang the bell several times.

After what seemed to her an interminable wait, Mr. Nestor appeared. “You rang, your ladyship?”

“Several times, Nestor.” She paced the room as she spoke. “I want you to insure that Lord Umber is never admitted again, if he should call. Is that clear?”

“Perfectly, your ladyship.”

“Good. I will hold you responsible if my order is disobeyed. I shall be in my sitting room if Mr. Brown calls. Kindly show him there when he arrives.” Without waiting for an answer she left the room, leaving in her wake an echo of triumphant laughter.

Fourteen

Lord Umber and David arrived at Lady
Louisa’s house together, and the air of suppressed excitement that enveloped David did much to dissipate the feeling of foreboding Lord Umber had.

“Ian,” David exclaimed happily, “the very person I would want to be present when I tell Miss Richards who she is.”

“She already knows, David,” Lord Umber replied, his voice heavy with disappointment. “Her memory returned this morning.”

“Ah! but I have information that even she knows nothing of. Come, let us go inside and give her the good news.”

Once again Lord Umber’s spirits rose, for David’s good humor was infectious. However, the atmosphere in the house was oppressive, and both men looked at each other in alarm. The unusually somber face of Sims, the butler, indicated that something was amiss and the way the footman refused to raise his eyes from the intricate mosaic pattern of the tiled floor confirmed this.

“Is everything all right, Sims?” Lord Umber inquired. The butler indicated the blue saloon with some distress. “Lady Louisa is anxious to see you, your lordship. I
…I…
”

“Well, what is it, Sims? For God’s sake, tell me what has happened.”

“It’s Miss Richards, your lordship. It appears that she has disappeared.”

David looked at Lord Umber quickly and saw the naked despair that clouded his friend’s eyes.
Egad!
he thought,
Ian really is in love with the chit. I wonder if he knows it.

“Thank you, Sims,” Lord Umber said heavily. “No, no, there is no need to announce us. Let us see what all this is about, David.” He moved forward, and David followed him tentatively.

“There must be an explanation, Ian,” he said gently. “Mayhap she went to exchange a book at the library, or even lost herself for an hour or two in the Pantheon.”

“Of course, David. There is bound to be a simple answer. It is just that I spent a rather unpleasant afternoon with Miss Richards’ aunt, Lady Ormstead, and now this news. Frankly, it makes me feel uneasy. I fear Lady Ormstead is quite mad and has something to do with Miss Richards’ nonappearance.”

“Lady Ormstead said something that indicated her involvement?” David asked.

“Ever the solicitor, David, aren’t you? No, she said nothing—it was all in her attitude.” He opened the door softly. “Let us do what we can to reassure Mama that all is well.”

The sight that greeted them was far from reassuring. Lady Louisa was prone on a pretty chintz chaise, and Dr. Ross was standing over her feeling her pulse. He turned around at the sound of voices and smiled encouragingly. “It is not as bad as it looks, Ian,” he comforted, carefully placing Lady Louisa’s arm across her chest. “I have just given her a dose of laudanum to ease her anxiety, otherwise she is perfectly well.” He moved over to his friends as he spoke. “Is there another room we can use? I think it as well for Lady Louisa to rest for a while.”

“The study,” Lord Umber said quickly. “This way.” He led the party out into the hallway and pointed to a door diagonally opposite. “In there. I will join you in a moment.” He beckoned the footman over who had been hovering nearby and ordered some refreshments.

“Yes, m’lord. Right away, sir,” he said with respect and scurried off to do as he was bade.

As Lord Umber entered the library, he cast an apprehensive look at Dr. Ross. “I take it the disappearance of Miss Richards caused Mama to react as she did? Nothing more serious?”

“That’s about it, Ian. She has spent most of the morning until now,” he pulled out his fob watch, “that’s almost five hours, working herself into this state. When Miss Richards failed to return from her appointment with me by noon, Lady Louisa sent a servant to my office. Unfortunately I had already left for my luncheon with you, and instead of returning to Lady Louisa, the silly man decided he’d best stay put until I came back.”

“What time did you return?” David asked.

“Not more than fifty minutes ago.” He turned to Lord Umber apologetically. “I met some colleagues on my way out of White’s, otherwise I would have returned much earlier.”

“Ian tells me that Miss Richards’ memory returned completely, Paul. Would this occurrence have caused her to run away?”

“No. Not at all. She made up her mind to seek employment elsewhere, but had agreed to stay with Lady Louisa until another position could be found.”

David looked at Dr. Ross quizzically, but Lord Umber intercepted the question. “It would appear she did not want to become a charitable case,” he said. “Are you positive, Paul, that she was perfectly composed when she left you? There’s no chance she could have undergone a change of mind because of something she had recalled that was shaming?”

“You have my word, Ian, that Miss Richards had no reason to be ashamed of anything. Her father was killed in a duel nearly six years ago, whereupon her mother was forced to seek Lady Ormstead’s aid. They made their home with her until Mrs. Richards died. It was then that Felicia…I mean Miss Richards…left to go to Manchester.”

“It all seems unexceptionable to me,” David said at length, quite forgetting the news he had to impart as his mind tried to unravel the mystery. “Perhaps Miss Richards has returned to Lady Ormstead.”

“No,” Lord Umber said flatly. “As I mentioned to you, I have just returned from visiting that woman,” he turned to Dr. Ross and smiled briefly. “I couldn’t resist the temptation.”

Dr. Ross smiled in understanding.

