Free In Pursuit of a Scandalous Lady by Gayle Callen

smile, “but there has been a change of plans. My dear friend Rose decided to go with me, so I’m giving you a holiday.”
    Beatrice blinked, even as a slow smile touched her mouth. “But, miss, won’t you need me?”
    â€œSurely my great-aunt has plenty of servants. You haven’t been to York to see your family in ages, have you?” Thinking quickly, she held out a train ticket. “Take this and have it transferred to something you can use. I won’t need you for several weeks.”
    She seemed hesitant, thrilled, and Rebecca was so impatient she wanted to shove it into her hand and run.
    â€œBut doesn’t your friend need this?”
    â€œWe’ll buy another one. You just get yourself to the railway station so you can get right home.”
    â€œI confess, it is my mother’s birthday.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you tell me that?” Rebecca asked, in truth this time. “I would have given you a holiday.”
    â€œBut the Season—”
    Rebecca snorted. “The Season will go on without us.Now go!” With both hands she shooed her maid back the way she’d come.
    Beatrice sent one more smile over her shoulder. “Thank you, miss! Enjoy your holiday!”
    With a groan, Rebecca stuffed the ticket and schedule into her reticule, picked up her cloak, and left her bedchamber. But instead of heading for the front of the town house, she went down the rear stairway to the corridor that led out onto the terrace. She hurried down through the garden to the stables. A groom was happy to prepare a cabriolet that she could drive herself. She asked him to accompany her to the train station so that he could return the carriage.
    â€œYe’ll not wait for yer maid, Miss Rebecca?”
    She shook her head, using the power of her smile. “I’ve given her a holiday. It’s Great-aunt Rianette and I alone in the Lake District.”
    Before she knew it, she was out in the alley, the groom holding on at her side as she turned up one street, and then the next until she was driving parallel to the town house.
    She’d kept the top down on the carriage, and made certain she called loudly to her coachman, “Ho, there, Hewet, I decided to drive myself. I’m so late!”
    Even as the coachman saluted and climbed up into the box, she saw the shutters in the carriage move and knew the thief had seen her. She urged her horse faster,not bothering to see how he got out of the carriage, or if someone was waiting nearby for him. There was no time to waste as she led him away from Madingley House and her family.
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    It hadn’t been difficult to notice when Rebecca left Lady Thurlow’s reception. Julian followed on his horse as she returned in the enclosed carriage. She was not going to leave town without him knowing about it. At the duke’s town house, he took the opportunity for a little exploring, leaving his horse on the street to follow the garden wall back toward the alley. Over the top he could count the windows on the second floor to estimate the number of bedrooms.
    He wasn’t certain what he planned to do with such information—steal into her bedroom beneath the nose of the dowager duchess? Or should he try to find a way into the garden? Somehow he needed to keep track of her, to discover if she truly meant to leave London. He came upon a wrought-iron door, but it was well locked.
    And that’s when he saw Rebecca hurrying through the garden, wearing her cloak, heading for the stables. He didn’t bother calling out, only began to run toward the back alley. He crept the width of the garden wall toward the great double doors that led to the stables. It seemed to take forever. Surely Madingley House was the largest palace in London. Before he even reachedthe doors, a horse emerged with a cabriolet behind it. And there was Rebecca driving, her expression intent, even though a wide-eyed groom sat at her side. She was past