Chapter Nineteen.

Harriet was in her bedchamber the next morning when Lady Hardcastle tracked her down. Harriet put aside her copy of a new essay on a natural history of the earth which she had purchased recently. She smiled at her mother-in-law.

"Good morning, Lady Hardcastle. I thought you would still be asleep. It is only ten o'clock and we had a very late night last night."

"Yes, it was dreadfully late, was it not? I fear I have grown accustomed to country hours. It would take time to get back into the habit of late nights." Lady Hardcastle floated over to a tiny chair by the window and sat down very lightly. "I wanted to talk to you, if you don't mind."

"Of course not."

Lady Hardcastle smiled gently. "I am not certain how I wish to begin. I suppose I should start by thanking you."

Harriet blinked. "For what?"

"Why, for all you have done for Gideon, naturally. And for what you have done for my husband and me, as well."

"But I have done nothing," Harriet protested. "Indeed, I obliged you to rush here on a fruitless errand and annoyed Gideon to no end in the process. I am just grateful the whole thing is over and done. With any luck we shall be leaving London soon to return to Upper Biddleton. I am really not very fond of Town life."

Lady Hardcastle's hand fluttered gracefully. "You do not comprehend me, my dear. I am thanking you for much more than this summons to London. You have given me back my son. I do not know if I can ever repay you."

Harriet stared at her. "Lady Hardcastle, that is vastly overstating the situation, I a.s.sure you."

"No, it is not. Six years ago after my eldest son died my spirits were depressed by the deepest melancholy I have ever experienced. I could not seem to emerge from it. Months pa.s.sed. We even moved from Upper Biddleton to Hardcastle Hall because the doctor said the change might help me. When I finally began to awaken to life again, it was to learn that I had very nearly lost my second son."

"How terrible for you," Harriet said softly.

"My husband would not even speak to him or allow him in the house for quite some time. Everyone accused Gideon of the most dreadful behavior toward poor Deirdre Rushton. And after a while Gideon simply stopped denying it. He turned his back on all of us, and who could blame him?"

"But your husband gave him the responsibility of managing the Hardcastle estates."

"Yes. When he feared his health was failing he summoned Gideon and turned everything over to him. I thought that action would help mend the breech, but it did not. Every time Gideon walked into the house, he and his father quarreled."

"Gideon is very stubborn."

"So is his father," Lady Hardcastle said ruefully. "They are very alike in some ways, although they have never acknowledged it. I must tell you that yesterday when we came upon them in the library I very nearly wept for joy. It was the first time I have seen the two of them deal calmly together in six long years. And all because of you."

Harriet touched her hand. "Lady Hardcastle, that is very kind of you, but I a.s.sure you I did very little."

Lady Hardcastle's hand closed briefly over Harriet's. "My son had become as ill-tempered and dangerous as the beast people called him."

"Good grief," Harriet said. "He was never that bad, madam. I always found him to be quite rational, for the most part. And he was always very kind to me."

"Kind?" Lady Hardcastle looked startled. "My dear, he worships the ground upon which you walk."

Harriet stared at her in amazement, and then she laughed. "What fustian. He is indulgent with me, I'll grant you that much, but I a.s.sure you, Gideon does not worship me."

"I am certain you are wrong, Harriet."

Harriet shook her head firmly. "No, not at all. He told me himself that he has forgotten how to love. He married me because he is an intensely honorable man and he had no choice. We have become good friends. But that is all there is to it."

"You are man and wife," Lady Hardcastle said firmly. "And I have seen the way my son looks at you. I will wager the Hardcastle diamonds that you are more than good friends, my dear."

Harriet blushed. "Yes, well, there is the natural affection one expects between married people, I suppose. But I do not read more into it than that."

Lady Hardcastle studied her closely. "You are in love with him, are you not?"

Harriet wrinkled her nose. "Is it so obvious?"

"Heavens, yes. I realized it the moment I met you. I imagine everyone else sees it just as clearly."

"Oh, dear," Harriet muttered. "I do try to conceal it. I would not want to embarra.s.s Gideon in public. The ton mocks any hint of such emotion between man and wife. Very unfashionable."

Lady Hardcastle rose to her feet as if she were made of feathers and leaned down to give Harriet a quick hug. "I do not think you could ever embarra.s.s my son. You believed in him when he thought no one else did. He will never forget that."

"He is very loyal, in his way," Harriet agreed warmly. "Quite dependable, actually. My father would have liked him very much."

Lady Hardcastle went to the door and paused briefly. "People called my son a beast after what happened six years ago. His size and his terrible scar caused the name to stick and in some ways I fear he did his best to live up to the label. But your faith and trust in him have changed him. For that you have my heartfelt thanks."