“Miss Richards has not been there,” he continued, “and I doubt whether she would ever return. Not only is the aunt mad, she’s vindictive, spiteful, and cruel. As a matter of fact, I asked the footman there if a Miss Richards had paid a call on Lady Ormstead, and his denial was most emphatic.”

Dr. Ross shook his head. “I must confess, I was pinning my hopes on the aunt, for, quite honestly, I cannot think of where else she could have gone. I don’t suppose she had much money with her?”

“Mama would know the answer to that, but I would doubt it.” Lord Umber turned to David. “Can your legal mind think of anything that we laymen have missed?”

David shrugged his shoulders. “It’s a mystery…an absolute mystery. Wait, it’s just an idea, but has she made any particular friends since she has been in London? Someone she would trust enough to turn to, or want to confide in? It is always possible that she is enjoying a comfortable gossip and doesn’t realize the time.”

Lord Umber shook his head slowly. “She would have sent word to Mama that she had been detained had that been the case, unless I am much mistaken about her character, for she would not want to cause Mama any unnecessary worry. No, I think it’s possible that she has met with an accident.” A frown gathered on his brow as he spoke, the suggestion he had just made not at all to his liking. He dismissed it with another shake of his head. “Paul, I hate to sound so disbelieving, but are you absolutely sure nothing occurred this morning that we should know about? Her disappearance doesn’t make sense otherwise….” He broke off as the butler entered, bearing a tray which he carefully placed on a side table. “Thank you, Sims, that will be all.” He gestured to his guests to help themselves as he poured himself a large brandy. Normally, he did not imbibe during the day, but this latest news of Felicia had upset him. He recalled the conversation they had at breakfast, but could think of nothing he said that would have caused her to run away. “Well, Paul?”

“Absolutely not, Ian,” he answered emphatically. If he thought, for one moment that Felicia’s disappearance had anything to do with what he only suspected were her true feelings for Lord Umber, he knew he would say something. But he didn’t, and so he decided it was best to say nothing. He glanced at David, as though looking for support, but as a discreet tapping at the door ended the conversation, he sipped at his drink while Lord Umber bade the butler enter.

“Excuse me, your lordship,” Sims said tentatively. “Lady Barbara Whitelaw is here, asking to see Lady Louisa.”

The three men looked at each other in surprise. “Do you think Miss Richards…?” Paul began.

“Hardly,” Lord Umber said, remembering the contempt that had unconsciously crept into Felicia’s voice that morning as they talked of Lady Barbara. “Even so, I will see her, just in case she has some news.” He turned to Sims. “Show her into the rose room. I will join her shortly.”

“Is it likely that she would pay a social call on Lady Louisa?” Paul asked skeptically.

“No,” David answered with a short laugh. “Not ordinarily. But, methinks that her Mama is determined to make Ian come up to scratch and so is pushing Lady Barbara into an uneasy alliance with Ian’s Mama.”

“Your logical mind has probably found the correct answer, David. If you will both excuse me, it will take but a few minutes to confirm what you suspect and I will be right back.” Lord Umber strode from the room, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.

Lady Barbara was pacing the room nervously, the beauty of her surroundings completely ignored as she pondered her next step. It had seemed so simple this morning, but now she was actually here, the piece of information she wanted to relay about Felicia seemed petty and insignificant. Would Lady Louisa really think any the worse of her protégé if she were told that Felicia’s father was a gambler? But what if she knew already? For the only time in her life, Lady Barbara was daunted. How could she have been so stupid as to imagine that anyone would listen to her and not suspect an ulterior motive. For the first time she saw herself as others might see her and shuddered. Why, she appeared quite spiteful.

Deciding that it would be easier to make her excuses to the butler and leave, rather than face Lady Louisa, she moved over to the bell rope and gave it a sharp tug. The door opened and as she turned she said, “I am afraid I cannot wait….” She froze in dismay as she saw that Lord Umber stood in the doorway. “Why, Lord Umber,” she said feebly. “What a surprise!”

“I am sorry to have kept you waiting, Lady Barbara,” he said pleasantly. “My mother is indisposed. Can I help in any way?”

“No…no…that is…I…I only came to…to
…
” she broke off lamely and tapped her foot in anguish. This was not part of her plan at all. And now, to be so completely disarmed by his presence. His close proximity caused a flutter in her heart. He really was indecently handsome and dressed to perfection. What a striking couple they would make! She raised a limpid gaze to him and smiled flirtatiously. “I was passing and thought to inquire after Lady Louisa’s health. She is all right, is she not?”

“Apart from a slight agitation of nerves, perfectly well, thank you,” Lord Umber answered, hiding his disappointment that she did not have any news of Felicia. Yet he was puzzled by her sudden interest in his mother’s welfare. “And your indisposition? I hope that you are entirely recovered.” His voice was bland.

Lady Barbara flushed a dull red at this. “Yes. Yes,” she answered hastily, not enjoying the reference to her note. “The physician said it was brought about by too many late nights. But Mama and I wondered about Lady Louisa when we saw Miss Richards in Harley Street this morning. We wondered if she…she…”

“What time was this?” Lord Umber interrupted sharply.

Lady Barbara looked at him in surprise. “Why, I suppose it must have been past eleven. I cannot say for certain.”

She must have just left Paul then, he thought. “You didn’t happen to notice which direction she took, or whether she was with anyone?”

What odd questions he was asking, to be sure, and with such concern. Lady Barbara looked at him acutely. “Why? Has something happened to her?” Her voice was harsh as a feeling of jealousy swept over her. What could she do to elicit such consideration from him?