A Grand Deception (22 page)

"Ah, buon-" Signore Biondi stood at the doorway. His
normal jubilant greeting vanished, replaced by an angry tone,
"No, no, how is this possible, you arrive here half-naked?
Giorgio, go quickly-prendere it mio abito."

The Latin tutor shrugged out of the maroon velvet banyon
and slipped it onto Sherwin, drawing it over his shoulders. Sherwin felt the residual warmth seep into his arms, the
outside of his legs, and across his back.

After seeing Sherwin settled comfortably into a chair,
Signore Biondi stepped away, poured some dark liquid from
an ornately cut glass container into a small glass, and offered it to him. "Drink this, eh?"

Sherwin accepted the glass, though he eyed it suspiciously.
He could barely bring himself to swallow the contents. It
burned from his throat all the way to his stomach, lending
not much comfort, but it managed to warm his insides.

"Che cosy-what has happened to you?" Signore Biondi
paced the length of the room, stopping for a moment when
Giorgio returned with another banyon. This one was identical to the first, except dark blue in color. "Where are your
clothes? How do you come to be like this?"

"I did what was needed to return to London-to Muriella Signorina." Sherwin straightened the fingers of his
clenched hand, revealing his lover's eye. "All that matters is
that I am here, Signore. I had thought you might help me"

"Of course, of course." Signore Biondi's sympathetic
voice soothed and reassured Sherwin that his decision to
come there had been the right one.

"I think I need to contact Muriel's brother, the Earl of
Brent," Sherwin put forth, his fatigue compromising his
ability to reason the obvious.

"At once. Giorgio!" The Signore snapped his fingers.

Paper, quill, and ink arrived upon a small table next to
Sherwin's chair. He eagerly took up the quill, dipped it into
the ink, and made the first stroke upon the paper, then stopped.

"I cannot see properly to-"

"Ah, yes, dimenticato-I forget, perdona. I forget, you
cannot see. Allow me to write your letter for you." Signore
Biondi relieved Sherwin of the inked quill and, with the paper, removed to a writing desk in a corner of the room.
"What is it you wish to tell him?"

Sherwin began to dictate, explaining his whereabouts, his
circumstance, and asking for Freddie's assistance. Signore
Biondi read the missive back to Sherwin, making certain it
contained everything the Earl would need to know as well
as the urgency of the situation.

Signore Biondi snapped his fingers. "Giorgio, have Marcello deliver this." He handed it to his trusted servant. "Tell
him it is to go the same place-he knows where."

Muriel stared into her dressing table mirror and could not
believe she would really be returning to Almack's. One week
ago Sherwin had stood in the middle of the assembly rooms
and called out her name-Moo. Now she had no idea where
he was.

"Look at you, Lady Muriel." A very pleased Lydia toyed
with one of Muriel's curls, trying to get it to lie just right. "I
can't believe you haven't entertained a single offer."

She wouldn't speak of it to her abigail. She might never
speak of it again. The mere thought of her lost engagement
might bring on a fresh bout of tears.

"These embroidered rosebuds on the pale green gauze
overdress match perfectly with the ivory satin gown." Lydia
tucked the very same rosebuds into the hair she'd just styled
with the hot tongs.

But there was no one Muriel cared about to admire them.
She then grieved for her beautiful, delicate fan-the one
she'd crushed beneath her silk slipper. It was a silly thought,
considering her current concern, but how could she have
behaved so childishly?

"You are an absolute vision, Moo." Freddie stood at the
doorway to her bedchamber. He cut a fine figure in his eve ping wear: white waistcoat, knee breeches, clocked stock
ings, matching black exquisitely tailored jacket, and dancing
pumps.

Muriel indeed felt ethereal, as if she had no substance
and did not exist at all.

Freddie strolled in, and Lydia dipped a curtsy before leaving the two siblings' company.

