Clarendon Estate (The Sinclair Society, Book Three) Rough Draft

Chapter Fifteen

"I thought as much myself. However, I'm not sure where he would hide a paper if he has been traveling. Would he have destroyed it?" The question had been running around my head since I'd left Mr. Harper's room. "What if it was terribly important?"

"On the one hand, I would suggest he would place it with his host, my husband, for a safekeeping until such a time as such a paper would be needed," Lady Leith said thoughtfully. "Given that you so cleverly discovered where Horace keeps his papers out of sight, I'm not convinced he would be eager to place anything else in hiding there."

"And so you can see how we are stuck," I said, moving around the room just to have something to do. "I can see no way past this impasse. My uncle returns to London soon. And while I might be able to concoct a believable story for why I am not there, I think I would prefer to leave it open so that I could leave should a new lead find its way to me."

"Yes, I suppose that does make sense," Lady Leith said, though her tone was doubtful. "Do you mean to compile a further list of your brother's friends who have a name, Christian or family, that begin with the letter H?"

"I don't know that it would do any good."

"You're overtired," Lady Leith said compassionately. "Perhaps you should get some rest. I've often found a problem will resolve itself in my mind when I allow myself to not think on it for a time."

Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "And who will dress you for dinner?"

"I'm sure one of the maids will step in for the evening."

"And I'm sure no one will find it odd that you're giving your personal maid such leeway."
Lady Leith shook her head. "It is well within my right to look my best while I have guests in the house, and if I feel my maid is not up to the task, I can request the assistance I require."

"I do have a reputation to keep up," I said, frowning at her. "What would Miss Hanson think if she were to learn you requested a housemaid to help you while I was in the house?"
"Get some sleep, Juliet."

Throwing up my hands, I gave up. "Fine, since there is no reasoning with you." I chose to ignore the triumph on her face as I left the room. Firmly, I closed the door behind myself and started down the hallway to the door to the servants' staircase.

"Juliet? Is that you?"

From behind me, Henry Bladen's voice rang out.

My heart skipped a beat. Ducking my head, I kept walking. If I didn't react, perhaps he would think he was mistaken.

"Juliet?" For a moment, I thought he was right behind me.

"Mr. Bladen, is something wrong?" Lady Leith's voice sent a thrill of relief through me. "Why are you chasing after my maid? I don't know what kind of behavior you are accustomed to getting away with, but I will not have you seducing someone of my employee."

I reached the door and as I slipped past it, I heard Mr. Bladen objecting. "I assure you, Lady Leith, that was not my intention. I thought I saw someone I knew...."
"A mistake," Lady Leith said, her tone repressive.

Closing the door, I breathed out a sigh. Too close. And I'd thought encountering him in Bath would have been the closest to having my identity revealed in a public and irreversible way.

Would he accept that he had been mistaken and allow the matter to pass without further thought? Or would he begin to think the girl he once had courted had fallen on hard times and been forced into a life of service? If Mr. Bladen thought I—Juliet Sinclair—was in the house, I had no doubt he would try to seek me out.

Again, I had to wonder what circumstance had thrown him in with Sir Horace and Mr. Harper. Why had he come to Sir Horace's estate? Was he, as Lady Leith had hinted, the 'H' that my brother had tried to warn my father about?