“Miss Ellsworth! There is no call for this. Your family will arrive soon enough.”

Jane did not trust herself to speak. She continued to stride down the road as quickly as her skirts would let her. Even with the advance of autumn, the day seemed overwarm, and her chemise stuck to her skin with the clinging heat of summer.

To her right, Buffington rode after her, leading her horse and entreating her to stop. “You should not be walking if you are unwell.”

“Then return my horse to me.”

“Only if you promise not to ride off.”

“Sir, you have stolen my horse. You have no right to make demands on me.”

At last Jane saw her father’s carriage on the road before her. He rode beside the carriage at an easy pace. As she drew near enough to be recognized, he took on a startled look.

“Jane?” He spurred his horse forward to meet them, dismounting at her side. “What are you doing here?”

Buffington shook his head sadly. “Perhaps you can get an answer from her, for I cannot. She’s raving of murder and devils. I fear your daughter’s reason is unhinged.”

“Murder!” Mr. Ellsworth’s customary ruddiness fled. “Who?”

“No one as of yet.” Jane, with a glance at Buffington, prayed that her father might understand her desire to preserve what little discretion was left. “My conference did not go as well as we might have hoped. I am afraid the other parties were quite disturbed. Mr. Buffington has kindly taken it upon himself to halt me here rather than allowing me to continue on my errand.”

“It was no trouble at all.” Buffington waved her words away as if she had praised him.

“Mama wants to know why we are stopped.” Melody, as light and fresh as a new day, stepped out of the carriage. “Jane?”

“What?” Her mother poked her head out of the carriage. “Jane! What are you doing out of bed? Your father said you were overcome from use of glamour, after I warned you not to use it and now, to find you here. It is too much. You are too cruel to your mother. Oh! Mr. Buffington; so good to see you again.”

Buffington swung down from his saddle and bowed to Melody and Mrs. Ellsworth. In a confidential tone, which did nothing to prevent Jane from hearing him, he said, “I’m afraid the glamour has been too much for her reason, madam, but I assure you that I have done my best to care for her since finding her riding headlong down the road.”

“Oh!” Mrs. Ellsworth fell back into the carriage, fanning herself.

Mr. Buffington dashed forward to catch her, though Jane could have told him that it would do no good. Her mother would be overcome for some time regardless of the nature of the offense to her senses. A stubbed toe would be quite as debilitating as a concussion. Her father, long used to these displays, took no notice and turned instead to Jane, leaving Mr. Buffington and Melody to deal with Mrs. Ellsworth.