Lady Bridget's Diary (Keeping Up with the Cavendishes #1)(33)

“Of her own free will or do we suspect something more dire?”

“Knowing Amelia, she’s just run off for a bit of adventure,” Bridget replied. “She has a habit of it.”

“But that doesn’t mean something bad hasn’t happened to her,” James said gravely. He swore softly under his breath. Ever since their parents had died, he’d been the one responsible for them all. And they hadn’t always made it easy on him, but this was the worst.

“There wasn’t a ransom note,” Claire added. “One doesn’t kidnap an heiress without leaving a ransom note. Unless one is utterly insane.”

“Thank you, Claire, for suggesting that a madman has kidnapped our sister,” James said dryly.

“Thus we are searching for one runaway heiress in a city of nearly a million people without the slightest clue where she could be,” Darcy summarized. “It so happens that my brother is also missing.”

“An interesting turn of events,” Josephine mused. “Would you care for tea?”

“Or something stronger? I could use something stronger,” James muttered.

“No thank you. In a few short hours I’m sure we will celebrate Lady Amelia’s safe return with a bottle of your best brandy.”

“Right,” James said. “In the meantime, the duchess and I are at odds as to how to ensure her safe return.”

Claire explained the two positions.

“You are both right,” Darcy said. “It is impossible for us to find her by ourselves. But if word of this becomes public, Lady Amelia will be ruined. And she may not be the only one.”

Darcy’s gaze landed on her for just a second.

Bridget knew she was not supposed to feel a thrill at the word “ruined.” It was just so dramatic, so mysterious, so final. One was fine and then one day one was ruined and never quite knew why. It usually had something to do with being alone with a man. People were always left to imagine the worst. She did not wish this for herself or her sisters, of course.

But still, the word gave her a little thrill.

“We’ll also look pretty damn suspicious if all of us split up and go searching for her,” James said.

“We shall perhaps go search for her in turns, and someone should wait here in the event that she returns on her own,” Darcy replied. “Duke, Lady Claire why don’t you go for a stroll and see what you can learn about Lady Amelia . . . or my brother. You’ll also want to send some footmen out in plainclothes to seek information. If she does not return this morning, we’ll enlist a few Runners for the afternoon.”

And just like that, Lord Darcy ended the standoff between the duchess and the duke. He had calmly defused the tension in the room. It was impressive, that.

Or had he? There was a knot in Bridget’s stomach now. Because Darcy was here and now he was deeply embroiled in their private family drama, which would hardly improve his already low opinion of their family.

“Lady Bridget, why don’t you and Lord Darcy visit Hyde Park. Perhaps you’ll see your sister,” Josephine suggested. “Perhaps you’ll even find her with Mr. Wright.”

Bridget frowned at the duchess. What a bloody terrible idea. If she and Darcy were seen taking a pleasant stroll in the park, it would only attract undue attention and more gossip, especially after all the nonsense about clinging to each other in the lake. Honestly.

Or so she desperately believed. But the thought of being alone with Darcy made her feel anxious and strange. He was not one for conversation, she had learned, and she so hated silences.

Most of the time she found him insufferable, except for when his clothes were wet and she could gaze wantonly at his body. She doubted that would happen today. Alas.

“I’m sure we wouldn’t wish to trouble Lord Darcy anymore,” Bridget said, opting for the more polite response. “I’m certain he wishes to search for his brother instead.”

“It is no trouble,” he said evenly, his gaze resting on her alone. “I mean to spend the day making inquiries about Rupert. We can look for Lady Amelia as well.”

“But won’t it look suspicious? Won’t I be ruined if I am alone with a man?”

“I think we can all agree that it would be much better if the gossip were about you and someone as proper as Darcy here, rather than the truth,” Josephine said. She punctuated it with a look at her as if Bridget were batty to refuse to take this opportunity. In fact, the duchess looked as if she was glad of this opportunity to foist one of her unmarried girls on the company of an eligible bachelor.

“We’ll take my curricle, which shall allow us to cover more ground than on foot,” he said.

“It is acceptable for you to be out together if you are in an open carriage and not gone for very long,” Josephine said. “It will simply appear to be a social excursion. In fact, it shall probably provide an excellent distraction for the ton.”





Chapter 12


It seems that I shall be spending the day with Dreadful Darcy, roaming the city in search of my wayward sister. Horrors. But no worse than French lessons.

Lady Bridget’s Diary

Once they were both ensconced in the curricle, Darcy cracked the whip and they were off. It went without saying that searching for missing siblings in the company of Lady Bridget Cavendish was not how Darcy had intended to spend his day. He was an important man, a busy man, and he had matters of vital importance requiring his attention.