“Mrs. Morgan’s carriage broke down just outside Madison more than two years ago and Lord Madison invited Mrs. Morgan in to tea while the stable master took a look to see if a new wheel could be put on or the undercarriage was damaged. Miss Lisa and Suzette kept her company while she waited. It turned out there was much to repair and Mrs. Morgan took a room at the inn while waiting for it to be ready for the road again. She was in the village for near a week and Miss Lisa visited her nearly every day. They became friends and Mrs. Morgan gave her a couple of books and they’ve been writing ever since.”

“Dear God,” Robert breathed with dismay. “Doesn’t she know what kind of woman—” Pausing, he shook his head. Of course she didn’t know. How could she? Lisa spent very little time in the city. The girl was as naïve as a babe. “Does Richard know Lisa planned to tea with Mrs. Morgan?”

“Nay,” she said on a sigh. “ ’Twas a secret. In fact, even I wasn’t to know. Miss Lisa tried to sneak out on her own, but I knew she was up to something and caught her and so she let me come with her, but the carriage dropped us at the back of the house. The kitchens, if you can imagine,” she added with outrage. “I knew that wasn’t right, but Miss Lisa insisted on going in for tea and we did, but the tea was drugged and Mrs. Morgan was asking the oddest questions. Was I a virgin, and—” She paused, her face now flushing so that the freckles were nearly invisible as she whispered, “And that the doctor would examine me to see.”

She shuddered at the thought, but continued, “The last thing I remember before the drugged tea overtook me is her saying as how we would be taken to a room to rest until the doctor and Miss Lisa’s suitor came.” Her mouth firmed. “And sure enough, we woke up locked in this room on the second floor. But we made a rope from the bed linens like in that book about that Lord Haroway what ravished Lady Laticia, and Miss Lisa said as I should go first, so I climbed out the window, but the bed couldn’t take the weight and started to move and Miss Lisa had to help hold the rope which she couldn’t do for herself and she said I should come find you to go get her.”

Robert stared blankly as her long, rushed explanation soaked through his mind and then he gave his head a shake, and stepped around her to head for the door. “Wait here. I shall fetch her back.”

“Oh but—”

“Wait here,” he repeated firmly.

“But ye don’t know which window to go to,” she protested in a wail.