"I'll wait here," Caroline whispered.
"Oh, no, you don't," Elizabeth shot back. "I listened to your lecture. Now you have to listen to hers."
Caroline's mouth dropped open in consternation.
"You're coming with me," Elizabeth ground out, clamping her hand around Caroline's arm, "and that is final."
"But-"
"Good day, Lady Danbury," Elizabeth said, smiling though clenched teeth as she poked her head into the sitting room. "This is certainly a surprise."
"Where have you been?" Lady Danbury demanded, shifting her weight in Elizabeth's favorite threadbare chair. "I have been waiting for hours."
Elizabeth raised a brow. "I've only been gone for fifteen minutes, Lady Danbury."
"Hmmph. You grow cheekier every day, Elizabeth Hotchkiss."
"Yes," Elizabeth said with a hint of a smile, "I do, don't I?"
"Hmmph. Where's my cat?"
“Maaaaaaawwwwwww!''
Elizabeth turned around to see a flash of ecru fur streak down the hall, followed by two squealing children. "I believe he's currently occupied, Lady Danbury."
"Hmmph. Bother the cat. I'll deal with him later. I need to speak with you, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth yanked Caroline into the room. "Have you met Mrs. Ravenscroft, Lady Danbury?''
"That Blake fellow's wife, eh?"
Caroline nodded.
"Nice enough fellow, I suppose," Lady D allowed.
"Friends with my nephew. Came to visit as a child."
"Yes," Caroline replied. "He's terrified of you."
"Hmmph. Smart man. You should be, too."
"Oh, absolutely."
Lady Danbury's eyes narrowed. "Are you funning me?"
"As if she would dare," Elizabeth cut in. "The only one you don't terrify is me, Lady Danbury."
"Well, I'm going to give it my best attempt right now, Elizabeth Hotchkiss. I need to speak with you, and it's urgent."
"Yes," Elizabeth said warily, perching on the edge of the sofa. "I feared as much. You've never called upon our cottage before."
As Lady Danbury cleared her throat, Elizabeth let out a long exhale, waiting for the lecture she was sure to receive. Lady Danbury had an opinion on everything, and Elizabeth was certain that the events of the previous night were no exception. Since James was her nephew, she would surely take his side, and Elizabeth would be forced to endure a long list of his many positive attributes, punctuated by the occasional mention of Lady Danbury's positive attributes.
"You," Lady D said dramatically, pointing her finger in Elizabeth's direction, "did not attend my masquerade ball last night."
Elizabeth's jaw dropped. "That's what you wanted to ask me about?"
"I'm most displeased. You"-she jabbed her finger in Caroline's direction-"I saw. The pumpkin, yes? A most barbaric fruit."
"I believe it's a vegetable," Caroline murmured.
“Nonsense, it's a fruit. If it has seeds in the fleshy bit, it's a fruit. Where did you learn your biology, girl?"
"It's a gourd," Elizabeth ground out. "May we leave it at that?"
Lady Danbury waved her hand dismissively. "Whatever it is, it doesn't grow in England. Therefore I have no use for it."
Elizabeth felt herself begin to slouch. Lady Danbury was exhausting.
The countess in question whipped her head around to face her. "I'm not through with you, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth would have groaned, had she had time before Lady D sharply added, "And sit up straight."
Elizabeth stood.
"Now, then," Lady Danbury continued, "I worked very hard to convince you to attend my party. I obtained a costume for you-a very becoming costume, I might add-and you repay me by not even paying your respects in the receiving line? I was most insulted. Most-"
“Maaaaaawwwwwww!''
Lady Danbury looked up in time to see Lucas and Jane run screaming down the hail. "What are they doing to my cat?'' she demanded.
Elizabeth craned her neck. "I'm not certain if they are chasing Malcolm or if he is chasing them.'"
Caroline perked up. "I'd be happy to go and investigate."
Elizabeth let one of her hands land heavily on Caroline's arm. "Please," she said too sweetly, "stay."
"Elizabeth," Lady Danbury barked, "are you going to answer me?" ‹
Elizabeth blinked in confusion. "Had you asked me a question?''
"Where were you? Why did you not attend?"
"I… I…" Elizabeth floundered for words. She certainly couldn't tell the truth-that she'd been out being seduced by her nephew.
"Well?"
Knock knock knock.
Elizabeth shot out of the room like a bullet. "Must answer the door," she called out over her shoulder.
"You'll not escape me, Lizzie Hotchkiss!" she heard Lady Danbury yell. She also thought she heard Caroline mutter the word "traitor" under her breath, but by then Elizabeth was already consumed with worry that it might be James standing on the other side of the heavy oak door.
She took a deep breath. If he was there, there was nothing she could do about it. She swung open the door.
"Oh, good day, Mr. Ravenscroft." Now, why did she feel so disappointed?
"Miss Hotchkiss." He nodded. "Is my wife here?"
"Yes, in the sitting room with Lady Danbury."
Blake winced. "Perhaps I'll come back later…"
"Blake?" they heard Caroline call out-in a rather desperate sort of a voice. “Is that you?''
Elizabeth nudged Blake in the arm. "Too late."
Blake shuffled into the sitting room, the expression on his face precisely that of an eight-year-old boy about to be scolded for a prank involving a frog and a pillowcase.
"Blake." Caroline's voice practically sang with relief.
"Lady Danbury," he murmured.
"Blake Ravenscroft!" Lady Danbury exclaimed. "I haven't seen you since you were eight years old."
"I've been hiding."
"Hmmph. All of you are growing far too cheeky in my old age."
"And how are you faring these days?" Blake inquired.
"Don't try to change the subject," Lady D warned.
Caroline turned to Elizabeth and whispered, "Is there a subject?"
Lady Danbury narrowed her eyes and shook her finger at Blake. "I still haven't finished talking to you about the time you put that frog in poor Miss Bowater's pillowcase."
"She was a terrible governess," Blake replied, "and besides, it was all James's idea."
"I'm sure it was, but you should have had the moral rectitude to-'' Lady Danbury cut herself off rather suddenly, and shot an uncharacteristically panicked glance at Elizabeth, who then remembered that her employer didn't know that she had discovered James's true identity.
Elizabeth, not wanting to touch that as a potential source of conversation, turned and studied her fingernails assiduously. After a moment, she looked up, blinked, feigned surprise, and asked, "Were you speaking to me?"
"No," Lady D replied in a puzzled voice. "I didn't even mention your name."
"Oh," Elizabeth said, thinking she might have overdone the not-paying-attention act. "I saw you looking at me, and-"
"No matter," Lady Danbury said quickly. She turned back to Blake and opened her mouth, presumably to scold him, but nothing came out.
Elizabeth bit her lip to keep from laughing. Poor Lady Danbury wanted so desperately to scold Blake for some two-decades-old schoolboy prank, but she couldn't, because that would lead to a mention of James, about whom she thought Elizabeth didn't know the truth, and-
' Tea, anyone?'' Susan staggered into the room under the weight of an overloaded tea service.
"Just the thing!" Lady Danbury looked ready to vault out of her chair in her haste to have the subject changed.
This time Elizabeth did laugh. Dear God, when had she managed to develop a sense of humor about this fiasco?
"Elizabeth?" Caroline whispered. "Are you laughing?"
"No." Cough. "I'm coughing."