Bridgette smiled up at him and began to walk with him, a little regretful that she and Lord Millerton had not been able to finish their conversation but knowing in her heart that there would come an appropriate time for them to do so - and that thought had her smiling for the remainder of their walk.
“Well,” Lady Madeline said, flopping back into one of Bridgette’s overstuffed chairs, “I have discovered a good deal about Lord Chesterfield’s ships. Once I began to ask about them and feigned a great interest, he could not stop speaking of it!” She rolled her eyes and Bridgette laughed, seeing Lord Millerton grin in response.
“What did he say about them?” Bridgette asked, as Lady Madeline reached for a restorative cup of tea. “Was he particularly detailed?”
“No,” Lady Madeline said slowly, stirring her cup. “He stated that he had been involved in such things for some years, but that recently he had added to his shipments to include something more.”
Lord Millerton exchanged a glance with Bridgette. “And did he state what such a thing was?”
Lady Madeline shook her head. “No,” she said, frowning. “He was somewhat evasive about that.” Her expression brightened. “Although I did ask him about whether or not his finances had made any improvement — given that I was considering courting him, of course — ” She laughed and Bridgette shook her head with mirth. “And he informed me that he has been doing exceedingly well, and even offered to show me his accounts, should I wish to confirm it!”
“Goodness,” Bridgette murmured, “he does appear to be very eager for you to accept his attentions.”
Again, Lady Madeline heaved a great sigh. “Indeed,” she said, plaintively. Her gaze turned towards Lord Millerton. “Might I ask what you thought of his reaction to the name of Madame Bereford?”
Lord Millerton grinned. “He did an admirable attempt at pretending he did not know the lady,” he said, as Bridgette nodded her agreement. “But I am certain that he does, in fact, know of her.”
Lady Madeline chewed her lip for a moment. “Now, what is it that we are to do next?” she said, looking from Bridgette to Lord Millerton. “Lord Chesterfield has told me the name of one of his ships, if that is of any use?”
“Oh?” Bridgette was immediately interested. “What is it?”
“‘The Rose’,” Lady Madeline said, with a wave of her hand, her features twisting. “Not at all romantic, which was what I am certain he was implying.”
Lord Millerton sucked in a breath at this, making Bridgette and Lady Madeline look towards him at once.
“‘The Rose’?” he repeated, as Lady Madeline nodded slowly, her eyes wide and lit with confusion. “I am sure that is the name of the ship that Madame Bereford spoke to myself and Lord Hearst about when we first visited her.” He shook his head, his fingers bridged as he settled his elbows on his knees, his eyes jumping from one place to the next as he considered what had been revealed. “She did not mean for us to remember it, of course, for it was merely a tiny remark that was meant to unsettle us, but now I am quite convinced that Lord Chesterfield is in business, or connected in some way, with Madame Bereford.”
Bridgette’s heart quickened, her excitement growing. “Then what are we to do?” she asked, as Lady Madeline’s hand stilled on the spoon that she had been stirring her tea with. “Are we to bring that information to him? Tell him what we know?”
Lord Millerton shook his head. “Certainly, it is time to bring this all to a conclusion,” he said, after a moment or two. “Our aim is to ensure that Lord Chesterfield tells us everything without any further prevarication.”
Bridgette’s hands tightened together as she saw a light appear in Lord Millerton’s eyes. “What do you intend to do?” she asked, quietly. “What can we do to ensure that we know everything?”
Lord Millerton paused for a few moments longer, before a tiny smile caught the corner of his mouth. “We are to play a trick on Lord Chesterfield,” he said, with a twinkle in his eye. “If we have Miss Sarah here, then can we not use her to our advantage?” His voice began to rise, his hands gesturing wildly as he became more and more animated. “She will be able to tell us how Madame Bereford conveys messages to those that she wishes to call upon her, for whatever reason.”
“But what if she has a special seal?” Bridgette interrupted, frowning. “What if —”
“We shall make it an urgent note,” Lord Millerton said, quickly, the gleam in his eye growing. “So that he will not have time to reply to her, will not have time to even question what she says. And when he appears, we will be there, ready to find out everything.” He looked at her again. “Everything,” he said again, all the more firmly. “That includes finding out the truth about your husband, about Lord Hazelton’s death and about Lord Chesterfield’s ships.”
A swell of hope crashed over her as she held his gaze, realizing that, very soon, the whole matter would be at an end. She would be freed of it all, returned back to the lady and the situation that she had once been.
But I do not want to be as I was, she thought to herself, quietly. I want Lord Millerton to be in my life, in my every single day.
And, from the look in his eyes, Bridgette was quite certain that there was a very good chance of what she wished for soon coming to pass.
“I will go and speak to Miss Sarah at once,” she said, rising to her feet. “Lady Madeline, please, continue to take tea for as long as you wish.”
Lord Millerton got up from his chair. “I will need to go and speak to the League, to ensure that everyone knows what we are to do next,” he said, a flicker of excitement in his expression. “I would hope that, come the morrow, we will have the note ready to be delivered to Lord Chesterfield.”
Bridgette threw out a hand, stopping dead in her tracks as an idea hit her square between the eyes.
“Wait!”
The room fell silent, with both Lord Millerton and Lady Madeline staring at her with matching expressions of astonishment.
“His ball,” Bridgette whispered, suddenly recalling that not only was Lord Chesterfield throwing a ball some two days away, it was a ball that she was invited to. “Are you to attend, Lord Millerton?” She watched his eyes widen as he realized what she meant, seeing the same excitement in his eyes as was in her heart.
“Yes, I am,” he answered, as Lady Madeline let out a squeak, her hands pressed tightly together. “You think we should have the message delivered to him then?”