don't think he's gone carousing tonight at all – unless it's with Emilia."
They laughed together comfortably.
Rona turned away so that they couldn't see her face. Out of sight she was grinding her nails into her palms.
After that she could take no further pleasure in the evening.
If only he would return and she could speak to him.
Then, perhaps, her heart could be at ease.
She began to wish the night away and the morning to come.
But next day he had disappeared.
*
"He is a most extraordinary young man," Madame Thierre told the others over breakfast, "I came downstairs early this morning to find Peter waiting for me. He bade me a charming farewell and positively begged my forgiveness. Of course I told him no forgiveness was necessary and he could return whenever he pleased, as long as it's in time for Alice's ball."
"But will he?" asked Cecile.
Madame Thierre shrugged. "Who can say? We've known him for several years, and if there's one thing I've learned it's that you never know where and when he's going to appear next."
The Earl nodded. "My wife used to say he was like a Jack-In-The-Box," he said. "He was always where you least expected, vanishing without warning and returning in the nick of time.
"Take last week. He arrives in London, comes straight to my house only just in time to join us on this trip. A few hours later and he'd have missed us."
Hearing him say that, Rona had a strange feeling. She was sure now that Peter was Harlequin, which meant that he had been in London for at least a day longer than his brother in-law believed, since he had been at the Westminster ball.
Why should Peter have lied about such a thing?
And she remembered again how he had vanished when his friends tried to greet him at the ball. Like a man who was hiding something.
One moment he behaved as though he were drawn to her, just as she was to him. The next, he fled from her. Why had he acted like that in the garden, almost as though he hated her, only to send her a gift that she alone would understand? If she meant something to him, why did he behave like a moth to the Countess's flame, oblivious of any other woman?
Why had he suddenly disappeared, just when she wanted to confront him with the Harlequin figurine?
Or was that the reason?
"He'll turn up when he turns up," said the Earl. "He has lots of friends in France. He probably wanted to make sure he visited them all before we leave."
He eyed his daughter mischievously.
"Now, about this ball. You understand that I can't afford to spend any money on your gown. I'm sure Miss Johnson can find you something suitable in the clothes you have."
" Papa! " Alice almost screamed.
"Don't be a silly girl," Rona chided her. "Your Papa doesn't mean that. He's going to buy you a new pair of gloves."
Aghast, Alice looked from one to the other, while the rest of the family rocked with laughter.
"Of course you must have a new dress," said Madame Thierre. "Several new dresses, in fact. We shall go immediately to the Rue de la Paix, and stay there as long as necessary."
The gentlemen immediately thought of other things they needed to do, and in a short while the ladies were on their way.
Before he departed the Earl had spoken quietly to Rona, instructing her to spare no expense in fitting out his daughter.
"But don't tell her I said so," he warned, with a twinkle in his eyes, "or she'll be quite impossible."
"Don't worry," Rona agreed.
"Also, there is the question of your own attire," he said, seeming to become uneasy. "I know you're not an ordinary governess and you seem able to afford better clothes than most of them. Just the same, a ball given by the Thierres is going to be a very grand occasion, and you should be dressed like the other ladies. That being the case – " he seemed about to expire from embarrassment, "I think the purchase of your gown should be my responsibility."
"You are very kind, my Lord, but that cannot be," Rona said firmly.
"Please don't misunderstand
They laughed together comfortably.
Rona turned away so that they couldn't see her face. Out of sight she was grinding her nails into her palms.
After that she could take no further pleasure in the evening.
If only he would return and she could speak to him.
Then, perhaps, her heart could be at ease.
She began to wish the night away and the morning to come.
But next day he had disappeared.
*
"He is a most extraordinary young man," Madame Thierre told the others over breakfast, "I came downstairs early this morning to find Peter waiting for me. He bade me a charming farewell and positively begged my forgiveness. Of course I told him no forgiveness was necessary and he could return whenever he pleased, as long as it's in time for Alice's ball."
"But will he?" asked Cecile.
Madame Thierre shrugged. "Who can say? We've known him for several years, and if there's one thing I've learned it's that you never know where and when he's going to appear next."
The Earl nodded. "My wife used to say he was like a Jack-In-The-Box," he said. "He was always where you least expected, vanishing without warning and returning in the nick of time.
"Take last week. He arrives in London, comes straight to my house only just in time to join us on this trip. A few hours later and he'd have missed us."
Hearing him say that, Rona had a strange feeling. She was sure now that Peter was Harlequin, which meant that he had been in London for at least a day longer than his brother in-law believed, since he had been at the Westminster ball.
Why should Peter have lied about such a thing?
And she remembered again how he had vanished when his friends tried to greet him at the ball. Like a man who was hiding something.
One moment he behaved as though he were drawn to her, just as she was to him. The next, he fled from her. Why had he acted like that in the garden, almost as though he hated her, only to send her a gift that she alone would understand? If she meant something to him, why did he behave like a moth to the Countess's flame, oblivious of any other woman?
Why had he suddenly disappeared, just when she wanted to confront him with the Harlequin figurine?
Or was that the reason?
"He'll turn up when he turns up," said the Earl. "He has lots of friends in France. He probably wanted to make sure he visited them all before we leave."
He eyed his daughter mischievously.
"Now, about this ball. You understand that I can't afford to spend any money on your gown. I'm sure Miss Johnson can find you something suitable in the clothes you have."
" Papa! " Alice almost screamed.
"Don't be a silly girl," Rona chided her. "Your Papa doesn't mean that. He's going to buy you a new pair of gloves."
Aghast, Alice looked from one to the other, while the rest of the family rocked with laughter.
"Of course you must have a new dress," said Madame Thierre. "Several new dresses, in fact. We shall go immediately to the Rue de la Paix, and stay there as long as necessary."
The gentlemen immediately thought of other things they needed to do, and in a short while the ladies were on their way.
Before he departed the Earl had spoken quietly to Rona, instructing her to spare no expense in fitting out his daughter.
"But don't tell her I said so," he warned, with a twinkle in his eyes, "or she'll be quite impossible."
"Don't worry," Rona agreed.
"Also, there is the question of your own attire," he said, seeming to become uneasy. "I know you're not an ordinary governess and you seem able to afford better clothes than most of them. Just the same, a ball given by the Thierres is going to be a very grand occasion, and you should be dressed like the other ladies. That being the case – " he seemed about to expire from embarrassment, "I think the purchase of your gown should be my responsibility."
"You are very kind, my Lord, but that cannot be," Rona said firmly.
"Please don't misunderstand
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