Lady Blue (25 page)

“Where are you going?” Agatha inquired sharply.

“I’m going on about my business, as you so wisely advised.”

“Don’t be cheeky!” Agatha pushed back her chair. “And you wonder why I refer to you as a guest!”

“Soon you won’t have to refer to me as anything at all. I’ll be gone.”

“You’re going nowhere.”

“I’m going to marry Anthony,” Harmony replied levelly. “He’s coming for me in three days.”

“Three days!” Agatha pushed to her feet so quickly and violently her chair toppled over backward. “Are you out of your mind?”

“Probably not. But I am in love. And I
am
leaving.”

“You will not set a foot outside this house!”

That was more like it. Harmony almost smiled. “What are you going to do, Agatha? Lock me in my room again? What are you going to tell Anthony when he comes for me?”

Agatha’s arms were stiff at her sides, her hands curled into fists. A vein throbbed in her temple. “I will tell him exactly what I’m going to tell you now,” she said in a tightly controlled voice. “I’m going to tell him that as far as I can ascertain, there
is
no Lord Farmington. And until I find out exactly who he is, and where he comes from, you are going absolutely nowhere with him.”

If someone had nailed Harmony’s feet to the floor, she could not have been more securely rooted to the spot. She felt her fingers grow cold as her heart ceased to beat and her circulation stopped. With horror, she watched a smile creep onto the corners of her sister’s mouth. She had seen that smile before. She had seen it last night when Agatha finally joined them in the carriage. After having spent several minutes talking to Lady Margaret.

“You look a trifle pale, little sister,” Agatha sniggered. “What’s wrong? Is there something you already know about
Lord
Farmington that you’re afraid I’ll find out?”

Harmony didn’t dare so much as lick her lips. She concentrated all her efforts on keeping her face expressionless. How much did Agatha really know?
What
did she know?

“I know,” Harmony said at last, voice cool, tone even, “that he is a good, decent human being. I know that he loves me, as much as I love him. I know that the length of time we have known one another matters not at all. And when he comes for me, I will leave with him.”

“How bold, Harmony. How bold. And how foolish.” Agatha leaned over in her chair. She let her eyes conspicuously caress the half-finished letter lying on her escritoire. “I must make haste to pen the remainder of this missive so I may have a courier on his way to London with it by late morning.”

Harmony knew Agatha baited her; however, she refused to bite. She feared, too, her voice would be unsteady if she tried to speak.

“That way,” Agatha went on, “I should have a reply by the day after tomorrow. And we will know for certain just who Lord Farmington is … or isn’t.”

Did she have feet anymore? Was she standing on two legs? Harmony’s entire body felt numb.

“Go on. Off with you.” Agatha made a shooing gesture. “I have work to do.”

Harmony watched her sister sit back and relax in her chair. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She thought she might be sick.

“What’s wrong with you, Harmony?” Agatha said crossly. Then she brightened. “Or is it that you’re afraid? That’s it, isn’t it? You’re afraid!”

The spell was broken at last. With a stifled cry, Harmony whirled and fled the room.

Anthony sat forward on the chintz-covered sofa and gratefully allowed Sneed to massage his shoulders and upper back. He was bent at the waist, arms on his thighs, head hanging low.

“Whatever did you do to—?”

“Don’t talk, Sneed. Just keep rubbing.”

The massage continued for several minutes. Then Sneed gave him a parting slap on the back and stepped away from the couch. Anthony straightened and leaned back slowly.

“I don’t suppose,” he said lazily, “that you could sweet talk Maggie into making another pot of coffee?”

“No, I don’t suppose. You’re the one who does all the sweet talking around here.”

“Be that way.”

“Thank you. I suppose I will.”

Anthony allowed himself to languish another few moments, then pushed up from the soft, inviting cushions of the couch. He yawned and stretched.

“What are you doing, Sneed?”

“Exactly as it appears. Packing.”

“But I’ll be coming back here.”

Sneed looked up from the shirt he folded atop the neatly made bed. “Might I say that would be most foolish?”

“You already told me that staying out all night was foolish.”

“A young gentleman needs his sleep,” Sneed replied archly.

“And you told me proposing to Harmony was foolish.”

“After so little time? Of course it’s foolish.”

“You’re not the one who’s in love, Sneed. Besides, I’ve told you. She’s the one. She loves me. She loves me for who I am.”

“So you’ve said.”

“And she’ll love me when she finds out, well, exactly
who
I am.”

“Undoubtedly she will love you more,” Sneed commented dryly.

“Don’t be sarcastic.”

“I apologize,” Sneed said with sudden seriousness. “I really do. But you’ve spent much of your life taking such elaborate precautions. It has stood you in very good stead, I might say. Now you’ve risked it all for this girl.”

“Because she’s worth it, Sneed. I’m telling you.”

“She may be. She may be at that. I’ve never seen you like this. If nothing else, however, have you considered the risk you’re taking in deceiving her?”

“Yes. I have. But I had to know first if she loved me for me.”

“Apparently she does.”

“Yes. I’m convinced she can live with the kind of constraints my lifestyle will impose on her. And continue to love me in spite of it all.”

Sneed sighed heavily. “I must leave it to your better judgment. But for your future protection, I really must suggest that you move into—”

“No, Sneed.” Anthony shook his head vigorously. “I’ll be all right, I promise you. I’m going to arrange to have the ceremony in London. As you well know I have good friends there. We can do it quietly, without fanfare. We’ll sneak right back out of the city before anyone even knows we’re there. When we do, I want to come back here.”

