Page 23 of The Missing Book
Amelia chuckled. “Mayhap we are not quite as high in the gentry as we had thought! Mayhap only the King andsome Dukes are permitted to see these!” This made the other bluestockings laugh, though Amelia continued to meander around the room, looking at everything and anything she could, just in case it might hold some significance.
“You say that Lady Anna was present?” Lady Isobella asked as Amelia nodded. “And she saw what happened?”
“She saw some, yes,” Amelia agreed. “She was with Lady Gwendoline and Lord Melford. From what I understand, Lady Anna believed that her brother, Lord Melford, saw something untoward. Quite what he saw, I do not know but Lady Anna said there was a great commotion, Lord Melford threw off his coat – Lady Gwendoline caught it – and then he pursued the gentlemen who had stolen the books.”
Miss Sherwood rubbed one hand over her chin thoughtfully. “I do wonder if we might speak to Lord Melford? He might be able to tell us what it is he witnessed which, in turn, could be of help to us.”
“I can ask him.”
The words were spoken with an urgency Amelia did not understand, even though they had come from her lips! Why wasshethe one who had to speak to Lord Melford? Why didshefeel such urgency as though something about that household was dear to her?
“Are you sure?” Miss Sherwood asked as the other bluestockings came back towards them both. “You do have the strongest connection to Lady Anna, I know, but Lord Broughton is very clear in his dislike of you. I could understand if you would prefer for someone else to meet with Lord Melford.”
Miss Trentworth nodded. “I quite agree. Amelia, pray do not feel obliged simply because you have a close connection with Lady Anna. I am sure that –”
“It is quite all right.” With a slight toss of her head, Amelia forced a smile. “I know that Lord Broughton is not a gentlemaninclined towards my company but that has not stopped me thus far, has it? I shall arrange to speak with both Lady Anna and Lord Melford at their earliest convenience.”
The other bluestockings appeared quite satisfied at this and the arrival of Mr. Lackington, with the list of bookshops and other establishments that might have enough coin to purchase one of his books, distracted them from any further concern. Amelia listened, smiled, and nodded as her friends decided between them who would go to which place in order to seek out any sign of the books though, inwardly, she felt deeply troubled. Why had she been so eager to respond when the suggestion had been made about speaking to Lord Melford? Why had she felt this tug of desire within her heart? It was not to do with Lord Melford, of that she was quite sure, which meant that the only person she could consider was Lord Broughton – but she did notlikeLord Broughton and he certainly did not have much time for her either!
But then,she reminded herself, looking down at the floor as she caught the edge of her lip in her teeth,there was that moment when we danced. A moment I have tried to forget about entirely, have I not?
“Amelia, are you quite well?”
Amelia lifted her head and looked back at Lady Rosalyn, seeing her questioning look. “Yes, yes, I am quite well. I am only thinking about what we might discover next,” she lied, choosing to hide the truth from Lady Rosalyn. “I do hope that we will find the books.”
“And those responsible,” Lady Rosalyn added, as Amelia nodded. “Let us hope that Lord Melford will be able to tell you something that will be of aid!”
Though Amelia smiled her agreement, what felt like butterflies began to flutter in her stomach at the thought of being in Lord Broughton’s home again.It will not happen again,shetold herself, trying to be certain of that in her mind.I will see Lord Broughton and it will be just like it was before – tense, strained, and difficult. I am quite sure of it.
10
Leopold frowned as his sister waltzed into his study without even knocking. “Anna, how many times have I told you – ”
“Lady Amelia has written. She would like to come to call tomorrow afternoon, to speak with both myself and Melford. I should like to have Gwendoline visit also, would that be suitable? It would be most helpful for her, I am sure.”
“Helpful?” Leopold repeated, blinking rapidly, his heart quickening at the thought of Lady Amelia returning to his house again. He did not want to see her, he told himself, fully aware of how ridiculously his heart was beginning to behave whenever she was in company with him. “Anna, you know very well – ”
“Helpful, yes,” his sister interrupted before Leopold could continue. “Do you not recall? I thought I already told you that Lady Amelia and the other bluestockings are doing whatever they can to help find the books that were stolen.”
This made Leopold’s frown deepen.
“Which I know that you already disapprove of,” Anna continued, with a sigh and roll of her eyes. “You need not tell me that, brother, for I am already very well aware of it. However,given that she is not your family, you have no right to tell her what she should or should not be doing.”
“But I can say yes or no to her arrival here,” Leopold interrupted, making his sister scowl. “I do not like her intrusion into our lives, as I have stated before. There is no need for her to come and speak with you, I am sure. As for Melford, he can talk to her at his leisure, I do not care about that.”
Anna narrowed her eyes at him, making Leopold scowl. He knew that he did not have his sister’s approval in many things but he did his best not to care. After all, she did not seem to understand, even now, that he did all that he did forher.
“You are refusing to permit my friend to call?”
“I am stating that to have a bluestocking influence you is not something I want,” he said, aware that there was a hint of something in his heart that was a little less about Anna and a little more about him. “I have made that very clear.”
Anna’s chin lifted. “She is myfriend,Broughton.”
Leopold licked his lips. “All the same, I think – ”
“I am aware that you do not think well of bluestockings,” Anna interrupted him, “but you have never explicitly told me why, aside from the fact that society has stated ladies ought not to be as learned as men.”
Shrugging his shoulders, Leopold sniffed. “Is that not enough?”
