Madcap Miss (25 page)

“
What is going on here?
”
Lady Dewitt asked in hopeless dismay.
“
Alfred
—”
She looked to him. He hunched his shoulders behind Lady Healy
’
s back and tossed up his hands.

Lady Healy strode to Grace, grabbed her hand, and sailed from the room without another glance at such disreputable connections as sullied her saloon. Grace, hobbling along beside her, had time for only one brief glimpse of the scene she left behind. She saw the brother and sister trying to contain their explosions of nervous laughter till the old lady was beyond hearing.

“
Alfred, I hope you have an explanation for this,
”
Lady Dewitt said. She sank onto a sofa.

“
What the devil possessed you to come here?
”
he demanded.

“
Why, when we heard at Downsfield where you had gone and why, I made sure you would want Gussie to meet her grandma. I was put to considerable trouble with the extra trip. Who was the young girl with Lady Healy?
”

“
She called her Augusta, the same name as me,
”
Gussie said, reviving now that the termagant with the black eyes was gone.

“
Ahem, it will be best if I explain it to you later, Sis,
”
Whewett said, shooting a warning glance to Gussie. Then he turned his attention to his daughter.
“
How is my girl?
”

“
Fine. I had a wonderful visit, Papa. But who was that girl with grandma? What did she mean about you scandalizing me?
”

Lady Dewitt said,
“
Alfred, you cannot mean to tell me that young girl is really your
—”
She stopped, with a quick look at her niece.

“
I
’
ll take you to the inn,
”
Whewett decided, arising to call his carriage.
“
We can talk there.
”

“
Our carriage is just outside, and we are already  booked at the inn. Invers is there now, unpacking. When we heard in the village that Willowcrest had been sold, we feared the place would be in an upheaval. I must say, we did not anticipate such a hot reception!
”

Any discussion was impossible on the trip to the inn, as Whewett took his own carriage, to facilitate his return. Until Augusta had been handed over to Invers at the inn, she and her father discussed the visit to Ireland.

The instant Invers took Augusta away, Lady Dewitt said,
“
I have never been so curious in my life, Alfred. Do tell me all about it. Is that girl your daughter? I know she is, for she looks very much like Doll. Why did you never tell me? Where have you kept her all this time, and what in the world possessed you to take her to Lady Healy, of all people?
”

“
She
’
s not my daughter! I never saw her in my life till the day I came here,
”
he began.
“
I hired her to act as my daughter. Grandma would be in the boughs that Gussie had gone off to Ireland, when I always claimed she was delicate.
”

“
What have the girl
’
s parents to say about it?
”

“
She has none living. She
’
s a governess.
”

“
At thirteen or so years of age? Now do cut line, Alfred.
”

“
She
’
s, er, a little older than that. She is small you see, short.
”

“
How much older?
’’
Mary asked, her eyes brightly quizzical.

“
She
’
s twenty-two. I know it was a hare-brained scheme, but we had no idea how the thing would drag out,
”
he began, and explained how the visit had grown and some of the difficulties met along the way.

“
Now that Gussie is here, I hardly know what to do. We are not to leave till Monday. Gussie is petrified of Lady Healy, and the old lady has no opinion of her, either. Gussie does look pale. Has she been ill?
”

“
Just fatigued from traveling. I am worn to a thread myself.
”

“
Grandma would come to love her if there were time, but there isn
’
t. Meanwhile she has become so fond of the stand-in that it would upset her dreadfully to learn the trick we played. Her heart is not sound. Really, I don
’
t think I can risk telling her the truth.
”

Lady Dewitt was still confused.
“
I cannot think how you came to do such a thing, Alfred. It is so shabby
—
and daring. It is not like you.
”

“
I meant no harm. I believe I must just let Grandma think me a lecher, with a by-blow hidden away all these years. She won
’
t really mind that, you know, once she gets used to the idea.
”

“
She minded very much! If she hadn
’
t needed that stick to prop herself up, she would have laid it over someone
’
s back.
”

“
She minded having what she believed to be an illegitimate child in her saloon without her permission. That is why you were castigated as a peagoose, for having brought her. Manners concern her somewhat more than morality, though she would stare to hear me say so. She likes to think herself holy, now that she approaches the end. I don
’
t mean to sound hard on her. She
’
s a great old lady. I hardly know what to do. I won
’
t draw Gussie into posing as my illegitimate daughter
—
not any further, I mean. Gussie must be left out of it.
”

“
Once her shock has subsided, Lady Healy may want to see your by-blow.
”

“
She
has
seen her, or thinks she has. Any illegitimate child of mine would be of little interest to her, having no Brougham blood in her. Grandma does not relish much excitement in her poor condition. I shall say my rag-mannered sister left the neighborhood and took the child with her somewhere or other.
”

“
Would it help if we let on the child lived with me?
”

“
It might do
—
give her the idea that her granddaughter is not exposed to such depravity. Can you and Invers and Gussie stay here till Monday, and we
’
ll all leave in a caravan for Downsfield?
”

“
Surely. We are in sore need of a rest. What will become of the governess? Miss Farnsworth, did you say the name is?
”

