Unmasked by Nicola Cornick

Author:Nicola Cornick [Cornick, Nicola]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9780373773039
Publisher: HQN
Published: 2008-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

“HESTER!” Mari was so angry that she marched straight into Hester’s bedroom with barely a knock. She stopped at the sight of her friend reclining lazily in her bed, eating the remains of a plate of bonbons. “I want to talk to you!” she added wrathfully. “What the devil do you think you were doing? You were supposed to be over at Starbotton, knocking down Sampson’s enclosures, not playing at highwaymen with me and Major Falconer!”

“I know,” Hester said, with her mouth full. “We thought it would be so much more effective to stop you and Major Falconer on the road, because you would not know about it and would therefore seem completely innocent—”

“Innocent! Effective!” Mari was so furious she could barely speak. “First you trick me and then you point a pistol at me! I almost shot you for that!”

“Not me,” Hester said. “Laura.”

That stopped Mari in her tracks. “Laura? You mean, that it was Laura who was acting the part of Glory? Dear God, I almost shot the Duchess of Cole!”

“You were magnificent,” Hester said admiringly. “We never imagined that you would play your part so well. And if you did not recognize Laura as Glory then it is certain that no one else will do.”

“Well,” Mari said furiously, when she had got her breath back, “I am glad that you are so pleased with your evening’s work!”

Hester darted a quick look over her shoulder. “Keep your voice down, Mari! Jane will hear you. And besides I have the headache.”

“Jane is in the kitchen drawing me a bath and making me some supper,” Mari said, “and you should not have drunk so much tonight. As it is I am surprised that you did not fall off your horse under the influence. Oh, Hes—” her tone changed “—of all the crack-brained, idiotic, addle-pated, downright foolish ideas!”

“But did it work?” Hester inquired, scooping up the last sprinkling of crumbs from her plate. “I was sure that if the Glories held up the two of you together, Major Falconer would see once and for all that you simply could not have any connection to Glory yourself and he might leave you alone. That was why Laura arranged it so that you would be in the carriage with him.”

“Astound me,” Mari said crossly. “I had worked that one out for myself.”

“Of course,” Hester said, eyeing her with slight trepidation. “Of course you had. And we thought that if we warned Major Falconer off, as well, he might go back to London and give up the hunt for the Glory Girls.”

“A spectacularly bad idea,” Mari said, “since your so-called warning will have made him all the more determined to track them—you!—down! Aargh!” She sat down on the bed regardless of the mud and sheep droppings clinging to her skirts. “What did I tell you? Do not draw attention to yourself, do not do anything reckless, do not attempt to warn Major Falconer away….”

“I know,” Hester said. “You are the only sensible one amongst us.

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