Madcap Miss (3 page)

“
You have peeled away from home in any case, or I miss my bet. You have run yourself to a standstill, so there is no need of a lecture. I wager you are ready to go home and face the music.
”

“
I told you, I
have
no home,
”
she said, becoming impatient.

For ten minutes she spoke on, explaining in detail her predicament. Her voice, no longer pitched childishly high, her vocabulary, her whole conduct, soon convinced him of the truth.
“
This is almost worse than your first story,
”
he said, sinking his chin in his hands to look at her in astonishment.

“
I know that! The question is, what am I to do?
”
Her voice held a note of desperation.

Whewett continued studying her, silently now. The idea that had just cropped into his head was so outr
é
, he could hardly believe it had even occurred to him. He was not a gentleman who routinely involved himself in drama of any sort. The even tenor of his days was seldom disturbed by anything more interesting than politics or domestic doings.

Yet, as he considered it, he found his scheme not only possible but fairly easy to execute. Miss Farnsworth passed very well for a young girl, and what he needed at that moment was a girl of the age she appeared.
“
Come with me,
”
he said.

Grace blinked in surprise.
“
To Willowcrest?
”

“
Yes, I need you.
”

“
What on earth for?
”

“
To be my daughter.
”

An air of withdrawal settled on her.
“
You already have a daughter,
”
she pointed out stiffly.

“
I don
’
t have her here.
”

“
What has that to do with it?
”

“
A great deal. Let me explain. Lady Healy was my wife
’
s grandmother.
”

Grace, listening closely, discerned an inconsistency in his first speech.
“
Was? Surely she is not dead. You said you were going to visit her.
”

“
Ah, no, my wife is dead. Lady Healy is alive and kicking. She has come down from Scotland to see about being rid of Willowcrest. She is old, in her seventies, and not at all well. She has never seen Augusta and is eager to do so. It would mean a good deal to her.
”

“
Then why did you not bring your daughter with you?
”

“
She is out of the country. Lady Healy will think she is seeing her when she sees you. I ought to warn you, she is a
—
trifle eccentric.
”

“
If you mean she is a raving lunatic, pray say so,
”
Grace said sternly.

A small smile parted his lips, to hear such authority issue from what appeared to be a child
’
s mouth.
“
You will find I say what I mean. She is a trifle eccentric, no more, Miss Jones.
”

“
My name is Farnsworth.
”

“
So you say.
”
Her chin jutted forth, but he spoke on before she could challenge him.
“
I don
’
t blame you for lying to that wretched woman, I lied myself.
”

“
If you are not Mr. Whewett, pray who are you?
”

“
Mr. Dalmy, but it would be more proper to call me Lord Whewett.
”

Grace was overcome with new doubts. She had never known a lord to hide his light under a bushel, but for a commoner to assume a handle to his name was nothing new.
“
You don
’
t look like a lord.
”

His head rose, his nostrils pinched, and he said
“
Indeed!
”
in what Grace concluded could only be a noble fit of pique.
“
I am Lord Whewett, not that it is either here or there. About Lady Healy
—
she is not only eccentric, but very rich. It has been the custom in the family for the wife
’
s portion to go to the daughter. Lady Healy has managed to outlive both her daughter and granddaughter. If she doesn
’
t outlive my Augusta as well, her fortune will go to her. Lady Healy has expressed, rather imperatively, a desire to see her heir. Augusta was on holiday in Ireland with my sister when the summons came. As Lady Healy makes only a short visit, it is impossible to get Augusta back in time.
”

“
Why do you not just tell her so?
”

“
You have, no doubt, heard the old clich
é
,
‘
Oh, what a tangled web we weave ...' I have been lying to Lady Healy for years. She has often asked me to send Augusta to her in Scotland. First I made the excuse she was too young to travel, because I did not want to subject the poor child to such an ordeal. Augusta is shy, and Grandma Healy is
—
how shall I say it? She is autocratic, self-centered, a grande dame of the old school. She would frighten my Gussie to death, so I invented a weak constitution for my daughter. To hear Augusta is well enough to have jauntered off to Ireland might cause Lady Healy to settle the estate elsewhere for spite. I do not wish to lose my daughter her inheritance because of my doings. The money belongs to Augusta by rights, and I mean to see she gets it. I had intended to claim my daughter had taken a turn for the worse. It would be infinitely preferable if I could produce a daughter.
”

“
You have chosen your new daughter poorly, sir. I do not have a frail constitution.
”

“
Her grandmother will be delighted at the improvement. I receive long screeds of suggested treatments. You might claim a headache or upset stomach during the visit,
”
he suggested.

Grace felt her interest rising, almost in spite of herself.
“
What does your daughter look like?
”
she asked.

“
That does not matter. Lady Healy
’
s never seen her.
”

Grace was shocked at the lapse.
“
Have you not even sent her a picture?
”

“
Yes, of a three-year-old Augusta. Your coloring is not so different, except that Gussie has blue eyes. She is thinner, too. You are not so very unlike my late wife. You could pass for her daughter.
”

Grace felt her fears lessen at this description. So long as Whewett considered her strictly as a daughter, the visit was possible. At two and twenty, she was not unaware of the impropriety and danger implicit in the scheme of a widower and an unmarried lady traveling together.
“
Would it not be illegal?
”
she asked, frowning.

