Page 81 of Cousin Conundrum

“Wait,” Mr. Collins called. Once more waving the letter, he hurried after the Archers.

Kitty looked from Miss Bingley to Mrs. Hurst, deflated. “That did not go as planned.”

“I thought you said you took steps to curtail any possible interruption,” Miss Bingley snapped, as if she had not been party to those plans.

Kitty glared at her.

Before she could speak, Mrs. Hurst plopped back down onto the couch. “Now what do we do? And what do I tell Steven? He finally let me into his confidence, and we have failed miserably.”

“Into his confidence?” Miss Bingley turned narrowed eyes on her sister. “You still have not told me what Mr. Hurst has to do with any of this.”

Mrs. Hurst cast her a helpless look.

“I am not certain we failed,” Kitty said to curtail any sisterly bickering. Sitting, she continued, “After all, was it not your idea that someone should write to Mrs. Archer, Miss Bingley?”

With a grudging nod, Miss Bingley finally sat as well. “And your uncle has seen to that, but there is no reply yet.”

“Yes, but is not writing to Lady Catherine nearly as good?”

Both sisters stared at Kitty blankly.

She leaned forward, lowering her voice even though the many Archer footfalls, and those of Mr. Collins, had long since faded. “I am certain Lady Catherine is correct. There are no Miss Archers, and that is not Mrs. Archer.”

Miss Bingley shook her head. “I cannot imagine why Lady Catherine would be more correct than Mrs. Archer about who she is. Lady Catherine is not even present to see Mrs. Archer for herself. She has only Mr. Collins words by which to pass judgment.”

“But Mr. Fletcher is a Bow Street Runner—”

“Highly inappropriate for the grandson of an earl,” Miss Bingley cut in.

Ignoring her, Kitty continued, “—and he seems to believe they have committed some sort of crime. Could the crime be pretending to be who they are not?”

“They do wear those obviously inauthentic gowns,” Miss Bingley allowed. “But Mrs. Archer is not a member of the peerage, for all their claim of connections with a baron. How great a crime is it to impersonate a widow?”

Kitty had no idea. “Great enough for a Bow Street Runner to be hunting for them?”

New footfalls sounded down the hallway. At least two pair, hurrying, but tapping with the softness of slippers.

Kitty turned to the door in alarm.

“Now what?” Miss Bingley asked.

The footfalls halted. The low thrum of whispered voices reached them.

“I have had enough of this,” Mrs. Hurst muttered. Standing, she went to the doorway. Her tension instantly eased and she called, “Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, they are gone. Come join us.”

Elizabeth, appearing sheepish, entered first, trailed by a wan and worried Jane.

“Sit, please,” Miss Bingley said. “I am having my tea. If anyone else would care for anything, please simply help yourself.” Wrapping both hands about her teacup, she settled back against the couch as Mrs. Hurst rejoined her.

Elizabeth exchanged a look with Jane as they sat. “They are already gone?”

Kitty could not help but notice that her sister held a rolled page in her hand. One that looked suspiciously like a page from a newspaper.

“Did…did Mr. Fletcher recognize them?” Hope shone in Jane’s eyes.

“I ended up telling Jane our plan,” Elizabeth admitted, as if that were not quite obvious.

“We did not get to that part.” Kitty realized someone should go let Mr. Fletcher out of that wardrobe. “Mr. Collins burst in and accused Mrs. Archer of not being Mrs. Archer, and said Mrs. Archer has no daughters.”