“Sentiment? Old time’s sake?”

Anthony smiled. “Something like that, old friend.”

“A few stolen moments of bliss before she begins her new life?”

“Finally,” Anthony said with exaggeration. “You understand.”

The ghost of a smile touched Sneed’s elongated, sagging features. “Just answer me one thing. Since you are so convinced of the lady’s love, why not tell her now? Why wait until you’re married?”

Anthony shrugged. He walked over to the bed and idly fingered the shirt Sneed had folded.

“I’m not sure, Sneed,” he replied honestly. “I have actually told her I’m not really Lord Farmington. She had already guessed as much, and it didn’t matter to her. I just … I don’t know.” Anthony shook his head. “Maybe I’ve simply become so paranoid I can’t bring myself to do it until we’re safely wed.”

“But if she loves you as you say …”

“All right, all right. Chalk it up to simple foolishness. But I want to do it my way.”

“That’s how this whole conversation started … the topic of foolishness.”

“Yes, you’re right. And I know you’re going to accuse me of it once again, but …”

“But?”

“I want you to take my mare, ride north at once. Today.”

“Are you mad?”

“I can easily hire a temporary coachman. He’ll never suspect a thing. But I need you to take care of things at home for me.”

Sneed crossed his arms tightly, and stubbornly, across his chest. He shook his head firmly. “I won’t do it. I won’t.”

“Who’s in charge here?”

“Someone other than you as you’ve apparently taken leave of your senses.”

“Everything will be all right, Sneed. I promise you. I’ll be careful. But you have to do this for me.”

Sneed shook his head.

“Please, Sneed. I want everything to be nice for her. Nobody even knows she’s coming.”

“What about your mother? Don’t you think she deserves a bit of a warning?”

“That’s one of the things you’re going to do at home. Tell her about all this. She’ll be delighted, I’m sure. Especially when she finally meets Harmony. Please, Sneed? You’re the only one who can do this for me. For
us.
It’s going to be hard enough on her as it is.”

Sneed let his arms fall to his sides. “Welllll …”

“Thank you, Sneed. Thank you.” Impetuously, Anthony embraced the older man. “Now I’m going to go sweet talk Maggie into more coffee.”

“Good luck.” Sneed’s smile lasted only as long as it took for Anthony to leave the room. Then it slipped away and his eyes clouded over with concern.

He had a very bad feeling about how this was all going to turn out.

T
he fawn was young enough to still wear its camouflaging spots. It stepped from the shade of the woodland into the sunlight and stopped. One ear twitched. It bent its head to nibble at the grassy verge that bordered the garden path.

Harmony sat as still as a stone. The slight morning breeze was blowing in her face, so she knew the fawn had not caught her scent. If she made no movement, perhaps the animal would not see her either. It was a special moment, and she wanted to prolong it. It was the first genuine peace she had known in nearly three days.

The fawn lifted its head, large brown eyes searching. It stepped over the brick path and stuck its nose into some mossy ground cover.

Under her tender ministrations, the cover had only begun to grow this week, and now it appeared the deer would eat it. The fawn’s mother must be somewhere nearby. But Harmony didn’t care. Today was to be her last day under Agatha’s roof.

A curious jubilation swelled in her breast. Soon she would be free of her sister, and bound to Anthony, the love of her life, forever. She did not yet know where she would live, or how she would live. But wherever it was, at least she would not have to sneak around. She would not have to worry about running into Agatha every time she turned a corner.

The urge to take a deep breath was almost overpowering, but Harmony quelled it, afraid to disturb the fawn. It seemed she was afraid of many things lately. Afraid, for instance, that Agatha would see in her eyes that she was right; Harmony did fear what they might learn about Anthony. He was not, he had admitted to her, Lord Farmington. So, who was he? He had also said, however, he was genuinely titled, and she believed him. But he had added that although he had told her truths, he had not told her all of them. Would an unrevealed “truth” give Agatha the power to ruin what had grown between them?

It was possible. Anything was possible. Agatha would do anything to destroy Harmony’s happiness; she knew it without doubt. She also knew her own patience was coming to an end. Another reason to avoid her sister was the likelihood that she just might wrap her hands around Agatha’s throat. How could anyone be so vicious? Especially to a member of one’s own family, the only family they had left in the world?

Harmony didn’t know. She no longer cared either. She only wanted to be away, away with Anthony, away from Agatha. Even should Anthony prove to be the bandit he had initially claimed to be, she would marry him. She didn’t care. Her only fear was that if it did, indeed, prove to be the case, she had gotten away with Anthony before Agatha found out and tried to stop them.

Perhaps the situation was, in a way, a blessing. If her love had to be put to a test, this was a good one. She hadn’t the slightest uncertainty about loving Anthony, marrying him. The moment he arrived she would fly into his arms. She would leave this cursed house, leave her sister, without a backward glance or a single pang of regret.

Harmony took a deep breath, forgetful of the fawn. Its head snapped up and an instant later it bolted back into the sheltering shade of the trees. Harmony watched it go and rose from her bench seat. She was almost entirely packed. All she had to do was change into her traveling suit and fold away what she had on at the moment. She smiled to herself.

The suit was the blue one Anthony had first seen her in. She would be, truly, his Lady Blue.