Just then Codswallop pushed open the parlor doors. “Miss Jerningham, you have a caller. Colonel Warren Hastings, English Secretary to the Governor-General of India.” Codswallop’s voice almost shook with excitement. “I have ushered him into the library.”

“Oh, fudge,” Gabby said, somewhat to Lucien’s surprise. “Codswallop, is Mr. Dewland in?”

“I regret to say that Mr. Dewland is not at home.”

“You could put this Hastings off,” Lady Sylvia drawled. “No reason why you should see an army fellow without the head of the household present.”

Quill hadn’t come to breakfast, even though Gabby had lingered. She sighed. “Mr. Boch, I do apologize, but I suspect that I should not keep Colonel Hastings waiting.”

But Lucien was already standing. “Please do not give it a second thought. I have several calls to make this morning. But I wonder if I might have the pleasure of accompanying Miss Phoebe to her house?”

“Would you? That would be absolutely splendid,” Gabby exclaimed.

Lucien gave his twinkling, intimate smile. “I admit…I am curious about the important Mrs. Ewing and shall look forward to meeting her.”

Lady Sylvia looked at Phoebe, who had skipped over to say good-bye to her favorite tiger table. “No mystery there,” she said in a lowered voice. “Phoebe’s new mama is Emily Thorpe, as was. From the Herefordshire Thorpes. There was a disgrace, some sort of rumpus, and Thorpe threw both his daughters out. Now I think of it, it wasn’t the eldest gel that got in trouble, it was the younger, Louise. Never seen them myself, but I know the elder turned into a Mrs. Ewing, some five or six years back. Didn’t know she was writing for fashion rags though.”

There was something odd about Lady Sylvia’s comment that Emily Thorpe had “turned into a Mrs. Ewing,” but Gabby didn’t have time to question her. At any rate, it wasn’t a proper conversation with Phoebe in the room.

Lucien apparently agreed with her, as he bowed before Lady Sylvia with a great deal of elegant flare and said nothing to her account of Thorpe family history.

While saying good-bye, Phoebe leaned close to Gabby’s ear and whispered shrilly, “You haven’t forgotten about the secret visit that we are going to make, have you, Miss Gabby?”

“It’s not polite to whisper among company,” Gabby said, squeezing her hand. “But no, of course, I haven’t forgotten. I shall send a note to Mrs. Ewing and ask to borrow you for an afternoon next week, shall I?”

When they were alone, Gabby turned to Lady Sylvia. “Will you accompany me to the library, Lady Sylvia?”

“First you’d better tell me what this is all about.”

“Quite likely Colonel Hastings has come to pay his respects,” Gabby suggested. “My father is quite influential.”