“
Grace Farnsworth. She is a very nice girl, Mary, from a good family. Don
’
t judge her by this first impression. She only did it as a favor to me and because she was in desperate need of money.
”

Mary regarded him with a wary eye.
“
But what is to become of her, Alfred?
”

“
I had planned to take her to London to find a position
—
if you do not require the services of a very capable young lady, that is to say. I admit, the first thing that popped into my head was to send her to you. You would like her. So lively and vivacious. I cannot begin to tell you all the adventures we have had. She
’
s very pretty, too, when she is not dressed as a child.
”

“
Prettiness is not one of my requisites in a governess, Alfred,
”
she said. Her suspicions rose higher at every speech.
“
Nor anyone else
’
s, either. Quite the contrary. Unless the employer happens to be a
widower,
of course.
”

“
There is nothing like that between us,
”
he said swiftly. No one but a sister would have detected the trace of pink around his ears, the quickly averted eye, the nonchalant toss of the head.

Lady Dewitt, as sharp-eyed as a lynx, certainly noticed it, and wondered whether Alfred was not being conned by a sly wench.
“
Would she be willing to leave you, to accompany me to Ireland?
”
she asked.

“
She would be very happy to. We have spoken of it.
”

“
Good. I am vastly relieved to hear you have not spoken of marrying her instead. It would be just like you, to be taken in by a cunning mushroom.
”

“
Grace is not cunning!
”
he said angrily.
“
She has not been throwing her bonnet at me, if that is what your sniff implies.
”

“
I don
’
t suppose she would say no if you offered.
”

“
You are mistaken. She did say no,
”
Whewett answered before realizing he was being led down the garden path.

“
I see! I like her better already. She has given you a chance to cry off if you are only offering from a sense of duty. As it happens, dear Alfred, I
do
require a governess,
”
she told him, depending on his perseverance with Miss Farnsworth that she would not end up with two, for she had an unexceptionable one already, older and ugly, just as she liked.

“
But you said you did not,
”
he objected.

“
My present one is poor at French, and it is time to start the girls on it. Does Miss Farnsworth speak French?
”

“
Yes, but
—”
Invention failed him, and he was forced to simulate pleasure at Grace
’
s good fortune. His sister was too shrewd to be taken in by such lukewarm assertions as
“
That is excellent news.
”

“
Of course I shall want to become acquainted with Miss Farnsworth before I engage her,
”
Mary said.
“
Can she come to Downsfield with us?
”

“
She will be happy to,
”
he said eagerly.

“
If we two rub along satisfactorily during my visit, she shall return with me. And if she does not appeal to me, I daresay you will think of a different role for her. But I warn you, Alfred, I cannot stay longer than a week.
”

Whewett missed the laughing gleam in her eye.
“
Stay longer, Mary,
”
he urged.
“
A month
—”

“
It took
you
less than a week to discover her excellent qualities. I am not slower than you.
”

With the important matter of an immediate destination in mind, they talked of other matters. Later Whewett went to see his daughter before turning his carriage back to Willowcrest.

Grace awaited him in the Purple Saloon. A smile was the last expression she expected to see on him. Her own face was white and drawn with anxiety. She looked like a little wraith in the surrounding gloom of that ghastly chamber.

“
She
’
s ready to kill you, Whewett,
”
she warned him.
“
I have been put through such a catechism! She thinks Augusta is illegitimate and has asked me a
million
questions about her. I claimed to know nothing about it.
”

“
Good. How should you? We have decided she has been making her home in Ireland with Mary. You have never been there.
”

“
Are we not going to tell her the truth, then? I must caution you, she has taken the real Augusta in the greatest dislike. It was a wretched thing we did. We might lose Augusta
’
s fortune for her, and it is only the circumstances that have set Grandma
’
s jaw against her.
”

“
Everything is fine,
”
Whewett said airily.

“
I don
’
t know how you can say so. It could hardly be worse. I am strongly inclined to sneak out the door while I have my hide in one piece.
”

“
We
’
ll let her believe me a libertine and a scoundrel. It will not affect Gussie
’
s inheritance. We shall carry on as we
’
ve been doing till Monday, if you are willing; then we all go to Downsfield. Mary wants you for a governess.
”

Grace looked at him, unable to believe it.
“
How can she possibly, after meeting me for the first time under such abominable circumstances? She must think me the greatest wretch who ever drew breath.
”

“
I explained everything. She is eager to engage you.
”

“
What did you tell her?
”

“
Only the good things. I withheld all references to the stage, marrying aged widowers, that avidity for food and wine. It is all settled but for you to agree. You will come, won
’
t you?
”
he asked eagerly.

“
Yes, I suppose. But first I must meet Mary--Lady Dewitt
—
under more regular circumstances and see how we go along together. I own it would be a great relief to have somewhere decent to go. Have you ever been to Ireland, Whewett?
”

“
I
’
ve visited Mary a few times. It
’
s lovely. You will be happy there, and I shall know where to find you, should I require a spare daughter for some rig or other,
”
he added, smiling. It was not precisely a happy smile. There was some wistful quality to it.