Page 52 of Finding Hope
Hope did not doubt these had already been sent out, but it was very cleverly done, and she could only be grateful.
As she observed Lady Matilda writing, she could detect nothing in her behaviour or composure that indicated any self-consciousness about showing her best script for others to see. Either she was a very cool customer, or she had nothing to do with it. Neither did she behave any differently towards Hope. Would there not be some sly glances or malice in her eyes?
As they finished each one, they handed the invitations to Lady Diana, who proceeded to sort them and place them in stacks.
“You have saved me a great deal of time, ladies. I will see these are delivered immediately!”
“Would anyone care to walk in the rose garden? It offers an excellent prospect of the front drive, I assure you,” Lady Claudia said with a knowing smile.
The other young ladies giggled and happily followed Lady Claudia from the room. “Are you coming with us?” Patience turned to ask Hope.
“I think I will stay behind for now. I still have a headache,” Hope explained.
Patience frowned. “Shall I stay with you?”
“No, I promise I am well. I will call for Faith if I need anything.”
“I will have Mrs. Watson send up her special tisane,” Lady Diana assured Patience.
Once they had left, Hope turned eagerly towards the invitations.
“Shall we take these into the study?” Lady Diana asked.
Hope hesitated, knowinghemight be in there, but as he was involved, she assented. She followed down a corridor and a flight of stairs to the now familiar study that was primarily a masculine domain, with its dark walls and hunting trophies staring down at her.
No one was in the room and Hope breathed a sigh of relief. She could examine the writing at her leisure.
“Max should join us shortly,” her ladyship said, erasing Hope’s wishes. “I kept the cards arranged alphabetically so we would know whose writing was whose.”
Hope took the first notes out of her pocket and laid them upon the desk. Rotham had kept the one from the evening before. It was easy to eliminate most people immediately. Hope recognized Patience’s and Grace’s hand without being told. It was likewise with Lady Diana and her sister, Claudia…
Which only left Vivienne Cunningham, Lady Caroline, Lady Agatha, and Lady Matilda to sort.
Miss Cunningham’s writing looked as young and cheerful as she was. Miss Montford’s was perfect copperplate, Lady Agatha’s was more severe with bold strokes, but Lady Matilda’s was extremely careless, as though she had never been rapped on the knuckles by a strict governess for poor penmanship.
“What do you think?” Lady Diana asked.
“I think none of them are even close to that on the notes,” Hope said with the disappointment she felt.
“Lady Matilda’s is quite untidy. Do you think it might be a deliberate ruse?” she asked.
“I suppose it could be,” Hope conceded, “but it would take a great deal of skill to be so very different.” She held up her sample along with the first letter for Lady Diana’s inspection.
“Yes, I agree with you. Then perhaps we are circling the wrong prey?”
“What prey?” Lord Rotham asked as his tall, lean form came into the room.
Lady Diana passed over Lady Matilda’s written invitation along with a note for his inspection.
“This is certainly not a match—if, indeed, it is her true penmanship. She is either very clever, or someone else wrote the note. However, it does not entirely eliminate her. She could have bribed someone else to do it.”
Hope shook her head. “I do not believe it was her. I studied her and detected no cunning in her. I think the red feather was an awful coincidence.”
“If that is the case, then we are back to where we began.”
“Not entirely. We have eliminated several people, and we now know that I was the intended target.”
“I wish we had more to go on.” Rotham paced with frustration. “I will consult with Westwood to see if we can form a plan.”
