Daring Deception Part 4

"Ah, yes, Charlotte has told me all about you, Miss Chesterton," he said, exactly as he had the night before.

"I am delighted that you have come to pay us a visit.

Do not hesitate to make yourself perfectly at home here. "

Frederica responded with polite expressions of grat.i.tude, wondering how many times this same conversation was destined to be repeated; Mr. Milliken seemingly had a memory like a sieve.

The day was spent pleasantly, in long conversations with her old friend and in painting and reading, two interests the women shared but which Frederica rarely had time to indulge at Maple Hill. Late in the afternoon, as they were companionably washing out their brushes togethera note was delivered for Miss Milliken. Frederica watched her impatiently as she read its contents.

"Is it a response to one of your enquiries, Milly?" she asked eagerly when she finished.

"Yes, dear, it is, but I fear that it is little to our purpose,"

replied her companion with a frown at the sheet before her.

"Mrs. Pomfrey has nothing but good to say about Lord Sea brooke, and goes on at length about how handsome he is, and how good-natured.

She does rather confirm his reputation as a rake, for the ladies all love him, it would seem--even the married ones. "

Frederica made an outraged sound and Miss Milliken regarded her sympathetically.

"That will be hardly enough to dissuade Sir Thomas, I fear, for he implied as much himself."

Frederiea opened her mouth to retort, but at that moment the bell rang again and a woman in fashionable attire was shown in.

"Ah, Becky!" exclaimed Miss Milliken with a smile.

"Frederica, this is my friend, Becky Long. She is abigail to the d.u.c.h.ess of Westover. Becky, this is Miss Frederiea Chesterton, the young lady I mentioned in my letter." Mrs. Long, a tall, thin woman with a clever face, nodded politely in Frederica's direction before turning back to Miss Milliken.

"I spoke to several of my sources, as you requested, and you may well be right about Lord Sea brooke," she said without preamble.

"There's something more than a little odd going on at Sea brooke House."

"Ah!" said Miss Milliken in evident satisfaction.

"Please elaborate."

Frederica moved to the edge of her chair. "It seems that he's been interviewing for an a.s.sistant housekeeper. Leah Perkins, Lady Rochester's woman, told me her niece applied for the post."

Frederica sat back in disappointment.

"What is so unusual about that?" she asked.

Miss Milliken directed a stern glance her way to silence her.

"Pray go on, Becky."

"Well, it seems he's doing the interviewing himself instead of having the housekeeper do it, which is strange enough. But he also asked Miss Butler some very odd questions that seemed to have little to do with the duties of the post." Mrs. Long's nose twitched with disapproval.

"Such as?"

"He had her read several pages of a book aloud, for one thing, then wanted to know where she had been schooled. He also wanted to know whether she had any younger brothers or sis" Perhaps he is merely looking to fill another post at the same time--perhaps that of stable boy or scullery maid--and prefers to keep families together,"

suggested Miss Milliken.

"Did he hire Miss Butler?"

"No, she apparently wasn't what he was looking for," replied Mrs. Long with another twitch.

"What's more, she discovered that he has been interviewing for this post for several days now, and has turned away women with far more housekeeping experience than she has. My guess is it's a different post entirely that he is looking to fill, if you take my meaning."

"Yes, er, well." Miss Milliken stood up quickly.

"Thank you so much, Becky. This information may prove very useful. I appreciate your taking the time to come and tell me in person ." ' "My sister lives in this direction, and I had planned to call on her today, in any event," said Mrs. Long.

"I must be on my way, for she is ex- peering me."

"I don't see how that news can help me very much," said Frederica gloomily when Mrs. Long had gone.

"The fact that Lord Sea brooke is choosy about his servants is not likely to carry much weight in persuading Thomas."

"Perhaps not," agreed Miss Milliken, "but we may be able to use the situation to our advantage nonetheless. I have been thinking over various campaigns we might employ to achieve your purpose, and I believe our best strategy in this case is espionage. What we need is a spy!" Frederica blinked.

"A.

spy? "

"Yes, someone who can get close enough to him, or at least to his servants, to discover everything there is to know about Lord Sea brooke.

It's a time-honoured strategy, and just the one we need. After all, Alexander the Great had his spies, Caesar his exploratores"-- " But who?

How? " interrupted Fredefiea eagerly. Her friend's mounting enthusiasm was contagious.

"Well, I don't precisely know," admitted Miss Milliken.

"It would have to be someone we could trust implicitly--someone who could not be corrupted by the enemy.

This may take some time . " " We don't have time, MiRy! Thomas says I am to be married at Christmas, and I've no desire to wed a rake, I a.s.sure you. Can we not do it ourselves? Lord Sea brooke has never seen me, after all. "

Miss Milliken's eyes began to gleam.

"Us, act as spies? How intriguing. I might manage to obtain the position, I suppose. Of course, it would be frightfully improper for you to reside under his roof in any capacity but as his wife, so that is out of the question.

Let me see .... " "Why out of the question? No one need discover it." Now Frederica's imagination was becoming fired with the idea.

"As I have scarcely any acquaintance in London, it would be unlikely in the extreme that anyone I know should see me. And I can disguise myself somehow, so that even if they did, they would not recognize

me. " She recalled her recent conversation with Thomas.

"It would give me a perfect chance to discover Lord Sea brooke's true character, the one he keeps hidden from his fashionable friends. Come, Milly, let me do it. It would only be for a few days!"