Chapter Three

L ydia Milton, the Countess of Quinton, hurried to step down from the carriage. She was late. She searched for her friends among the many people at the market. The three had agreed to meet here to do some shopping.

Finding them, she hurried over to them. "Oh, good. I was afraid you two got tired of waiting for me."

"We almost did," Rachel informed her. "We were beginning to think you forgot to meet us."

"No, I didn't forget," Lydia replied. "Guy didn't want me to leave home until the sun finally peeked out from the clouds. He wants to make sure I have a pleasant afternoon."

Carol's eyebrows furrowed. "You're going to be with us. Why wouldn't you have a pleasant afternoon?"

"It wasn't you two he worried about," Lydia assured them. "There are a lot of other things that can happen."

"Like what?" Rachel asked.

"He didn't explain," Lydia began, "but I think he worried something might happen to the carriage or someone might bump into me and hurt me."

Rachel stared at her for a moment before her gaze went heavenward. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to your husband."

"He really is a worrier, isn't he? Is there anything he's not afraid of?" Carol asked with a giggle.

"No, there isn't," Rachel answered for Lydia. "But we have more interesting things to talk about than everything that makes Guy scared. Follow me. I have exciting news."

Interest piqued, Lydia joined Carol and followed Rachel until they reached a shop dedicated to babies and children.

Rachel's face broke into a wide smile. "I'm expecting!"

Lydia gasped. First Carol, and now Rachel? "What did Edwin say when you told him?"

"I haven't told him yet."

A flicker of disbelief crossed Carol's face. "Why not? Are you afraid he won't be happy? Grant was thrilled when I told him I was with child."

"I'm sure he'll be happy," Rachel replied. "I just want the moment to be special."

"So you want a unique way to tell him?" Carol asked.

Rachel nodded then led the way into the shop. "I want to make this fun. I want to surprise him."

Lydia figured that when her time came to tell Guy that she was expecting, she would just come out and tell him. She didn't think he would like to be surprised. She should, however, be mindful not to tell him if the weather wasn't good. He might think that would be a bad omen.

Carol's face lit up. "I have an idea! You can place a cradle in your bedchamber."

Rachel thought it over for a moment but shook her head. "I want something more subtle than that."

Carol pressed a finger to her lips. "Hmm..."

"I know this is difficult," Rachel agreed. "I've been thinking over this for the past two days, and I still haven't decided how to do it. What did you do when you told Grant the good news?"

"I asked him what name he would like to give Lucinda's little brother or sister."

"Oh, I like that! Too bad this is our first child. But I'll use that idea for the next one we have." Rachel turned to Lydia. "What do you think?"

Lydia thought for a moment then suggested, "You could hum a lullaby around him."

"Do you think butlers grew up with the same lullabies we did?" Rachel frowned. "Maybe I should ask him."

"If you came out and asked him what lullabies he knows, he'd probably figure out he's going to be a father," Carol pointed out. "It's more direct than putting a cradle in the bedchamber."

Rachel paused then sighed. "That's true. I think Edwin would enjoy it if I gave him a hint or two. Now that he's getting comfortable in the marriage, I'm learning he enjoys figuring things out."

The owner of the shop approached them. "Good afternoon. Am I to assume one of you is with child?"

Rachel's cheeks flushed. "Two of us are, but I'm the one who's shopping today. Are these gowns the latest fashion?"

While he answered her, Lydia decided to browse the items that she might one day need for her own children. But that day wasn't today. So she didn't need to hear what the owner was telling Rachel.

"I heard she has one of those shameful diseases," Lydia heard a lady softly tell someone as she walked over to a collection of rattles.

Lydia glanced at the lady and saw her talking with a friend.

The lady's friend snickered. "It serves her right if she's entertained half of London in her bed. I wonder if Lord Roland will allow her to continue with her nighttime activities after they wed."

Lydia's eyes widened. Lord Roland was her brother. Since they hadn't noticed her, she found a spot where she could hide from them and slipped into it. If they were talking about Felix, she had every right to know what they were saying.

"She won't let him share a bed with her," the first lady said. "He's not the least bit attractive. The red hair, the unusually pale skin, those ungodly freckles, that strange vacant look in his eyes, the lanky frame." She shivered. "I don't blame Lady Elizabeth for saying no when he wanted to dance with her. Even a lady of loose morals has standards."

The second lady let out a high-pitched giggle. "I do my best to be on the other side of the ballroom whenever he's in attendance. I can't be impolite. I would have to dance with him if he asked. So I make sure he can't ask."

Lydia narrowed her eyes at the lady. Felix could do better than her. She wasn't all that attractive herself. A person ought to have the decency to inspect their reflection in the mirror before criticizing the way someone else looked.

