Daring Deception Part 35

said Gavin.

"Aye, guy--I mean, m'lord. Right away? Old Joe whipped up his pair of nags and headed out of town at a spanking pace.

"This be the place, re' lord he said a short time later, drawing up before a respectable looking cottage.

Cravi~ surveyed it critically. No one seemed to be about.

"Are you certain?" he asked.

"Aye, that I am. I won't soon forget that ride, with that gaudy heathen bird squawkin' the whole way!"

"Very well, then, here you are." Gavin flipped him the coin.

"You may go." His own carriage, which had followed them, drew up behind.

With a touch of his hat, Old Joe clattered off down the slxeet, doubtless wishing more eccentrics with his Gavin strode up the flagged walk and rapped on the cottage door.

Finally he was getting somewhere! A moment later he knocked again, more loudly this time. If no one was at home, he decided, he would d.a.m.ned well camp on the doorstep until someone returned. This was by far the most solid lead he had had.

He was just raising his hand to pound on the door again when it opened, revealing a bent, grey-haired man.

"Yes? Oh, it's you!" he exclaimed in apparent delight.

Gavin was taken aback. He was almost certain he had never seen the man before.

"Good afternoon, sir," he said politely.

"I've come to ask" -- "Well, don't stand there on the step, Kenneth, come inside!" said the man, opening the door wide.

"I told Charlotte you'd be coming back today."

The earl blinked.

"Charlotte? Sir, I fear you have mistaken me for someone else. My name is not Kenneth."

At that moment, a maidservant hurried out of one of the rooms and placed one hand on the elderly man's arm.

"Come back to your dinner, won't you, sir?" she said cajolingly before turning to the earl.

"I don't know what you wanted, sir, but you'll likely want to leave a message for Miss Charlotte. The master's mind tends to wander a bit."

"Miss Charlotte?" asked Gavin, his hopes soaring. Surely that would be Chen3,!

"Is she not here?"

"No, sir, nor expected back for some weeks. Would you care to leave a message?"

"Weeks?" Gaviffs spirits plummeted from their sudden peak. She was not here. But surely he could discover where she had gone! First, though, he must be certain.

"Would she have green eyes, by chance, and freckles? About twenty years of age?"

"Oh, no, sir. Miss Charlotte would be much older. She has brown eyes, and I never noticed no freckles."

"My Charlotte is the very image of her mother," the old man affirmed, nodding emphatieally.

"She'll grow up just as lovely, I'll be bound."

Gavin smiled uncertainly at the master of the house, who obviously spent much of his time in the distant past.

"And is there no one here who fits that description? A servant, perhaps?"

The woman shook her head,

"I'm the only one here now, besides the master and his man-of all-work.

I do the cooking and housekeeping, while John does the heavy work and gardening.

Would you like to speak with him? "

Gavin shook his head.

"You must excuse me for disturbing you. I seem to have mistaken the address."

During the drive back to Sea brooke House, he pondered the recent interview.

If Old Joe had not been mistaken, Cherry had come from that house; it seemed wildly improbable that two young women had transported a peac.o.c.k in a hackney within the past week! But where was she now7 Back in his library, he tried to think what he should do next. Should he go back to that house, perhaps disguised as a delivery man? Idly, he picked up the stack of correspondenee that had acc.u.mulated in his absence.

Among the various invitations and letters of business, he found a note from Sir Thomas. He opened it absently, still mulling over what his next step should be.

He had to scan the note twice before its import registered. "Confound it!"

he exploded, crushing the missive in his fist.

Miss Frederica Chesterton was in Town.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

LADY HUMPHRIES'S ball would be Frederica's first formal function in Society, the first occasion for her to see and be seen by the most influential members of the ton, but that was not the real cause of the anxiety she felt. Of far more importance to her than the impression she might make on the Prince Regent, who was expected to attend, was the fact that this evening would likely mark her first meeting with Lord Sea brooke as Miss Chesterton.

At her suggestion, Thomas had yesterday sent word to the earl of her presence in Town. She had both hoped and feared that he might call on her during the course of the day, but he had not.

Now she was rather relieved; she felt she had a much better chance of carrying off her deception in a ballroom than she would in private conversation. If all went as she hoped, she would not have to fool him for long.

Her nerves aflutter, she critically examined herself one last time in the cheval gla.s.s. Her red gold curls were piled high on her with tiny white flowers woven through them. The white gown she wore was sprigged with green, flattering both her hair and her eyes--not that she planned to let Lord Sea brooke get a good look at her eyes, of course! Still, it was vastly comforting to know that she looked her best. She practised flirting with her green-and-white silk fan, pleased with the effect.

Surely Lord Sea brooke would not be able to resist her as she was now!

"Frederica, are you ready? It will not do to arrive after the Prince Regent himself," Miss Milliken informed her, coming to the door of her boudoir.

"Yes, Milly. Let us go." Holding her head high to conceal the tremor she felt, Frederica descended the broad staircase to where her brother waited.