He got back into the carriage and leaned against the seat back, closing his eyes, replaying every moment of what had just happened.

Chapter 15

My goodness.

All that in just the time it took them to get from the Naval Office to her house. Della walked slowly up the stairs, hoping what she’d been doing—and had done to her—wasn’t completely obvious.

Look solemn, she warned herself.

She opened the door and stepped inside, relieved that nobody was there.

“You’re back!”

Except that all of them were there: Sarah, the girls, Eleanor and her child, and a few of the girls they’d rescued.

Standing looking at her.

“Am I late for something?” Della asked. She was bursting to tell Sarah of what they’d discovered at the Naval Office, but she didn’t want to raise her friend’s hopes if there was nothing more to learn.

“I came over to visit with Nora and Miss Emily,” Eleanor said with a smile. “I thought I’d mentioned I’d bring you to this evening’s party? Unless your Lord Stanbury plans to pick you up?”

“Yes, of course.” Della took a deep breath. So far nobody had accused her of doing improper things in a carriage, so perhaps the day would continue well after all. “You look lovely, by the way.”

Eleanor wore a deep blue gown with a darker blue velvet ribbon wrapped around her waist. The hem of her gown was edged in scalloped lace, and Della could see the toes of her blue velvet slippers peeking out from under the gown.

“Thank you.” Eleanor glanced at the clock in the corner of the hallway. “We haven’t much time to get you looking lovely,” she said, walking toward Della, then halting suddenly, an odd expression on her face. “Where have you been?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.

“I’ve been—uh,” Della began.

“Because you smell like a stable,” Eleanor continued.

A rush of relief went through Della at her sister’s words. “Yes, I do. I’ll need a bath,” she said, directing her words toward the cluster of maids.

A few of them scurried off toward the kitchen, and then she knelt down, gesturing to Nora to come closer.

“Have you had fun today, love?” she asked.

Her daughter gave a solemn nod. “Emily and Aunt Eleanor and I played. Because my cousin is too little to play yet,” she added in a scornful tone. As though it were the baby’s fault he was so young.

“That sounds wonderful.” And it did. This was why she had returned after all. Not for everything she’d found and was doing with Lord Skilled with His Fingers; that was an unexpected bonus, but this was the real reason she was here, suffering possible ignominy and disdain as well as complete dismissal by her parents.