Page 79 of Lady Edith and the Registry Office
Chapter Twenty-Six
Edith’s father wasnot downstairs for breakfast the next morning.
“He has already gone out, my lady,” a footman replied to her query after she arrived in the breakfast room.
She ate alone as Louisa preferred a tray in her room in the morning.
“It has become a habit as growing up with four brothers, I learned to enjoy any peace I could find in a day.”
The women would meet Lord Harbury in Kensington Gardens that afternoon. She wondered if Charlotte and Ashford had been invited to promenade. As for Lord Wycliffe? She hadn't thought of him much the last few days and wasn’t as eager to see him as she thought she would be. His recent condescension toward her had decidedly taken the bloom off the rose.
After breakfast, she settled in the library where her father would deposit copies of the daily newspapers after he’d read them. Rifling through the news sheets, she discovered they were all a week old. She asked the butler about the papers.
“Your father has the recent newspapers in his study at present, my lady.”
The study was the one room in the house she didn’t enter without her father’s permission.
A few minutes later, Louisa entered the library. “Your maid told me you were in here with your nose buried in the papers.”
She shook her head. “My father seems to have appropriated this week’s news sheets. How is your migraine?”
“You know very well I merely wanted to leave that dull reception. Although if we had stayed much longer, I might indeed have come down with migraine. Are you looking forward to our afternoon appointment?”
She nodded. “I hope there is some news about our veterans. Perhaps Lord Harbury has some information about transportation that will be of use.”
“Youdidfind out there is a Transport Board.”
“I hope the baron has already spoken to someone at the board. He is very clever, after all. And intuitive.”
“And handsome,” Louisa replied lightly.
She looked up.
“Although not as handsome as Lord Wycliffe.”
Edith sighed. “Nobody is as handsome as the viscount.”
A maid entered the room with a letter on a silver salver.
After reading the note, Edith handed it to Louisa. “Charlotte wants us to visit for nuncheon. It sounds as if she has something important to tell us. I will go upstairs and change into a walking dress, as we should probably leave for Kensington Gardens afterward.”
When they reached Ashford House, it was to find the townhouse in an uproar and servants rushing about. Charlotte awaited them in the drawing room.
“What is going on?” Edith asked Charlotte as the two ladies shared a brief hug.
She took a seat as Charlotte embraced Louisa. Their friend was not a hugger, but she did often allow Charlotte to embrace her as there was really no escaping it.
“Tea?” Charlotte sorted cups and saucers. “Ashford and I depart for Kent tomorrow.”
“I thought you weren’t leaving until November?” she asked before taking a sip of tea.
“After hearing about the murder yesterday, Ashford and I both decided we should depart for the countryside.” She asked with raised brows, “Would you believe Diana is going with us? She wants to see me settled in Kent and then plans to return to Town.”
Edith hadn’t heard anything Charlotte said after the word ‘murder.’
“Murder?” Now she knew why there were no recent copies of the morning newspapers at Hanover Square available for her perusal. “Who was killed?”
