Page 57 of The Sprinter
He realized Lady Gentian had been talking to him. He merely nodded at her and jumped out of his chair. He would find them and drag them in here!
*
Grace had fledpast Lady Tredwell’s butler and ignored his query of whether she required assistance. She would never forgive herself if she did not reach her mother in time.
Lady Marilyn’s carriage stood waiting for her. It was not the carriage she remembered, but then the lady had not been to visit since she and her mother had moved to Barlow House. Lady Marilyn had issued plenty of invitations to attend her in her own house, but Grace had always thought she was too embarrassed to come to the dower house and witness their own embarrassment at their reduced circumstances. She and Lady Barlow had always met on equal footing It was meant as a kindness that Lady Marilyn would avoid witnessing her friend’s comedown in life.
“Is this new?” she asked the footman as he helped her in.
“Very,” he said, “the coat of arms has not even been painted yet.”
It certainly was more luxurious than Lady Marilyn’s last coach, but more importantly it was sure to be better sprung. It was pulled by four sturdy-looking bays, if they changed horses at the halfway mark and got horses of equal quality, they might arrive in less than three hours. They would need to make all speed.
How had she been so stupid as to believe that last letter she’d received? How had she failed to recognize that it had not even sounded like her mother? Her own mother!
Betsy had named Lady Barlow a wilting flower needing extra water and that had been true all of Lady Barlow’s life. Suddenly, she was to believe the lady was out walking, and eating with an appetite, when that had never been true. Here was her daughter, dressed as a ridiculous butterfly, while the poor lady had undergone such suffering!
As the carriage barreled out of London, Grace had a passing thought that Lady Heathway was sure to be vexed. She supposed Lord Glendower would explain the situation and after all it was not the least like the last time she had attempted to reach her mother. She was not shimmying down a drainpipe, she was safe in Lady Marilyn’s carriage. She wished she had been successful at that last attempt though, as she might not have been fooled for so long. She might have been able to save her mother from a deal of pain and hardship.
No matter. She was going now. She must only get there in time.
*
The last ofthe guests had filed into the dining room and Jacobs thought he might relax for a half-hour. At least, hehadthought so, but Gresham had just come bounding out of it and was racing to alcoves and dark corners.
The devil was looking for Miss Yardley, probably convinced that Lord Glendower had stolen her away somewhere. And so he had, Jacobs supposed, but the lady was in a carriage, not a corner.
Were Gresham to raise the alarm it would ruin everything! It must be done as he planned it, with himself publicly vindicated.
He would have to act sooner than he’d thought.
He waited until Gresham made his way to the front hall and then could wait no longer. It would not be a moment before he discovered she’d left in a carriage and he’d raise the alarm.
Jacobs gave the signal to a footman dressed as a domino who was in fact one of his own, then he slipped into the ballroom and sprinted across it. He would watch from a dark corner with a view into the room to see the effect of what was to be announced, and then Lord Glendower would slip away and be seen no more. Nobody would know who’d sent a carriage claiming to be one of Lady Marilyn’s own and even if some guessed at it, they would not be able to work it out. The scheme was too elaborate for anybody to unwind it. It would not matter if they did—Miss Yardley had made a second sprint and her credibility, and that of the duchess and Lady Heathway too, would be in tatters. Poor Mr. Jacobs had been sat at home all the while, his reputation tarnished for no reason at all. He would comport himself graciously to those who had snubbed him.
His footman entered the dining room. Loudly, he called out, “I have just been informed thatThe Sprinterhas sprinted once more.”
He bowed and left the room’s occupants to their amazement. Jacobs was delighted to see them all looking at one another, and then at Lady Heathway.Thatlady was scanning the table and failing to find her protégé.
She rose as Gresham ran back into the room.
“George,” she said, “where is Grace?”
Her nephew motioned her to come out of the dining room.
“Where is she?” Lady Heathway cried.
Somebody somewhere said, “She’s sprinted again,” and there were titters up and down the table.
Somebody else said, “Perhaps it’s to Gretna Green. Where is Glendower?”
Jacobs was deeply satisfied, but he also knew it was his time to fly. He did not need the party searching high and low for Glendower. Let them think the lord and Miss Yardley had flown off together to marry over the anvil. He had not planned that circumstance, but it was very convenient. Any search for her would travel in the wrong direction.
He adjusted his mask and set off out of the house while there was still time to do so.
Just as he reached the doors that would lead him to the front hall, he heard Gresham behind him.
“Glendower!” Lord Gresham called. “Hold up!”
