Page 25 of The Earl's Error
“Though do be careful,” Miss Sherwood warned. “We all know just how terribly the servants whisper.” Holding Joceline’s gaze, she paused for a moment. “Might I ask if you are going to speak with Lord Albury again?”
“I have every intention to, yes,” Joceline answered. “Though whether he will accept my offer of help, I cannot say.”
Lady Amelia put out her hands either side and shrugged. “Even if he does not, that will not preventyoufrom finding out the truth, will it?”
“No, it will not,” Joceline said, decisively. “Thank you all for coming to join me in this.”
“Though,” Lady Rosalyn said, slowly, “we did wonder if there is something we ought to say which might… explain our meetings.”
Joceline frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Only that thetonis aware of everything,” Lady Isobella said, with a sigh. “Someone will notice that we are meeting together very regularly, even more than close friends might. We cannot exactly state that we are seeking to solve the mystery of the missing necklace but nor do we want society to start whispering about it all! You know as well as I that rumors could abound within a few moments!”
Considering this, Joceline winced. “You are quite right. There could be all manner of things said about us.”
“We could be seen as wallflowers, disinclined towards company and shunning society,” Lady Amelia murmured, with a roll of her eyes. “There might be a suggestion that we think ourselves above others in society and that is why we are so singular in our meetings.”
“You are quite right,” Joceline agreed, her heart heavy as she thought of all that thetonmight say of them. “So, what shall we do?”
The ladies looked around at each other and Joceline said nothing, waiting for one of them to make a suggestion. She did not know what it was they could do, aware that they would need to be rather secretive but at the same time, afraid that thetonmight begin to whisper about them all which would not be in the least bit satisfactory.
“I have it!” Miss Sherwood’s eyes flared wide, a broad smile settling on her face. “We shall simply say we meet to discuss books!”
Delight flung itself at Joceline’s heart. “An excellent idea!”
“Yes, indeed!” Lady Amelia clapped her hands. “The gentlemen have their clubs, do they not? Then we shall have our own!”
“The Bluestocking Book Club!” Joceline exclaimed, the name coming to her in an instant. “What say you all to that?”
The rousing chorus from the other ladies made Joceline’s heart lift high, her spirits going with it. She had nothing to fear, she told herself. Here and now, even when she was concerned about her reputation and what would become of her in the midst of all of this, she had her friends around her. Her friends understood exactly who she was, what her passions were, and how much she adored every single moment of learning she could garner for herself. Her friends, loyal and determined to stick close to her – what had she to trouble her? With them all by her side, she could believe without hesitation that the truth about the necklace would be discovered and all would be well.
“I think it is an excellent name,” Lady Isobella smiled. “We shall tell all who ask that we are joining together as the Bluestocking Book Club.” She hid a smile. “My mother will not be particularly pleased that I am declaring myself so but I do not give a fig about that! I am determined to be known for who I am, just as you all are.”
“Precisely,” Lady Amelia agreed, as Lady Rosalyn beamed at Joceline. “And, even in naming ourselves this, we shall keep others away from us, for I do not think that there will be many other young ladies who will be eager to so blatantly declare themselves to be a bluestocking by joining us!”
This made Joceline laugh, though it was a little rueful given that she knew just how true that statement was. “That is indeed exactly what shall happen! Though I am glad we shall be able to declare it to society.” Her smile slipped a little. “My mother, given that she now has this rivalry with Lady Albury – though she is not the only one – appears to care very little about societyknowing me as a bluestocking. It seems as though she has forgotten about it almost entirely, even though I know she has not.”
“A distraction is not always a bad thing,” Miss Sherwood said, gently, seeming to know what Joceline felt. Yes, it was good that Lady Melford had forgotten about Joceline’s bluestocking interests but at the same time, Joceline would have preferred her mother still showed an interest inherall the same. At the present moment, all her mother seemed to be speaking of was Lady Albury though, given the upset, Joceline could not blame her for that.
“Then we are to go forward as the Bluestocking Book Club?” Lady Rosalyn asked as every other lady nodded. “We are contented with that?”
“I am,” Joceline said, as the others agreed. “We shall masquerade as a book club whilst, under our guise, seeking to discover the truth about this necklace and free me from Lord Albury’s suspicions!”
As though he knew he had been spoken about, a knock came to the door. When the maid entered, she held out a calling card to Joceline and, as she read the name, Joceline felt her heart slam hard in her chest.
She blinked, then looked to her friends. “Lord Albury has come to call.”
Lady Rosalyn was the first to speak. “Send him in at once! Let him hear all that we have to say.”
“Careful there,” Miss Sherwood said, gently. “We do not want to push him in a direction he does not wish to go. I can understand that our desire is to prove to him that we are all solely devoted to Joceline and to her innocence being proven but we must be cautious.”
Joceline nodded slowly, looking down at the calling card and wishing she had more than a few moments to come up with herdecision. “I shall speak with him in the parlor,” she said, rising to her feet. “With you also, Miss Sherwood? And the maid too, of course.”
Her friends all nodded their understanding and Miss Sherwood came to join her in an instant. Handing the card back to the maid and instructing her to take the gentleman to the parlor, Joceline quit the drawing room and walked to the parlor, resisting the urge to grasp Miss Sherwood’s hand such was her sudden, rising anxiety.
“All will be well,” she heard Miss Sherwood say, as they stepped into the empty parlor. “Even if he believes you guilty, what does that matter? You will be able to prove it soon enough.”
Joceline could not give her friend an answer for at that moment, the door opened and Lord Albury stepped into the room. He glanced first to Miss Sherwood and then looked to Joceline, quickly bowing low before coming into the room all the more.
