A little distance away, Antoinette and Quamby greeted their guests as they arrived.
The earl had entrusted his wife with keeping a close eye on Miss Amelia Harcourt, while Fanny had elected to keep Lizzy and Mr McAlister in her sights. All were determined that neither heiress would be heading to the chaise-and-four that night.
Or any other night they might be a guest at Quamby House.
Fanny felt it safe to keep her gaze focused just over Miss Norton’s shoulder since the cross-eyed vicar’s daughter would likely not notice, but she was assiduous in her gasps of sympathy and admiration as Miss Norton described the set-down she’d given the haberdasher for cutting her an inch less of the sprigged muslin she’d ordered.
Poor Lizzy. Fanny’s heart went out to her. The girl looked wan and tired, reminding Fanny of the terrible days only five years ago when she, herself, was railing against her mother’s determination to marry her off to loathesome Lord Slyther in order to save the family fortunes.
Lizzy might come with a fortune, but that was hardly hers to enjoy. And while her heart might belong to another, it, too, was not hers to do with what she chose.
Fanny wasn’t entirely certain of what Lizzy’s wishes truly were; but she did know Lizzy was the victim of a dastardly plot between Mrs Hodge and Mr Dalgleish.
Noticing that Miss Norton was looking expectantly at Fanny for some response to what she’d just said, Fanny blinked and said quickly, “No doubt you would have given the impudent gentleman a clip over the ear if you’d only been a foot higher, Miss Norton!” while her thoughts returned to Lizzy.
If Susan was right, and Lizzy was no longer as keen to marry Mr Dalgleish as Mrs Hodge was that she do so, Fanny hoped she had the courage to say so.
Miss Norton was now commenting on her height advantage in respect to picking up dropped items, when a passing dowager said something in Fanny’s ear which gave Fanny the welcome excuse to break off her conversation.
Having clarified that the dowager was complimenting her on her white and mauve ballgown, Fanny became conscious of a ripple of interest amidst the throng. Guiltily she looked about for Lizzy, who’d stepped out of her line of vision, relieved to locate her a few yards away, seemingly alone.
But then Fanny realised this was because the crowd had drawn back, and Lizzy was obviously the centre of attention.
And that she stood at Mr Dalgleish’s side. The young man was speaking, elaborating on something he’d just announced to those in the vicinity. Several ladies were dabbing at their eyes with lace handkerchiefs.
But most alarming was the satisfied smile on Mrs Hodge’s face as Mr Dalgleish said in raised tones, “...and I have no doubt that my bride and I will enjoy many years of future happiness. I thank you all for your felicitations.”
Fanny nearly dropped her fan. Ignoring both the dowager and Miss Norton, who had returned with a nonsensical question about heels on walking boots, Fanny dashed off in search of Fenton whom she could see a short distance away talking to Antoinette and Lord Quamby.
“Did you hear what has happened? Lizzy is marrying Harry Dalgleish!”
“If that’s what she’s agreed to, congratulations to her,” Lord Quamby said equitably. “It is what has been expected for the past four days.”
Fanny turned to her husband. “But Fenton, you heard what Susan said?”
Fenton looked uncomfortable as he glanced at the revellers surrounding them. He lowered his voice. “I don’t really see what can be done,” he said, “if Lizzy has accepted him. We can’t assume that she’s being coerced into something she doesn’t wish to do. She could simply have said no to him.”
Fanny shook her head, shocked her own dear husband could think such a thing. “She could not! You don’t understand the terrible pressure a young girl is under when her elders wish her to marry one way or the other. Have you forgotten what I went through five years ago?”
He touched her nose fondly. “Miss Lizzy reminds me of you, my dear: a young woman who knows how to get what she wants. No doubt she’s weighed up her decision in view of the fact that she couldn’t get Theo McAlister to marry her. Like you, she’s not the kind to be subjugated. You knew how to get what you wanted—and you got it.” He cleared his throat. “And haven’t I been worth it?”
Fanny gripped his lapel as she shook her head in distress. “Fenton, you don’t understand. I was so easily cowed and subjugated. I was so nearly forced to marry Lord Slyther, and it was only because good fortune stepped in. Lord Quamby asked me to marry him and that made you jealous.” She felt close to tears as she tried to make him see the urgency of the situation. “Lizzy is just like I was five years ago. She has no one to help her at least avoid a marriage she doesn’t want, even if she has no one to help her get the marriage she does want. We can’t let her marry Harry Dalgleish. Believe me, I’m sure he did something dreadful to her this afternoon. And he’s using Lizzy as a pawn in his blackmail attempt on Mrs Hodge. Poor Lizzy is like a…a fly in a spider’s web. She’s helpless! We’ve got to help her!”
Fenton appeared to ponder this a moment and was about to speak when Quamby made his awkward way over and demanded, “Where’s Amelia? I’ve just received word that Lord Leighton is less than half an hour away!”
Fanny scanned the room, fixing her gaze on the corner where she’d last spied Amelia.
She wasn’t there.
Carefully she studied every guest she could lay her eyes on.
Amelia was nowhere to be seen.
Chapter 26
Where was Amelia?
Fanny didn’t have time to put on more than a shawl and change into walking boots in order to make her way outside with more haste than she could remember.