He glanced at her-she wasn't joking. He grumbled, but complied. He'd agreed to perform as requested until she and her female relatives-a pack of assertive and willful ladies-decreed his resurrection within the ton accomplished. Thereafter, he'd gathered, he could retire from the fray, returning for command performances, much as their husbands and sons.
He'd deemed it prudent not to mention he intended retiring for most of the year to Hathersage. As they drove once more between the lines of carriages, his home had never seemed more attractive.
They were back in the thick of things when Amanda grabbed his arm, squeezed so hard he felt her nails through his sleeve. "Look!" She pointed with her parasol.
He followed the line to two young ladies strolling in the sunshine, a gentleman following a few paces behind. "Edward, Emily and Anne."
"It's Edward." Amanda's tone was shocked. He glanced at her; the color had drained from her cheeks. She looked at him, eyes wide. "I never realized… at a distance, he looks just like you."
Martin swallowed a dismissive snort. "Don't get carried away-all five on our list look like me at a distance." He glanced again at Edward, but the press of traffic forced him to drive on. "He doesn't look that much like me."
"I know-that's my point. He's shorter and slighter and his hair isn't as bright. And his features aren't as strong. I didn't truly think he was that likely…" She swivelled to look back again. "But just now… it's the distance. It reduces everything to just proportions."
She faced forward again; a quick glance showed her face had taken on that stubborn cast he knew well. "If it is Edward-"
"Amanda-"
"No." She held up her hand. "I'm not saying it's proven, but just suppose it was him. How did he find out about us-you or me-going north…" Her voice trailed away; he glanced at her again. Her face had blanked, then she looked at him and excitement rushed in. "Amelia! We have to find her."
She looked around, scanning the lawns. "I haven't seen her… she wasn't with Mama, which means she's strolling, but she wasn't with Emily and Anne, and Reggie isn't about… there she is!" She grabbed his arm again. "Pull over. Quickly."
He squeezed the curricle between an ancient landau occupied by a bedizened old harridan with a yapping pug and a cabriolet overflowing with giggling girls. Who took one look at him and giggled all the more.
Amanda was all but jigging in her seat. Amelia had seen her waving madly; escorted by Lord Canthorp, she came strolling up.
Amelia touched fingers with her sister, smiled at him, then introduced his lordship. While he and Canthorp exchanged a few drawling words, Amanda and Amelia exchanged meaningful glances.
As a result, Canthorp received a pretty dismissal and was sent on his way. As soon as he was out of earshot, Amelia looked at Amanda. "What?"
Amanda drew breath, opened her lips, paused, then carefully asked, "The day I left for Scotland, did you tell anyone where I'd gone?"
Cornflower blue eyes reflecting her curiosity, Amelia nodded. "At Lady Cardigan's luncheon, Lady Bain and Mrs. Carr asked where you were."
Amanda's excitement faded. "No one else?"
"Well, no one else asked, but we stopped in the park on the way to the luncheon and met the Ashfords. It came out in conversation with them."
"It did?" Amanda gripped Amelia's hand. "Who was there-of the Ashfords, I mean?"
"The usual four-Emily, Anne, their mama and Edward."
Martin closed his hand over Amanda's, squeezing to silence her. "Amelia, think back. What exactly did you tell them?"
Amelia smiled. "That's easy. Mama and I discussed what we should say before we left home. We decided we should be deliberately vague. We agreed to say Amanda had gone north for a few days, nothing more."
They drove around the streets for an hour, debating the possibility that Edward-Edward!-was the villain they sought.
"You cannot-simply cannot-argue that it isn't possible," Amanda declared.
They'd parted from Amelia, both so subdued, so shocked, that Amelia had been openly concerned. Amanda had calmed her twin with a reassurance and a promise to tell all later, then they'd driven on, quickly leaving the noisy Avenue behind.
"I'll allow that it's possible." The deadened tone of Martin's voice told her he was, in truth, more convinced than that, but…
She glanced at him, at his stony expression. "If you're thinking that exposing him will cause
Luc, Lady Calverton and his sisters pain, don't forget all the pain he's already caused people no longer able to seek justice."
The frowning glance he threw her told her she'd hit a nerve; she hurried on, "And we can't forget that, if he thinks he's got away with it, he might do something like it again. You cannot expect me to believe that half the men in your family frequent the stews. And, you see, Edward has built a reputation as steadfastly righteous, stuffy and pompous but always rigidly correct-you haven't been here to see it, but he has. Melly and I always thought it was his way of puffing himself up, especially because, although he's handsome enough, he could never hold a candle to Luc. Or you."