The Duke And His Four Wards

Chapter 11.2 (Part 4)

   After a pause to marshal her thoughts, Margaret began. "It's really Mrs. Norwood's fault. She decided she wanted Sir Jack for a son-in-law. Sir Jack had come to town because he took fright at the thought of the marriage he had almost contracted with Miss Fletcher in Gloucestershire." She glanced up, but none of the audience seemed to have difficulty understanding events thus far. "Mrs. Norwood kept throwing Antonia in Sir Jack's way. Antonia did not like Sir Jack and so, to help out, and especially because Mr. Wolfinger has almost come to the point with Antonia and she favoured his suit, Maribella started flirting with Sir Jack, to draw him away from Antonia." She paused, but no questions came. "Well, you, Felix, made that a bit difficult when you told Maribella to behave herself with respect to Sir Jack. But they got around that by sharing the work, as it were. It was still Maribella drawing Sir Jack off, but the other two helped to cover her absences. Then, Miss Fletcher came to town, following Sir Jack. She joined in the...the plot. I gather Maribella was to hold Sir Jack off until Mr. Wolfinger proposed and then turn him over to Miss Fletcher."

   Felix groaned and Margaret watched as he put his head in his hand. "Sir Jack has my heart-felt sympathy," he said. He gestured to her. "Go on."

   "Well, then Mrs. Norwood tried to trap Sir Jack by trying to put him in a compromising situation with Antonia. After that, they all decided something drastic needed to be done, to save both Sir Jack and Antonia. At the afternoon concert, Sophia wheedled a declaration of sorts from Sir Jack over Maribella and got him to promise to go along with their plan. He thought Maribella was about to go into a decline and had to be swept off her feet by an elopement."

   "My sympathy for Sir Jack has just died," said Felix. "What a slow-top if he believed that twaddle!"

   "So that's what she was doing on the balcony with him," said Daniel. "She was there for at least half an hour."

   Margaret nodded. "She said she had had to work on him. But Helen Fletcher has known Sir Jack from the cradle and had told her how best to go about it."

   When no further comment came, Margaret resumed her story. "At the Penhursts's ball last night, Emma had the job of making sure Sir Jack had brought his carriage and would be waiting for Sophia when she came to take him to the rendezvous later."

   "And that's why she went to talk to Finley as soon as you got in the ballroom," said Francis, putting his piece of the puzzle into place.

   "All Maribella had to do was flirt outrageously as usual, so that everyone, but particularly Sir Jack, would be convinced it was her in the rose-pink domino. At twelve-thirty, Maribella swapped dominos with Helen Fletcher and Helen went down to a gazebo by the carriage gate."

   "Oh, God!" groaned Henry Byron. The horror in his voice brought all eyes to him. He had paled. "What was the colour? Of the second domino?"

   Margaret stared at him. "Brown."

   "Oh, no! I should have guessed. But her accent." Henry dropped his head into his large hands.

   For a moment, his companions looked on in total bewilderment. Then Margaret chuckled, her eyes dancing. "Oh. Did you meet Anna Kripinski?"

   "Yes, I did!" said Henry, emerging from his depression. "Allow me to inform you, Miss Fleming, that your sister is a minx!"

   "I know that," said Margaret. "Though I must say, it's rather trying of her." In answer to Felix's look of patent enquiry, she explained. "Anna Kripinski was a character Maribella acted in a play on board ship. A Polish countess of—er—" Margaret broke off, blushing.

   "Dubious virtue," supplied Henry, hard pressed.

   "Well, she was really very good at it," said Margaret.

   Looking at Henry's flushed countenance, none of the others doubted it.

   "Where was I?" asked Margaret, trying to appear unconscious. "Oh, yes. Well, all that was left to do was to get Sir Jack to the gazebo. Sophia apparently did that."

   Daniel nodded. "Yes. I saw her."

   Felix waited for more. His friend's silence brought a considering look to his eyes.

   "So, you see, it's all perfectly all right. It's Helen Fletcher who has gone with Sir Jack. I gather he proposed before they left and Miss Fletcher's family approved the match, and as they are headed straight back to Gloucestershire, I don't think there's anything to worry about. Oh, and Mr. Wolfinger proposed last night and the Norwoods accepted him, so all's ended well after all and everyone's happy."

   "Except for the four of us, who've all aged years in one evening," retorted Felix acerbically.

   She had the grace to blush. "I came as soon as I found out."

   Henry interrupted. "But they've forgotten one thing. It's all over town that Maribella eloped with Finley."

   "Oh, no. I don't think that can be right," said Margaret, shaking her head. "Anyone who was at the unmasking at the Penhursts' ball would know Maribella was there until the end." Seeing the questioning looks, she explained. "The unmasking was held at one o'clock. And someone suggested there should be a...a competition to see who was the best disguised. People weren't allowed to unmask until someone correctly guessed who they were. Well, no one guessed who Anna Kripinski was, so Maribella was the toast of the ball."

   Felix day back in his chair and grinned tiredly. "So anyone putting about the take of my ward's elopement will only have the story rebound on them. I'm almost inclined to forgive your sisters their transgressions for that one fact."

   Margaret looked hopeful, but he did not elaborate. Felix stood and the others followed suit. Henry, still shaking his head in disbelief, took himself off, and Daniel left immediately after. Francis retired for a much needed rest and Margaret found herself alone with her guardian.