"I am glad you will be there with me, Freddie." Muriel
stood and took hold of his arm as if it were a lifeline. She
wasn't sure how she would survive this night.

He held her hand firmly in his, resisting her efforts to
pull free. "I know I have promised to see you through this
evening, but I will not be seeing you to Almack's."

"What?" Freddie had betrayed her again. Was he to be
forever changing his mind and disappointing her?

He glanced toward the dressing room, making certain
Muriel's abigail would not return, and his voice dropped to
that of a whisper. "I expect to receive news of the search. I
must remain until the messenger arrives."

"Oh!" Muriel immediately forgave him for his absence
and silently apologized for her reckless judgment of his character. She simply could not be responsible for her actions at
present. "Then why don't I stay with you? We can both travel
to Almack's later together."

"Aunt Penny won't have it." Freddie wasn't going to tolerate the change of plans either. "If you don't go, she won't
go. If she doesn't go, then Father won't bother to travel on
his own, so we'll all be here when the messenger arrives,
and we can't have that."

Of course he was right. Muriel, Aunt Penny, and Papa
would just be in the way.

"Then you'll have something to tell me?" Relief spread
through her. It had been an eternity since she'd learned of Sherwin's disappearance. This was the first time she'd felt
hopeful that some answer might be close at hand. "You
promise?"

"I cannot guarantee that it's good news, but we shall
know if our search efforts are in vain." Freddie took hold of
Muriel by her shoulders. "Your task is the most difficult of
all. It is an onerous role that requires the utmost bravery
and courage."

Her task? So far Muriel had stood by and done nothing,
nothing at all.

"You must be strong and maintain the belief that he will
return," Freddie told her. "You must."

He was right. Muriel knew Freddie was right.

"If it is in Sherwin's power, if he is able ... I know he
will. I have no doubt. It is only . . ." She gazed up at her
brother, losing her battle to restrain the tears that finally
streaked down her cheeks when she spoke. "Oh, Freddie,
what if he cannot?" She brought her hand to her lips and
stifled her sob.

Muriel stepped into the assembly rooms at Almack's.
All was as she had remembered-or, rather, what little she
had remembered. She hadn't found any of her surroundings
memorable in the least.

Off to one side stood her father, Aunt Penny, Mrs. Wilbanks, and Sir Samuel, all clearly in high humor. Muriel
wished she could have shared in their cheer. At the moment
she thought she'd never feel happy again. The best she
could hope for was encouraging news about Sherwin, and
she allowed that optimistic thought to sustain her.

"Lady Muriel!" Lady Amelia Whipple approached.

"Good evening, Lady Amelia." Muriel had to think of
something to say to her to prevent the topic of Sherwin's disappearance surfacing. "Have you seen my cousin Constance?
I cannot think she would miss the assembly."

"No, I am positive she is to attend." Lady Amelia nibbled
on her lower lip. "I do not think she will be at all happy
with the news I've just heard."

"What is it now?" Muriel had to admit she was mildly curious and hoped this on dit had nothing to do with Sherwin. "What have you heard?"

"Sir Samuel Pruitt is engaged to be married."

"Engaged to whom?" Muriel was struck wide-eyed. Of
course she had known he was about to offer for someone
and had suspected it might have been her. Until now she
hadn't taken the time to puzzle out who else he might have
considered.

"I have no idea. She's stood up with him a number of
times over this last week. I believe she's been out driving
with him a time or two as well. And I collect he's sent her
some very pretty flowers. Oh, Constance will be quite devastated when she learns of it! " Lady Amelia sniffed, appearing very sympathetic to Constance's plight. "The
engagement has not been announced yet, but the news will
crush her. She had resolutely set her cap for him after Lord
Amhurst's elopement."

"We do not know that to be true," Muriel replied, maintaining that Sherwin's whispered-about race to Gretna Green
had yet to be proven. Perhaps that was the news Freddie
would receive tonight, a confirmation or denial of that piece
of gossip.

