Down at breakfast, the other guests were surprised to see her. The gentlemen had all returned to Cambridge, but the young ladies were gathered around the table, eating their coddled eggs and toast.

“Honoria!” Sarah exclaimed. “What on earth are you doing out of bed?”

“I’m perfectly well,” Honoria assured her. “I haven’t even a sniffle.”

“Her fingers were like icicles last night,” Sarah said to Cecily and Iris. “She could not even grip a pen.”

“It was nothing that a hot bath and a good night’s sleep could not cure,” Honoria said. “But I would like to travel to Fensmore this morning. It was my fault that Lord Chatteris twisted his ankle, and I really do feel I must check on him.”

“How was it your fault?” Iris asked.

Honoria nearly bit her lip. She’d forgotten that that was one of the missing elements of her tale. “It was nothing, really,” she improvised. “I tripped over a tree root and he stepped forward to steady me. He must have stepped in a mole hole.”

“Oh, I hate moles,” Iris said.

“I find them rather sweet,” Cecily put in.

“I must find your mother,” Honoria said. “I need to arrange for a carriage. Or I suppose I could ride over. It’s not raining any longer.”

“You should eat breakfast first,” Sarah said.

“She’ll never let you go alone,” Cecily replied. “Fensmore is a bachelor household.”

“He’s hardly by himself,” Iris said. “He must have loads of servants.”

“At least a hundred, I should think,” Cecily said. “Have you seen the house? It’s enormous. But that doesn’t signify.” She turned back to Honoria. “He still lives alone. There is no one to act as a proper chaperone.”

“I’ll take someone with me,” Honoria said impatiently. “I really don’t care. I just want to get going.”

“Take someone with you where?” Mrs. Royle asked, entering the breakfast room.

Honoria repeated her request to Mrs. Royle, who immediately agreed. “Absolutely, we must see to the earl’s welfare. It would be positively unchristian of us if we did not.”

Honoria blinked. She had not expected this to be so easy.

“I will go with you,” Mrs. Royle said.

A teacup slammed down against its saucer. When Honoria looked over at the table, Cecily wore a tight smile, but her fingers were practically biting through her teacup.

“Mother,” Cecily said, “if you go, then I should, too.”

Mrs. Royle paused to consider this, but before she could reply, Sarah said, “If Cecily goes, I should go, too.”

“Why?” Cecily asked.

“I am fairly certain,” Iris said dryly, “that under no circumstances should I go.”

“I really don’t care who accompanies me,” Honoria said, trying not to sound as snappish as she felt. “I would just like to depart as soon as possible.”

“Cecily will go with you,” Mrs. Royle announced. “I will stay here with Iris and Sarah.”