“Oh, dear? What is it? What haven’t you told me?”

“I hadn’t wanted to tell you, but I suppose it is best if it comes from me, and Lord…Mr. McGregor doesn’t hear of it elsewhere.”

Charlotte brushed away the tears that had formed at the thought of her noble and selfless act. “Tell me.”

Caroline fidgeted, something she rarely did, an action that instantly raised concern in Charlotte’s mind.

“Well…oh, it’s completely untrue, I want you to know that I realize that. Completely untrue! It seems that Lord Carlisle…that is, the man who claims to be Lord Carlisle, told Lord Keyes, who told Sir Albert Moray, who told dearest Algernon, that…that…”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, just spit it out, Caro!” Charlotte snapped, more concerned than ever.

“He said that your husband arranged for his kidnapping six years ago so he could take the title and the estates, because he was so poor and always coveted the title and Lord Carlisle has the proof of his misdeeds and he intends to bring Alasdair McGregor up on charges and have him hung for his crime and that the accident was just a convenient ploy to gain him sympathy and that he’s not really injured, just too cowardly to face Lord Carlisle in public,” Caroline said in a rush of words that stumbled over each other.

“He what?” Charlotte all but shrieked as she leaped up from the settee.

Caroline took a deep breath. “He said that your husband arranged for his kidnap—”

“No, no, you don’t have to repeat those ghastly lies. Dear Lord, he said all that? In public?”

Caroline nodded, her head swiveling as she watched Charlotte pace before her, eyeing the carpet critically to see if it would have to be replaced after Charlotte’s latest round of ambulatory musing. Perhaps she should instruct Matthews to lay down a special matting in the pacing path whenever Charlotte visited. “In the clubs, yes. I imagine it’s all over them by now. You know how Sir Albert gossips.”

“I can’t believe this, I just can’t believe this. How can he say such a thing? That Dare would kidnap him? It’s ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. No, it’s not just ridiculous, it’s…it’s…it’s asodyne! Asmonine?”

“Asinine.”

“What?” Charlotte paused in the act of gathering up her things.

“The word is asinine, not asodyne or asmonine.”

She frowned. “Asinine? As in nine asses? Are you certain?”

Caroline nodded her head. “Quite.”

“How very peculiar. Still, it matters not.” Charlotte filed away that interesting fact and smiled, once more filled with a warm glow of happiness. “What does matter is that I have a purpose again. I can be useful. I need to go home, now, before Dare hears about this.”

“How can you keep him from hearing about it?”

“I don’t know, but I will have to, else he’ll…he’ll…oh, I don’t know what he’ll do, but I do know that it won’t involve working on his engine, and that is what his focus should be right now. I suppose if I ban any visitors to the house, and keep Dare at home, and screen his post, that should give me the time I need.”