His eyes glinted in appreciation as he met Madeline’s innocent glance. “Why, certainly, Miss Ellis.”
The widow, however, immediately raised an objection. “I have servants to perform such tasks, Mademoiselle Ellis. Moreover, a buffet supper will be served in a short while.”
“Oh, I doubt Lord Haviland minds,” Madeline said airily, stepping in front of him. “And it will give me a chance to speak to you alone, Madame Sauville. I should dearly love to know about the modiste you patronize, so that I may tell my pupils. Your gown is so lovely, and with such a tasteful sense of fashion. Also, you promised to introduce me to your guests, did you not?”
Looping her arm through their hostess’s, Madeline purposefully led the widow away from Rayne. “I should like to meet your poets as well. My brother has tried his hand at poetry once or twice, but I fear his efforts were rather sad….”
Rayne’s mouth curved as Madeline’s voice trailed off. He had needed her to distract the widow after all, he admitted as he left the salon in order to hunt for the letters.
As time dragged on, Madeline could see Madame Sauville becoming more and more frustrated by her unwanted attachment, but she refused to budge from the scheming Frenchwoman’s side. She kept one eye on the mantel clock, however, trying to hide her worry while wishing Rayne would hurry.
When at last he returned to the salon with glasses of wine for both her and Madame Sauville, Madeline breathed a bit more easily. Yet only when, in response to her quizzical glance, Rayne gave her a slight nod to indicate that he’d found the letters, could she begin to relax.
“My apologies for my tardiness, madame,” Rayne said smoothly. “I delayed to speak to an old acquaintance.”
Madeline’s relief was so great that she almost didn’t mind when he turned his attention again to charming the widow.
The three of them took supper together, but when Rayne expressed their intentions of leaving the soirée directly afterward, the widow looked extremely disappointed. “Must you leave so soon, milord?”
“I’m afraid so. Since Miss Ellis has a school lesson to conduct on the morrow, I must return her to Chiswick tonight, and we have a lengthy drive ahead of us.”
Mrs. Sauville shot a look of vexation at Madeline before smiling at the earl once more. “I hope that you will call upon me anytime you wish, Lord Haviland. You would be very welcome.”
With a bow, Rayne pressed a kiss to the widow’s proffered hand. “Thank you, madame. I look forward to it.”
So saying, he took Madeline’s arm and steered her toward the salon door and out to his waiting carriage.
Madeline waited to speak until Rayne was settled in the opposite seat. “I gather you found the letters?”
“Yes, but it took me longer than expected,” he answered as the coach pulled away from the house. “They were indeed locked in her jewel case, which was hidden among her lingerie.” Madeline thought his expression looked approving as he surveyed her in the dim glow of the interior carriage lamp. “You did extremely well keeping the widow occupied while I conducted my search.”
She flushed at his praise. “I am just relieved it is over. I fear I’m not cut out for spying. My nerves were rioting the entire time you were gone.”
She saw Rayne smile. “I had every confidence in you, love.”
“Now that is a falsehood if I ever heard one,” Madeline responded with good humor. “You never believed that I could help you. You didn’t even want me to accompany you tonight.”
“True, but I didn’t doubt your courage. I worried for you, which is not the same thing as doubt.”
She couldn’t help her own smile. “I would like to see Madame Sauville’s face when she discovers the exchange.”
Rayne’s tone turned dry. “Trust me, you don’t want to be within range of her rage when she does. She would likely try to claw your eyes out.”
“I expect you are right.”
“Now let us hope we retrieved them all,” he said, drawing the curtains across the coach windows to afford them privacy from the London streets.
Madeline watched as Rayne shrugged out of his coat and carefully removed the letters concealed in the lining, then examined each one briefly.
“Freddie will have to read these himself, but from his account, I believe this is the entire lot.”
Bending, Rayne opened the large leather satchel at his feet. After safely tucking the batch of letters inside, he pulled out Madeline’s brown cloak, which Walters had packed away earlier.
“You will want to remove your evening attire before we arrive home.”
Madeline was strangely reluctant for the night to be over, and even more reluctant to exchange the lovely silver shawl and matching accessories for her own drab cloak. And yet she didn’t want to return to Danvers Hall wearing Rayne’s plumed bandeau and hair combs, either.
When she reached up to remove the bandeau, however, she had difficulty finding the hairpins that held the headdress in place.