Affair of Pretense

Seven

"I do hope I know you enough to think that you aren't trying to hoax me!" Mrs Elworth said, unable to believe still what she'd just heard. The Marquis smiled slightly, and returned, in a light tone: "Indeed ma'am, I am not trying to hoax you. It is only the truth: Miss Kentsville is in fact my cousin, Georgianna Devilliers. It might interest you to know that she is my late Aunt Beatrice's daughter."

Mrs Elworth was far more than interested; she looked utterly astonished that all she could do was to stare at the Marquis in a dumbstruck manner for a few seconds. "Goodness gracious!" she finally exclaimed. "Who could have thought of it? Oh! Now, I am certain why there is something in Miss Kentsville that is vaguely familiar to me."

Denver betrayed some surprise. This wasn't exactly the kind of response he was expecting. He thought it absurd that a complete stranger could have resembled his long dead aunt. Moreover, in the span of time in which he acquainted himself with Georgie, such resemblance did not so much as cross his mind. He said: "Indeed, ma'am? How much do you remember about my aunt?"

"Why, she was a celebrated beauty, Denver. Everyone was in love with her! Then quite suddenly, I just heard that she ran away. A great pity, to be sure. She died abroad, didn't she? Poor woman! When I first set eyes on Miss Kentsville, I knew she resembled someone I know I had been acquainted before, only that I couldn't point my finger on. That was so long ago."

"For my part, I don't think she favours her mother much," returned Denver flatly. "In fact, it is only that red hair of hers that she inherited from my aunt."

Mrs Elworth turned a bemused eye on him. "But Denver, why have I not heard anything about her? Cassy didn't say a thing to me, and I got this awful feeling that she had intended to deceive me from the outset! Why hide Miss Kentsville's identity from me?" she demanded, eyes narrowing. "And is Kentsville not her name after all? To be sure, I have a right to know!"

"Kentsville is an adopted English name," Denver said. "And believe me, Mrs Elworth, none of this was my plan. I have but only returned from London today, and when I found out that Cassy had sent my cousin here, I own to some feeling of exasperation. I have left her in charge of Georgie since she arrived from Paris a few weeks ago, and meant to bring her to Hastings to meet my grandfather." Denver said, glancing at his fob watch. "May I know where she is?" he asked politely.

"She left with a young man from the neighborhood for a walk. Harry Reeveston, a family friend. I am sure they'll be back any moment now. But do tell me, Denver, for I am dying to discover more about this cousin of yours. How did you find her then?" The Marquis then gave her an elaborate, if somewhat fictitious, account on the discovery of his late aunt's daughter, which Mrs Elworth found too incredible to be true.

"I know," remarked Denver wryly, reading her thoughts. "It's beyond belief ma'am, but it seemed that my grandfather had kept this for his own personal reasons. I daresay I can't blame him."

"I make no doubt that this might come as a shock for all of your family. Heavens, to think that I've been hoodwinked by such false tales! I don't scruple to tell you that I strongly disapprove what Cassy has done, but what I am wondering about is why bring your cousin here?"

"As to that I believe that Lady Emerson's sudden encounter with my cousin Collin a week ago had alarmed her. You see, I had left specific instruction that under no circumstances should this news reach my relatives' ears until I have my grandfather's leave to announce it to them. Cassy feared that my cousin would visit Emerald Hall very soon, and so she deemed it best that Georgie should be hidden from sight for the interim."

Mrs Elworth, a woman of sense, seemed satisfied by this, and nodded. "It sounds to me a very sensible course of action. I couldn't see why you've found it unwise."