I turned to see Charlotte and Julia emerging from the stables. Charlotte was in full dress for dinner with a hurried blue shawl around her shoulders that did not match her emerald green silk gown. My darling sister was in her heavy wool riding habit, gloves, and a firmly tied bonnet. Ready for the search.

I met them in the middle of the stable yard, the two men joining us. From the corner of my eye, I saw Julia clasp Mr. Kent’s hand and briefly raise herself upon her toes to whisper something in his ear. He turned his head into her words, his expression tender. And then my attention was claimed by Charlotte.

“Augusta, dear, I am having the phaeton harnessed for you and Julia,” she said. Her movements held the quick decision of battle and her cheeks were flushed. I suspected this trouble had brought a great deal of discord into her house. “It will give you a chance to catch up to Deele.”

“Thank you.” I touched her arm to press home my gratitude. “I hoped you would lend it to us.”

“It is a pretty pickle, indeed.” She covered my hand with her own. “We think Lady Hester and Miss Grant took one of the horses when the grooms were at their dinner. Then Deele and your brother arrived, demanding Hester be handed over. I’ve never seen Porty so disconcerted—Deele is one of his Eton cronies, you know. That is when we discovered they were gone.”

“So they do not know Deele is here and following?” I asked.

Charlotte shook her head. “We think they left at least an hour before Deele and your brother arrived.”

“They must have been planning it,” I mused aloud. “Not a spontaneous decision.”

Julia released Mr. Kent’s hand to stand at my side. “Probably prompted by the presence of Porty and the Ellis-Brants, and the imminent arrival of Brummell and Alvanley,” she said.

“Deele is following in his coach?” Evan asked.

“Yes, but he took the rested change horses and left his own spent team. Another horse is being saddled for you, Lord Evan,” Charlotte said. No more pretense of Mr. Talbot, then. “Where is that damn phaeton?” She turned to check on the harnessing. The equipage was out and one of the horses in the traps, the other being hitched. “My matched bays should give you some chance of catching up,” she added.

“Our brother is in the drawing room, Gus,” Julia said quietly to me. “He didn’t go after Hester with Lord Deele. Apparently Deele insisted Duffy come here with him to make us hand over Hester. As you can imagine, Duffy is in quite a mood. Shouted at me in front of Porty and the Ellis-Brants.”