“
I don
’
t know. I did not think that would bother
you.
”

She bristled.
“
I am not a
criminal,
Lord Whewett!
”

“
Not an inveterate one, I
’
m sure, but you can hardly be unaware it is illegal to defraud the coaching company of half their fare by posing as a child.
”
This was said in no threatening way, but Grace thought she detected a hint of blackmail. Her hackles were up at once.

“
It was a case of the direst necessity!
”

“
Just so. I have no intention of reporting you. If you do not choose to oblige me, I shall still help you
—
lend you money or take you somewhere. One can hardly abandon a lady in such distress. I don
’
t plan to use coercion, but you must see your case could hardly be worse, Miss Farnsworth. You are destitute, with no friend to turn to. You have nothing to lose, whereas I have a fortune to lose for my daughter. The risk is ninety-nine percent my own. I wouldn
’
t take it if I were not sure of success. Who is there to find us out? You know no one in the village except Miss Thomas, and she, one assumes, would hardly reveal your secret. We will only be here for a couple of days. There will be no need to leave Willowcrest at all. And of course I shall reward you handsomely for your acting chore,
”
he added temptingly.

“
How much?
”
As he spoke, she had listened closely, and acknowledged the truth of what he said. Now she listened to hear the reward.

“
What do you figure it is worth?
”

“
I
’
ve no idea. I never did anything like this before. Mrs. Bixworth pays a hundred pounds a year.
”

“
I
’
ll give you a hundred for two days.
”

“
Oh, no! That is too much!
”

“
My daughter stands to gain something in the neighborhood of fifty thousand.
”

“
I see,
”
Grace said weakly.
“
Then it is
not
too much. But still, I don
’
t know if I could do it. How can I, at my age, act like a child for forty-eight hours?
”

Whewett hunched his elegant shoulders and smiled.
“
You fooled me. You fooled the coachman. You fooled that bug-eyed old nosey parker on the coach with us. I fancy, if you pulled the wool over
her
eyes, you will have no trouble fooling Grandma Healy. She is not so sharp-eyed these days.
”

“
I found it a dreadful strain to pitch my voice high, like a girl, and to remember to call everyone sir or ma
’
am.
”

He nicked an atom of dust from his coat sleeve.
“
A hundred and fifty pounds, to cover the additional strain.
”

“
I
’
m not after more money,
”
she said with an air of offense.
“
The payment first offered is generous. I must think about it a moment.
”

She crossed her arms, sat back very straight, with an expression of fierce concentration on her young face. Whewett watched with bated breath while she swiftly passed the pros and cons through review and took her decision.
“
I
’
ll do it,
”
she announced.

He breathed a vast sigh of relief.
“
Good girl! You won
’
t be sorry.
”

They reached across the table and shook hands, smiling uncertainly. Having formed an alliance put them both in a happier mood. Grace, left light with relief that at least she knew where she would lay her head that night, would have a hundred pounds when the job was done, which seemed a fortune to her.

“
I expect the next step is to get me some children
’
s clothing,
”
she said.
“
I have my skirt rolled around half a dozen times and require something more suitable. Grandma Healy
—
you see how quickly I am coming along
—
will expect Lady Augusta to wear something better than a shiny serge suit two years old. I
’
ll need a round bonnet, too, and flat-heeled shoes. It was the slippers I feared would give me away on the coach. I daresay you did not notice, but these are ladies
’
slippers I am wearing.
”

“
On the contrary, I always notice a lady
’
s ankles,
”
he replied unceremoniously.
“
Even a young lady
’
s. I thought yours showed definite promise. Now, where shall we pick up these items you require?
”

Grace blinked in surprise, but answered his question.
“
It will have to be a dress already made, if we
’
re lucky. Do you trust me to do it alone, or are you afraid I
’
ll take your money and skip?
”

“
I
’
ll take the chance.
”
He drew out a fat purse and began peeling off bills.
“
Here
’
s fifteen pounds. Is it enough?
”

“
That
’
s three times more than I shall need.
”

“
Take it all
—
a gift, no strings attached. If you want to, you can outfit yourself for our masquerade and meet me at the inn. If you change your mind, you can hop the next coach to wherever you like. I shan
’
t have you followed. Fair enough?
”

Grace shook her head ruefully.
“
You know I can
’
t shab off when you make such a handsome offer.
”

“
I trust you are a gentleman, in affairs of business. I shall be at the inn at four. If my carriage is not there by then, I shall hire one and go on to Willowcrest. I told Lady Healy today. She does not like being balked.
”

“
Does she expect you to have your daughter with you?
”

“
She told me to bring her. I didn
’
t reply, but came on to make my excuses in person.
”

“
No reason she should be looking for any tricks, then. Did you plan all along to hire a daughter?
”

“
No, that would have required a trip to London. It was your sad tale that put the notion in my head. It almost seemed like fate, our meeting so felicitously.
”