Mally : Signet Regency Romance (9781101568057) by Sandra Heath

there said as she’d bought for London. Whereupon the country gent did exactly the same. Someone, Mrs. St. Aubrey, is as anxious as you to find your sister.”
    Mrs. Berrisford squeaked, her eyes wide. “Oh, dear, this sounds so very mysterious and frightening. Whatever can it all be about, Marigold?”
    Mally saw the worry and alarm growing in her mother’s eyes. “Oh, it is surely merely a coincidence, Mother. Is that not so, Mr. Paulington?” She flashed him a warning glance.
    â€œOh, yes. Yes, indeed, I just thought I would mention it.” Mr. Paulington’s chair scraped loudly as he stood. “Don’t let it worry you, Mrs. Berrisford. Well, I’ll be off then, and I’ll do my best, you may be sure. Good evening to you, ladies.”
    â€œGood evening, Mr. Paulington. And thank you.” Mally inclined her head.
    A short while after he had gone, Digby came in with the bottle of wine, followed by a wide-eyed, nervous maid carrying the cheese board.
    The butler cleared his throat as he set the bottle on the table. “Madam, I do not wish to alarm you at all, but I am concerned that someone may be watching the house. From out there by the trees in the square.”

Chapter 7
    Mrs. Berrisford looked fit to faint. “Oh, we are to be murdered in our beds, just as poor dear Agatha was!”
    â€œMother! Don’t be silly! It’s probably a burglar wondering if it would be worth breaking in here. Will you show me, Digby?” Mally tried desperately to conceal her own instant fear.
    â€œYes, madam, if you will follow me. It was Lucy who first noticed him, a few moments ago when she was drawing the curtains of your dressing room. He was smoking, you see, and she saw the glow of his cigar.”
    Mrs. Berrisford hesitated as she saw everyone leaving the room, and then abruptly she got to her feet and hurried after them.
    Digby extinguished the oil lamps on the landing and they approached the tall window overlooking the square. They pressed close to the window, except for the frightened little maid who hovered behind them anxiously.
    Digby pointed through the lace curtain. “There, madam. By the third tree from your right. Yes. Do you see him? He’s only a shadow—but
there!
He’s lit another cigar!”
    Mally gently pulled the lace curtain aside to see more clearly. The square was misty and cold, and the occasional leaf drifted to the wet grass. A carriage moved along the far side of the green. It was Chris’s and she remembered that he was dining with the Earl of Hartmore, Annabel’s father. The cobbles gleamed damply and the man’s silhouette was just visible in the gray haze.
    They were so intent upon watching that they did not hear Lucy coming down from the floor above, nor did they hear her exclamation of annoyance at finding the main landing in darkness. She hurried back upstairs and lifted an oil lamp from its holder, and then came down again. The light flooded onto the landing behind the window, picking out Mally quite clearly as she peered around the heavy lace curtain.
    â€œLucy!” Mrs. Berrisford squealed in dismay, gesturing the old nurse away. “He’ll see us all now!”
    But it was too late, for the man had seen Mally’s outline. He stamped out the cigar and melted back among the trees. There were no fleeing footsteps to hear this time, but the coldness she had experienced before slithered back over Mally as she stood there. Digby took Mrs. Berrisford’s arm, for she seemed about to faint clean away, and he supported her back into the warm dining room.
    Mally remained by the window for a while. Chris’s carriage had passed from sight beyond St. Blaise’s now and across the square the Earl’s house was a blaze of color and lights. But down in the square, the trees were dark and mysterious, a cobweb of inky shadows and strange shapes. She turned away and took a long breath; she must hide