Lady Hardcastle floated out of the room and closed the door very softly behind her.

"It can certainly pay to have a notorious reputation," Adelaide proclaimed on the night of the St. Justin soiree. "Just look at this crowd. Harriet, my dear, you have definitely arrived as a successful hostess. Congratulations."

"Yes, indeed, Harriet." Effie gazed around in satisfaction. The St. Justin townhouse was full to overflowing. "A terrific crush. It will be in all the papers in the morning."

Felicity smiled at her sister. "I think we can safely say that you have acquired whatever social polish you needed to avoid embarra.s.sing St. Justin in public. No one can say he has not married a suitable hostess."

Harriet made a face. "I do not want any of you to think I did this on my own. The truth is Lady Hardcastle organized the entire thing. I am just exceedingly grateful that everyone who was invited accepted the invitation."

"And a few more besides," Felicity observed. "No one could resist. You and St. Justin have taken the ton by storm. He is viewed as a long-suffering romantic hero and you are the lady who loved him in spite of his murky past. It is a tale straight out of a gothic novel."

"I do not know about a gothic romance," Effie said, "but there is no denying the two of you are definitely in fashion at the moment. It was the perfect time to give a soiree such as this."

"That is what Lady Hardcastle said," Harriet said. "Personally, I shall be glad when it is all over."

Two very familiar, very handsome young men appeared and started toward Felicity and her relatives.

Harriet leaned toward Felicity. "Here come the Adonis Twins."

Felicity smiled her charming smile. "They are an attractive pair, are they not? It worries me that they do everything together, however. One wonders how far they take it."

Effie frowned severely. "Felicity, really."

Harriet stifled a giggle as the two young men approached. She waited until everyone had exchanged greetings and then she slipped away, knowing she would not be missed. The Adonis Twins had eyes only for Felicity, and Harriet had more interesting things to pursue.

Gideon and his parents were on the far side of the packed drawing room. They were talking to a couple. Harriet did not recognize them. Probably more of Lord and Lady Hardcastle's many friends.

The room had grown very warm. Harriet fanned herself rapidly for a moment before deciding to step out into the garden for a breath of fresh air. Several people nodded to her in a friendly fashion as she made her way toward the door.

A few minutes later she found herself out in the hall. Owl was supervising the vast array of footmen who were scurrying about with trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres. He gave Harriet a gloomy nod.

"Is all going well, Owl?" Harriet inquired.

"We are in command of the situation at the moment, madam. But the crowd is larger than expected. One can only hope we will not run out of champagne."

"Dear me." Harriet was alarmed. "Is there a possibility of that?"

"There is always a possibility of disaster at this sort of affair, madam," Owl said. "I shall do my best to avoid it, of course."

"Of course."

Harriet started down the hall toward the back door, but changed her mind when she suddenly realized that one of her garters seemed loose. She decided to go upstairs to the privacy of her own bedchamber to retie it.

At the top of the stairs she turned left and went down the hall. There was no doubt about it. The garter was definitely coming undone. Her stocking was starting to slip. Thank heavens she had noticed the problem in time. It would have been extremely mortifying to have one's stocking fall to one's ankle in the middle of one's first soiree.

The hallway seemed darker than usual, Harriet noted with a frown. Someone had snuffed some of the candles in the wall sconces. Owl was no doubt attempting to economize.

She opened the door to her bedchamber and stopped short when she saw that it, too, was in darkness except for a candle on her escritoire.

Harriet knew she had not left a candle burning on the little desk. She started forward with a frown, wondering if her maid had lit the taper.

Then she saw the hunched figure bending over the open drawer. In a flash she realized what was happening. It was the drawer where she kept her fossil tooth.

"Stop, thief!" Harriet yelled.

She rushed forward, brandishing her only weapon, her fan. "Stop this instant. How dare you?"

The shadowy figure jerked upright. He slammed the drawer shut and whirled around in a crouch to face Harriet. The candlelight revealed the scrunched-up features of Mr. Humboldt.

"d.a.m.n and blast," Humboldt hissed. He sprang toward the door, knocking Harriet to one side.

Harriet fell to the carpet and fetched up against the bed. She flung out a hand and encountered the chamber pot. She grasped it and tried to get to her feet.

"What the devil is going on here?" Gideon roared from the doorway. "d.a.m.nation, Harriet."

At that instant the fleeing Mr. Humboldt ran straight into the immovable object that was Gideon. Gideon caught him by the scruff of the neck. He flung the little man aside. Humboldt crumpled to the carpet with a groan.

