After the Kiss by Joan Johnston Page A

kidnapped them all? I must go search for Eliza. I—”
    Olivia grasped Charlotte’s wrist to keep her in place. “You cannot go haring off after Miss Sheringham, Charlie. There is someone else who must be considered first.”
    “What do you mean? I—” Charlotte met Olivia’s shrewd gaze and realized her secret was out. “How did you know?”
    Olivia let go of Charlotte and readjusted the blanket around William, letting her hand drift through his fine blond hair. “I cannot think of another reason why you would willingly give up riding Mephistopheles.”
    Charlotte put her hands to her rosy cheeks. “Does it show? Do you think Lion knows?”
    “You look very happy,” Olivia said with a smile. “But I doubt Lion suspects the truth. Men are oblivious to the signs until they are hit on the head with them.”
    Charlotte relaxed back onto her heels. “Thank goodness. I want to tell him myself—after the house party.”
    “I understand perfectly,” Olivia said. “Once I became
enceinte
, Reeve would not allow me to do anything for myself. It was nice for a while, but it soon became quite distracting.”
    “What did you do?”
    “I am almost ashamed to say.”
    “I will need help educating Lion,” Charlotte said. “Please tell me.”
    Olivia’s cheeks caught fire, and she lowered her eyes to avoid Charlotte’s intent look. “I took him on a picnic and … and made such passionate love to him that there was no question of my stamina.”
    Charlotte gave a surprised laugh. “What a wonderful idea!”
    “You do see you must allow someone else to go after Miss Sheringham.”
    Charlotte grimaced. “I suppose I must.”
    “Blackthorne is leaving within the hour to search for his brother and his daughters. I suppose he is the most logical person to ask for help.”
    “Where does he plan to start looking?”
    “Viscount Diebold told Blackthorne that he met Lord Marcus on the road, but heading in the wrong direction. The twins were with Lord Marcus at the time, as well as a young man, a stranger to Diebold. Lord Marcus told Diebold he was taking a short detour to London. Even so, he has had time to reach London and travel back to Sussex.”
    “Why would Lord Marcus be going the other way?” Charlotte asked.
    Olivia smiled. “That is not difficult to guess. A confirmed bachelor might be expected to avoid a house party laden with eligible young misses for as long as possible.” The smile faded. “However, Blackthorne knew of no compelling reason why his brother should have gone to London without informing him of his direction first.”
    “Maybe the young man traveling with him holds the key to the mystery,” Charlotte mused. “Who was he?”
    “Lord Marcus introduced him to Diebold as ‘afriend from home.’ Blackthorne says he has no idea who it could be.”
    “Did Diebold give a description of the young man?”
    Olivia gasped. “Oh, dear.”
    “What is it? Are you all right?”
    “Diebold said he hardly noticed the young man—except for his strange golden eyes—because he was too busy admiring the truly magnificent black stallion he was riding. I never made the connection until now. It must be—”
    “Eliza! On Mephistopheles!” Charlotte rose and began pacing. “She must have dressed in men’s clothing to ride astride. But if she is running away from her guardian, why did she not come straight here? She must have known I would protect her. Why would she go to London?”
    “More importantly,” Olivia said, “how did she meet up with the Beau? And why has he not brought her here? It cannot be quite the thing for them to be traveling together without a proper chaperon.”
    Charlotte stopped dead. “If they have been together overnight, Eliza has been compromised, even if the Beau did not …” Charlotte shivered at the thought of what fate her friend might have met at the hands of such a notorious rake. “He will have to propose.”
    “Do not get your hopes too high. If I know the