"Don't you feel a bit sorry for him, though?" the first lady asked. "Lady Elizabeth is more than a disease-ridden whore. I heard she's taken to conjuring up spells. It's possible that she sent her demons into Felix to kill her brother. Word is that she detested His Grace."

The second lady didn't hide her shock. "Where did you hear this?"

"From my cousin."

"Which one?"

"Wilber. He said he saw Lady Elizabeth and her brother fighting one time by their carriage before they went into Lord Davenport's ball. She looked as if she wanted to kill him. She couldn't physically do it, of course. He was much too large for her. But she could have sought the help of the evil spirits to enter someone to do it for her."

The second lady shook her head. "She can't be a witch. We don't have those in London."

"We don't have witches that we know about," the first lady pointed out. "The truth is, there are witches in London, and they're all hiding. Why, any lady around us could be a witch. For all we know, Lady Elizabeth could have been dabbling in the dark arts for years, and we're just now finding out about it. Wilber also saw her the other day. She was trying to hide something before others noticed it, but he saw it."

The second lady urged her friend to continue. "What did he see?"

"He saw her tuck a crystal ball under her arm."

The second lady pressed her hand over her heart. "She didn't!"

The first lady nodded. "She did. Wilber did the sign of the cross and hurried away from her."

"How awful." The second lady shook her head and set her hand back down to her side. "Oh, it all makes sense. To get rid of her brother, Lady Elizabeth picked the one gentleman who could tarnish her reputation in London. Then she sent demons into him so he would go into a fit of rage and murder her brother. She probably expected Lord Roland to hang for her brother's murder, thereby releasing her from the obligation of having to marry him."

"Well, who would have expected the judge to let Lord Roland live?"

Lydia debated whether or not she should confront the two ladies. Felix did not kill Lady Elizabeth's brother in a fit of rage. Her brother had been trying to murder him. Guy and Oscar saw Felix running from Lady Elizabeth's brother. Felix was only defending himself. Their accusation of Lady Elizabeth being a wanton lady who practiced witchcraft was unfair. Felix had been absolved of murder. He could show his face around London because the judge had ruled in his favor. There was no judge who was going to absolve Lady Elizabeth. The sooner these rumors about her were put to rest, the better.

Decision made, Lydia approached the two ladies. "I am Lord Roland's sister, and I couldn't help overhearing what you two were saying."

By their shock, Lydia could tell they hadn't believed anyone could hear what they had been saying, even though they hadn't been all that quiet.

Lydia continued before they had a chance to gather their composure. "My brother didn't murder the Duke of Ivandore under the influence of witchcraft. What you are saying is wrong. Lady Elizabeth is a poor innocent lady who has been the object of false rumors. She is not a witch, and she has never been to a gentleman's bed. My brother was wrong for spreading lies about her being promiscuous. He understands that, and he is going to make amends for it by marrying her. You both need to stop making things worse for her."

Lydia expected that to shut them up, but to her horror, the first lady said, "Lady Elizabeth has cast a spell on you to defend her."

The second lady glanced around the shop as if she expected a horde of demons to descend on the place. She grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her toward the door. "She must not cast her spell over us, too!"

The first lady gasped and hurried toward the exit with her friend.

The owner, having noticed them leaving, stopped talking to Rachel and ran after them. "Wait, Lady Igan! I still haven't confirmed your purchase."

But they didn't slow down. They continued running. And so did he.

Lydia, Rachel, and Carol were all alone in the shop.

"What happened?" Carol asked Lydia.

Her mood darkening, Lydia replied, "Those ladies were saying that Lady Elizabeth is a witch. I was trying to stop them before things got worse, but it didn't work." She crossed her arms. "They accused me of being under the influence of witchcraft."

Rachel giggled. "That's ridiculous. No one can possibly believe Lady Elizabeth is a witch."

Lydia gestured to the door. "They do. And one of their cousins is swearing that he saw Lady Elizabeth carrying a crystal ball. Who knows how many people he's spreading that rumor to."

Carol offered her a sympathetic look. "It doesn't take much to get people to talk. I'm sorry, Lydia."

"No one is going to believe Lady Elizabeth is a witch," Rachel insisted. "They can't. It's too outlandish."

"Maybe people might not believe it, but they might enjoy gossiping about it," Carol told Rachel. "That's why the Tittletattle is so popular. Gossip appeals to most people, and the worse the story, the more exciting it is to spread around."

Though Rachel didn't seem convinced, Lydia knew Carol was right. Felix hadn't squashed the rise of gossip about Lady Elizabeth by arranging a marriage with her. In some ways, he had only made it worse.