Free Putting on Airs by Ivy Brooke Page A

room.  "Do you suppose he is looking for your father?"
          "Perhaps.  I cannot understand why he would, though; he has been resolved against my father for some years now."
          "Perhaps he has another acquaintance," Imogene speculated.
          At that moment, Mr. Phillip returned to Imogene's side.  "My brother would not be recaptured; he left.  Jane, I am sure you would not be afraid of our scheme."
          "Scheme, sir?"
          "For another play.  You will join Imogene and I, of course."
          "Of course.  Which play this time?"
          As they continued to discuss the play, Imogene excused herself from their company and tried to navigate nearer to Mr. Ashcroft.  He noticed her and approached her.
          "You were just speaking to Mr. Cole, were you not?" he asked.
          Almost afraid of provoking anything, Imogene took his meaning as Mr. Phillip Cole.  "Yes, sir, Mr. Phillip Cole."  He was about to clarify, but she prevented him; "I do not believe we have met.  I am Imogene Cartwright.  My younger sister Emmeline is the guest of honor here."
          "And I am Patrick Reginald Ashcroft, miss.  But I was not talking about Mr. Phillip Cole; I meant his older brother."
          "Oh, Mr. Henry Cole?"
          "Yes, where is he now?  I desire to speak to him."
          "I am afraid he left, sir."
     
          "I see."  He looked around the room once more to confirm her statement.  "How long has he been in town?"
          "He has only been here for the assembly, I understand."
          "I see."  Without even saying "good evening", Mr. Ashcroft left.  As she watched him leave, she tried to fix his image and his name in her memory, Patrick Reginald Ashcroft.   It was then that she realized his initials matched those found on the letter for Mr. Cole.

CHAPTER NINETEEN
    That night, as she laid down to bed, it all became clearer.  Mr. Ashcroft disliked Mr. Cole because he was a high society man living in the country.  But it still did not quite make sense—there was no way for Mr. Ashcroft to blackmail him as suggested by the letter; all who knew Mr. Cole knew about his country residence.  But just the same, he seemed to think he had the power to blackmail him, and Mr. Cole seemed to fear that power.  There had to be more to the situation.
          All the mystery was forgotten the next morning as the Cartwright family bid good-bye to the newly wed Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Butler.  Farewell lasted a whole half hour until the couple finally pried away to their carriage.  Imogene embraced her sister before she could climb in.
          "I wish you and Mr. Butler every conceivable happiness," she said. 
          Her sister smiled brighter than she had ever seen, though a tear lingered in her eye.  "We are so happy, Imogene; I did not know that I could be this happy.  But you will write, won't you?  And visit?"
          "So long as you promise the same."
          "I do promise."
     
          "Then so do I."
          Emmeline finally joined her husband in the carriage, and they drove off to their new home.  Imogene immediately retreated to her room to write her first letter to Emmeline, but as she sat down to write, she realized that she had nothing new to communicate yet.  Instead, she took a stroll outside.  She found her father in the gazebo, so she joined him on the bench.
          "I am glad it all turned out so well," he said, his arm linked in hers.  "And it has made your mother happy, too."
          "I am glad too," she sighed.  "But are you disappointed with me, father?"
          "Why should I be?"
          "I have humiliated us all in public, I broke off the betrothal with my cousin..."
          "Do not give it another thought, my love.  It did not work out with Mr. Campbell, and now you can be free to choose someone else."
          "Has mother spoken to Mr. Cole yet?"
          "I am not