"Why else would he have gone from Town so quickly?"
Lady Amelia did not seem as though she would be easily
convinced otherwise, and Muriel had no wish to try.

"I only caution you not to jump to conclusions. We know
nothing of his circumstance. And we know nothing of Sir
Samuel's." Muriel glanced back at her aunt and father. They
still bubbled with far more joy and laughter than she'd seen
in a very, very long time.

There was such cheer and animation. Something clearly
had happened within their family circle. Certain that her
father would not have accepted a marriage arrangement on her behalf, Muriel wondered if Lady Amelia had been mistaken. Perhaps Constance would not be crushed by the
news of Sir Samuel's engagement because she was the lucky
lady who had won his heart.

Sir Samuel had gone on about her just the other day. How
excited he had become when he spoke her name. Could it
be? Constance and Sir Samuel? Wouldn't that prove to be a
strange turn of events if it were true?

The stupid notion was not easily banished from her
thoughts. No, it simply could not be. Muriel refused to believe it.

Susan, who appeared absolutely radiant dangling off Sir
Samuel's arm, approached Muriel and Lady Amelia.

"I thought you did not manage to acquire vouchers, Sukey."
That is what Muriel remembered from last time, but her question was answered by observing the two of them together.
"It's you! You and Sir Samuel are to be married!"

It was so very clear now. Susan was absolutely glowing
with joy.

"I simply explained to the Patronesses that Miss Wilbanks is to be my bride, Lady Pruitt, before the end of the
year." Sir Samuel glanced to Susan, who could not keep
from smiling. "Lady Castlereagh issued a guest voucher
and welcomed her at once."

Susan gazed at Sir Samuel with such affection, Muriel
wondered how it was she could have missed noticing something so obvious before. But then, she had been so very
preoccupied with her own secrets. This news, however, was
simply wonderful.

"Miss Susan Wilbanks?" Lady Amelia uttered in stunned
disbelief.

"It was all rather sudden, really," Susan went on to explain. "All these years I had always thought of him as kind and agreeable. I cannot know how or when our friendship
turned into something more. It was all of a sudden ...
different between us, though I was afraid the same might
not be true for him."

"It was," Sir Samuel assured his new fiancee. "I cannot
believe that she'd been under my nose all this time, and I
nearly did not notice her. I could not be happier."

Muriel felt as if she were fortunate as well. How wonderful it was that her two great friends had found each other.
Sir Samuel, wed to Muriel's best friend, would, indeed,
be part of the family.

"His Grace was kind enough to act as intermediary
between me and Mr. Wilbanks, arranging the marriage
settlement." Sir Samuel quickly returned to the topic of his
future bride. "Will she not make the most perfect future
duchess?"

Susan blushed at Sir Samuel's pronouncement, and Muriel could not have agreed more.

"The Earl of Brent to see you, Excellency." Giorgio stepped
into Signore Biondi's small parlor where Sherwin sat and
announced the visitor only moments before Freddie entered. He handed the footman the hat and gloves he'd just
peeled off and tossed his greatcoat over the servant's arm.

"Where the devil have you been?" Freddie reached out to
take hold of Sherwin's shoulders for a proper scolding but
must have thought better of coming in too close. "I have
people out looking for you, and Moo's worried sick."

Sherwin stood to properly greet his friend.

"Your note said you were in dire circumstances-" Apparently, upon setting eyes upon Sherwin, Freddie understood. "You look dreadful, of man. I had no idea.... "

"I'm sure it's not half as bad as I've been feeling these last twenty-four hours." Sherwin still hadn't quite recovered. "I am sure I can relay all that has transpired at some
later date, but I need to see Muriel. I need to find her, go to
her at once. Where is she?"

Freddie eyed Sherwin. "Not looking like that, you won't.
Even with her sturdy constitution, you'd give her a fright."

Sherwin glanced down at his attire. What remained of
his once very fine clothing was ruined beyond repair.