Page 63 of The Noble Smuggler

“Yes, thank you,” Lady Langton said. “And a piece of cake.”

Elizabeth went through the motions of providing Lady Langton her desired refreshments, but all the while, her mind raced. She must get word of her discovery to Lord Langton, and she must do so without delay.

“I beg your pardon, Lady Langton,” she said, “but would you excuse me for a moment?”

With obvious concern, the viscountess placed her teacup down. “Are you quite well, Miss Doyle? Have I kept you too long in the sun?”

“No. I have enjoyed our time in the garden very much,” she said. “It’s just that I have a message to give Lord Langton, and it should not wait any longer.”

Understanding filled her eyes. “Then be at it right away, my dear,” she said. “This spot suits me just fine; I will enjoy my tea as I await your return.”

“Thank you, my lady.” Elizabeth rose from her seat, offered Lady Langton a brief bob, and hurried away.

She was already out from under the canopy when she realized that the two young women who had been seated with Lady Forwood had left ahead of her and were now approaching Lord Langton and the Earl of Bloxley. Her heart sank, and her feet slowed. What now? It was not her place to approach the noblemen while they were in conversation with two noblewomen—especially when she’d received no formal introduction to either of them. Neither could she share the information she held within the hearing of anyone else. Would Lord Langton sense that something was amiss if she appeared without his mother? Clinging to that hope, she veered right so she could approach the statue in plain sight of the viscount.

As she drew closer, the woman in pink gazed at Lord Langton adoringly and giggled at something he said. Elizabeth’s stomach knotted. The earl spoke, and there was more giggling. Elizabeth smoothed her hands down her lilac gown and paused a few yards from the statue, looking out over the pond. She was as out of place here as this perfectly rectangular water feature would be if it were relocated to the Romney Marshes.

“Miss Doyle?”

At the sound of the viscount’s voice, Elizabeth started and swung around. “Lord Langton.”

He had moved away from the others, who were still conversing. The woman in pink was watching him, her expression petulant. Elizabeth looked away, not wanting to witness her disdain or annoyance while the viscount deigned to speak to her.

“I had thought you would be with my mother.” Puzzled, he looked from left to right. “Is she well?”

“Yes, my lord. She is taking some tea beneath the canopy, and I shall return to her as soon as I have spoken to you.”

“You wished to speak to me?”

She nodded, her cheeks warming. “I did not wish to interrupt your dialogue with the two ladies, but I had hoped you would notice me here.”

His eyes met hers. “That need never be a concern, Miss Doyle,” he said.

“That is very kind of you, my lord.”

“Kindness has nothing to do with it,” he said softly. Why did he say such things to her? It did nothing to help her remember her place. She took a step back, and he gave a heavy sigh. “What did you need to tell me?”

She dared to meet his eyes again. “Baron Forwood is the Midnight Master.”

Lord Langton stared at her. “You are sure?”

“Yes, my lord.” She hesitated. “Do you remember me telling you that I occasionally heard a strange popping sound coming from my father’s study when the Midnight Master was within?”

“I do,” he said. “You described it as some kind of snapping.”

She nodded. “I heard it again moments ago. Baron Forwood was waiting for his wife to join him. He was pulling at his fingers. Each time he tugged, his finger cracked.”

“Loudly enough that you would hear it through a closed door?”

Elizabeth could not blame him for his skepticism. “It is not a subtle sound, my lord. My father’s study is not large. Beyond the desk, there is room for only one chair, and it is near the door. When the inn’s passageway is empty, any unexpected noise is enlarged.”

“I remember the echo in that hall,” he said, looking thoughtful. “Did you overhear anything else that struck you?”

She shook her head. “It was not so much what the baron said as how he acted.”

Lord Langton raised his eyebrow. “Such as?”

“After speaking with you, he located his wife and announced that they must leave. Urgent business called him south. She was not happy about the change in plans, but he seemed adamant.”