And the Miss Ran Away With the Rake(101)

And it was that very promise broken that left her wide blue eyes all undone with grief. Those tears also managed to unravel everything Henry had devised.

Because the lad by the fire was as stricken by them as if he had been the one abandoned. And so he improvised, if only to stop her crying—or so he later claimed, for he supposed his efforts would help the cause.

“He didn’t leave alone,” he told her. “He left with a woman. A right fancy one. He wasn’t the right one for you, miss. Not in the least.”

The room stilled. Completely and utterly. As if there wasn’t even a whiff of air in it. Not even the fire made a crackle. For there, in the middle of all this silence, was this grand bouncer, this unthinkable addition to Henry’s carefully wrought plans.

A grand herring of a fish tale that had one and all gaping—each for their own reasons.

And of course, it was Daphne who recovered first. “He left with a lady?”

“Yes,” the lad told her. “Oh, a beautiful, fancy lady.” He glanced over at Henry, as if expecting a nod of encouragement. And, not even waiting for that, he barreled on. “The lady, she wept when she arrived and found him here. Then the gentleman, a more handsome fellow you can’t imagine, he called her his ‘perfect love’ and begged for her hand in marriage. When she said ‘yes,’ he kissed her. Right here.” The boy pointed at his cheek. “Then she wept some more, and finally he summoned his driver and they left.” And if that wasn’t enough, he hastily added, “Oh, it was a grand sight to witness. The lady and gentleman so handsome and riding away in such a grand carriage. One fit for a king.”

Henry sank onto the nearest bench. For what could he do? Confess right now as she gaped dumbfounded at the lad and looked ready to faint? Tell her he’d lied and deceived her, if only to gain her hand?

But Henry soon found out that he didn’t know Daphne Dale all that well.

She whirled to the innkeeper. “That carriage, the one outside—”

“Yes, miss—”

“It’s for hire, isn’t it?”

“Yes, miss, but—”

“Then I would like to hire it.”

“You, miss?” He glanced up at Henry as if he didn’t know what to do first. Other than toss his romantically inclined stable lad down the nearest well.

Henry straightened, a terrible suspicion knotting in his gut. No. She wouldn’t.

“Yes, I would like to hire it,” Daphne told the man, drawing out her reticule and pulling out the necessary coins. “I’ll need the fastest set you have so I can overtake Mr. Dishforth.”

Oh, yes, she would.

“You want to overtake him, miss?”

“But of course,” she replied.

Henry got to his feet. “Miss Dale, you cannot think to go after him—”

“But I must. There has been a terrible mistake, and I must save him.”

“Save him?” Henry and the innkeeper said at the same time, like a disbelieving chorus.

Henry’s Shakespearean comedy had taken a horribly tragic Greek turnabout.

Miss Dale gave them both a look of utter indignation. “But of course. Who else can save him but me? Someone must tell poor, simple, misled Mr. Dishforth that he has eloped with the wrong bride.”





Chapter 14



Miss Spooner, I have never been in love before. You’ll excuse me if—at some point—I make a terrible muddle of all of this, won’t you?

Found in a letter from Mr. Dishforth to Miss Spooner




Owle Park

Eight hours later

“I’m coming with you.”

Preston found Hen, valise in hand and jaw set, blocking his path to the front door. He looked over her shoulder to where his traveling coach waited in the drive beyond and frowned.

Hen’s expression was just as grim and determined. “He is my brother and I will see his reputation put to rights.”

“His reputation?” Preston shook his head. He didn’t have time for this.

Suddenly Zillah came marching up and took a stand beside Hen. “Well, of course, Henry’s reputation! He’s obviously been lured. Perhaps even drugged.” The old girl glanced up at Hen. “I’ve never believed that nonsense that Cornelius Seldon went willingly with that mad-as-a-hatter Doria Dale.”

Tabitha looked ready to leap into this squabble, if only to defend her bosom bow, but Preston cut her off. They would all need each other in the coming days and weeks, and this sniping didn’t serve anyone.