The old weasel, Anthony thought with grim amusement. He’d known all along.

Lady Putney sighed. “My dearest Charlotte, I warned you about the children, did I not? They are completely unmanageable, which you will discover when you wed Greyley. Fortunately I am more than willing to take them to live with me at—”

“No,” came a voice from the stage. Desford stepped forward, his hands fisted at his sides. “We don’t wish to live with you.”

Lady Putney’s face grew red, though she tried to smile. “Now Desford, I’m sure that Miss Melton doesn’t want to hear—”

“I don’t like Miss Melton, either,” the boy continued in a dogged voice. “It’s because of her that Miss Thraxton left.”

Anthony’s attention riveted on the small boy. “Left?”

“Of course you ask about her,” Lady Melton huffed.

“Mother,” Charlotte said, “be quiet.”

“Where,” Anthony asked ominously, “is Miss Thraxton?”

Desford glared. “She left. Because of you.”

Elizabeth nodded. “She didn’t want to stay and watch you marry Miss Melton.”

“How do you know that?” Anthony asked. Desford’s gaze flickered to Sir Phineas.

The old man cleared his throat. “I, ah, may have told them that during one of my many conversations. I can’t remember.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Selena piped up, taking her finger out of her mouth. “She’s coming back. I know she will.”

“She’d better,” Anthony muttered, his heart a stone in the center of his chest. He glanced at Lily, who’d come out from behind the curtains. “Take the children back to the nursery.”

It took Lily twice as long as it would have taken Anna, but she managed to herd the children out without too much incident.

As soon as they were gone, Anthony said, “I’m going after her.”

“Good for you,” Sir Phineas said with an air of great satisfaction. “If you leave now, you will catch them before they reach London.”

Anthony frowned. “Them?”

“Yes, ‘them.’” Lady Putney gave a shrill laugh. “Miss Thraxton eloped with Rupert this morning.”

“You’re lying,” Charlotte snapped.

“I saw them,” Lady Putney said, “They were riding together in my son’s phaeton. That hussy even had her portmanteau strapped behind.”

Charlotte stamped her foot. “That bounder! That cheat! Just this morning he told me that he loved me!” She paused, her face quivering. “And I sent him away.”

“I should hope you did,” her father huffed. “Rupert Elliot has no prospects.”

“I know. He has been painfully honest. Or he was,” Charlotte said, a tear running down her cheek. She looked sadly at her father. “I knew you had made some bad investments and you needed money. My marriage to Greyley was the only way to save us all.”

Lady Melton’s brow creased. “Bad investments? Where did you hear that?”

Charlotte stared at Lady Putney.

“Did you say such a thing?” Sir Melton demanded.

Lady Putney gave an ingratiating smile. “I-I merely repeated what I had heard from the town gossips—”

“You said Mama had told you everything!”

“No! You just misunderstood me, my dear.”