"See to him, Dobbs." Gideon took two long strides across the room, bent down, and scooped Harriet up into his arms. "Are you all right?" he demanded harshly.

"Yes, yes, I am fine," she gasped. "Thank goodness you caught him. Gideon, I believe he was trying to steal my tooth."

"More likely he was lookin' for your jewels, Lady St. Justin," Dobbs said from the doorway. "Sneaky little devil. He even looks like a thief, don't he? Not that you can always tell by their looks, mind you. But this cove could certainly pa.s.s for a member of the criminal cla.s.s."

Gideon turned around with Harriet in his arms. Harriet glowered down at Mr. Humboldt, who was sitting up slowly on the carpet.

"Really, Mr. Humboldt. How could you stoop so low?" Harriet demanded. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

Humboldt groaned and looked sulky as Dobbs yanked him to his feet. "I was just wandering around and I got lost in here. I certainly was not attempting to steal your ladyship's jewels. What would I want with jewels?"

"If you were looking for jewels, which I doubt, you probably intended to sell them to finance your fossil collecting habit," Harriet declared.

Humboldt glared at her. "That is not true. Very well, if you must know, I heard rumors to the effect that you had found something interesting in the caves of Upper Biddleton. I did not believe them, of course. Explored those caves myself years ago quite thoroughly and I know there is nothing of great importance left in them. Nevertheless, I wanted to see if, by the merest chance, you might have stumbled across something."

"Hah. I knew it." Harriet shook her head in disgust and looked at Gideon. "I have been telling you all along that fossil collectors are an unscrupulous lot, my lord."

"So you have." Gideon looked thoughtful. "Are you quite certain you are unhurt?"

"Quite certain. You can put me down now." Harriet straightened the skirts of her gown as Gideon slowly lowered her to her feet. Her garter had come completely undone and her stocking had fallen to her ankle. "How did you manage to get here in time?"

"I a.s.signed Mr. Dobbs to keep an eye on the crowd this evening," Gideon explained. "If you will recall, we invited every suspicious person on my list. I decided not to take any chances."

Harriet smiled brilliantly. "What an excellent plan."

"It was, until you took a notion to go dashing upstairs at the wrong moment," Gideon retorted.

"Well, it only goes to show you should have kept me informed, my lord. I have told you that often enough. One would think you would learn."

Gideon's brows rose. "One would think so."

Harriet's eyes widened. "I just realized something, my lord. Mr. Humboldt was not on our guest list."

"No, he was not," Gideon agreed. "Which only goes to prove that my mother's observations about guest lists was correct. At a crush such as this, anyone who is suitably dressed can get inside, if he is clever."

The conversation at the breakfast table the next morning centered on the capture of Mr. Humboldt.

"It will certainly guarantee that your affair will be the talk of the Town today," Lady Hardcastle told Harriet with an amused look. "Everyone will be saying that once again Lord and Lady St. Justin have managed to provide their guests an extraordinary bit of entertainment. Just imagine. The two of you captured an infamous thief right at the height of the soiree."

"It is in all the papers this morning," Hardcastle announced from the other side of the table. He was midway through a stack of newspapers. "Excellent accounts of the whole thing. They are saying Humboldt is the master thief behind a series of burglaries that have taken place during the past several months."

"And St. Justin is a hero for having set the trap that caught him," Harriet said, sending a look full of glowing admiration toward Gideon. "Do the newspapers mention that?"

Gideon glowered at her from the far end of the table. "I trust not."

"Oh, yes. It's all here." Hardcastle put down one paper and picked up another. "They are calling you gallant and clever, my boy. And they describe how you saved your lady from the murderous thief."

"Wonderful," Harriet exclaimed. "I am so glad they got the story right."

Gideon eyed her laconically. "Mr. Humboldt was fleeing for his life when he ran straight into me, my dear. I did not see him attempting to murder anyone. You were the one who looked dangerous. I shall never forget the sight of you with that chamber pot in your hand. Quite alarming."

"Yes, well, I a.s.sumed he was after my tooth," Harriet explained.

"The conclusion Mr. Dobbs has reached is that Humboldt had long ago run out of funds to support his museum," Gideon explained. "He apparently resorted to theft in an effort to finance the purchase of more fossils."

Harriet nodded. "A fossil collector will resort to anything when he gets desperate. Poor Mr. Humboldt. I do hope they will not be too hard on him. In a way I can understand his motives."

"At the very least your reputation as a hostess is now firmly established," Lady Hardcastle said with satisfaction. "The ton fears boredom above all things and you have provided them with yet another exciting spectacle."