Page 35 of Ironvine

Georgina

Georgina foundthe servant who’d brought the note to Hugh. “Landon?”

“Ma’am.”

“Do we know from where that message for Lord Ryvves was brought?”

“No, Miss. Although, young Sally was outside at the time of his arrival and offered the young man refreshment as he’d ridden hard to get here.”

“Ah, of course she did.”

Sally was the new scullery maid and had proven to be quite a chatterbox. She’d been told more than once by Cook to hold her tongue from what Georgina’s lady’s maid had told her. Georgina murmured a prayer of thanks that Sally had not yet taken to mending her ways.

Landon tilted his head. “Shall I inquire, Miss Georgina? I’m sure the girl learnt something.”

“I shall ask her myself. If you could follow the Ryvves coach discreetly. They are just leaving now. I must know where they are going. If you are asked for, I shall tell them I’ve sent you on an errand.”

“Very well, ma’am.” Landon bowed his head and left.

Georgina went downstairs to the kitchen. The butler immediately appeared before her. She asked to speak to Sally.

“Is anything amiss, ma’am?”

“Not at all, Harding. I only wish to make an inquiry. A silly thing really.”

Sally appeared, face flushed, curtsying deeply. “Sally, did you happen to speak with the messenger who brought the note just now for our guests?”

“Oh. Uhm, I…”

“I hope you did. Because I need to know from where that note came, and it would be wonderful if you could assist me.”

The girl’s face brightened. “Well, Miss Georgina, I did, in fact, happen to offer the young man a cup of ale as he seemed to have ridden quite urgently to bring his correspondence.”

“How thoughtful of you, Sally. Did he happen to say from what house he’d come from?”

“He did say that he had been sent to his lordship’s house from his mistress, a Mrs. Treharne.”

Amanda. Her heart fell. Was Charles caught between that woman’s legs again? In her web?

“—And I remembered the name, as I know the scullery maid there, for they are not far from here, and I’ve sometimes walked with her to market.”

“Ah how nice.”

“He told me that once he got to his lordship’s house, he were told that the gentlemen were not at home but here, which irked him, for he’d just ridden across town for naught as the Treharnes are close by, and he could have delivered the important message much, much sooner.”

“Poor man, to have ridden back and forth.”

“That’s just what I said, Miss. You poor man, I says. Have some ale for yer troubles. And he was quite pleased, I must say.”

“I’m sure he was. Your kindness to strangers in need commends you.”

The girl blushed. “Oh. I thank you, ma’am.”

“And I thank you.”

Sally curtsied and tracked back to the kitchen. “Did you hear that Mr. Harding?” her voice resounded from the kitchen. “Miss Georgina said I were—”

Georgina raced back upstairs and went to the library. Landon returned forthwith, and she nodded for him to approach, dropping the leather-bound volume of poems she was pretending to read on the cushions. “Tell me.”

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