Page 41 of Lady Louisa and the Carriage Clock
A maid entered at the sound of the bell and hurried away to fetch a tea tray and the flowers Edith had spoken about.
“Did you purchase the baby rattles?” Edith asked him.
“I did. Fortnum and Mason had a large selection.”
Nathaniel looked to be holding back a laugh.
“Out with it,” he said to his friend grumpily.
“You’re acting like an ordinary person. Making calls, purchasing baby gifts. Are you an imposter?”
He frowned. “Sometimes I have to behave like the rest of society if only to further my battle against the RA.”
“That sounds plausible enough.” And yet Nathaniel’s tone of voice conveyed that he didn’t believe the excuse at all.
Thankfully, the tea tray arrived.
When the teacups were sorted, Nathaniel’s expression turned serious and he said with a raised brow, “I heard you visited Louisa’s bedchamber.”
“She told you?” Cecil asked Edith lightly.
His hostess shrugged. “Of course.”
“Should we expect an announcement?” Nathaniel asked blandly. “The lady could have been compromised.”
“It would serve you right if I said yes,” he retorted. “I sent you a missive that night to explain my plan to steal the clock while Louisa was out.”
“I received no such note,” Nathaniel replied.
“I entrusted the missive to Bones. I expected the lady to be out,” he replied, knowing that despite his casual manner, Nathaniel wanted an explanation. “There will be no further instances of our being alone together.”
“I’ll take your word on that,” Nathaniel responded gravely.
A few minutes later, Cecil rose from his seat and walked to a front window to look across the square.
“The street is still full of carriages,” he said with a sigh. He’d never realized Louisa was so sought after by the young bucks of the ton. Perhaps she was only prickly when in his company.
“Let us think about the clues to the riddle,” Edith replied brightly.
Turning from the window, he retook his seat.
“Edith tells me your clues are Cupid, Venus, and Diana.” Nathaniel sat forward in his chair. “All Roman gods.”
“I can think of no members of the ton with the moniker Venus or Cupid.” He added, “There are several ladies named Diana.”
“Another detail not to be ignored is that the clocks were made before the duke died in 1790. The other men that helped form the RA were most likely adults at the time,” Nathaniel replied.
He nodded. “The duke was nearly 78 years old when he died twenty years ago.”
“How old was Lord Daventry when he died?” At Cecil’s questioning look, Edith said, “Nathaniel told me all about Daventry and his letter to you.”
“He was nearly fifty. I do believe, as he did, that he was slowly being poisoned. The Duke of Montagu found two young, impressionable men to start a criminal enterprise. It boggles the mind.”
“It is all rather extraordinary.” Nathaniel stood up. “Alas, I have an appointment with my tailor. I do wish you both success with your errand. Retrieve the clock, Cecil, so my wife and Louisa can be clear of this business.”
His friend leaned down to kiss his wife on the cheek and exited the room.
“Shall I check the traffic?” Edith asked.
