Clean Regency Romance: No Longer Flighty Fanny by Spencer Jessica

Author:Spencer, Jessica
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-04-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Andrew returned home after two days. The journey had been a fruitless one. Annie was still missing.

Bessie met him at the entrance itself. She looked troubled. “My lord, you have a guest. Miss Chubb arrived the day after you left. She wanted me to put her up until your return. She looked quite agitated and said it was absolutely necessary for her to stay here. I let her have one of the rooms. I hope I did not overstep, my lord.”

The words filled Andrew with a cold dread. Bathsheba was not so easily rattled. Something had scared her. And where was Fanny?

“You did well, Bessie. Please inform Miss Chubb I’m here.”

Bathsheba hurried into the room, looking distraught. “My lord, I’m so relieved you are back!”

“What happened? Where is Fanny? Is she safe?” Andrew demanded.

“Something alarmed Fanny the night you left London. I woke up in the morning to find her dressed and ready to leave. She told me she was leaving because she had decided not to encourage you. But that isn’t the truth.”

“Why do you think she did not leave on my account? I ought not to have announced the betrothal.”

“My lord, Fanny isn’t scared of you or the betrothal. She told me the betrothal was a sham one. And yet, she kept touching your ring and admiring it. She also couldn’t stop talking about you and the wonderful time she had in Hyde Park.”

“Do you have any inkling as to why she left?”

“Something frightened her very badly. Her eyes held the same fear I had noticed when she first arrived. She didn’t want to take Ruth. She said it wasn’t safe. When I asked her why, she couldn’t come up with anything plausible.”

The words further alarmed Andrew. “Isn’t Ruth with her?”

“Ruth is with her. She is a loyal child and also brave. She promised to stick to Fanny and scream the house down if anyone so much as looked at her mistress.”

“Where did they go?”

“I convinced Fanny to go to Prof. Martin’s cottage. I told her it was best if she dressed in my clothes and Ruth wore her gown. She agreed. I was afraid my house was watched”

“That proves it. Fanny knew she was in danger. She wouldn’t have agreed to the disguise if she was leaving because of our engagement.”

“Yes, my lord. She looked relieved when I suggested the plan and readily wore one of my gowns over layers of voluminous petticoats. She covered her head and most of her face with a drab shawl. Ruth wore Fanny’s yellow gown over her own.”

“The gown that Fanny wore to Hyde Park? That was good thinking. It is easily recognizable,” Andrew said.

“We agreed that Fanny and Ruth would part ways at the end of the lane. If there was anyone following, he would trail Ruth because of the gown. Ruth said she knew just the spot where she would be able to remove the gown and put it in a bag. Her own gown, the one she was wearing under Fanny’s gown, is quite nondescript.

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