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The reflections left her as she saw that the afflicted matron was recovering. Kitty unconsciously shifted backwards as she saw the woman’s eyes flutter open. Finding herself stopped by a chair against the wall, Kitty froze again, wishing she might become invisible.
‘There, Mama, that is better, is it not?’
The woman gazed up at her daughter. A frantic look came into her features, and a wavering hand rose up to catch at Kate’s fingers.
‘Where is she? Did I truly see it? Oh, what a nightmare!’
Kitty shrank away. If only the floor might open and swallow her up! She heard the voice of the girl Kate, but did not take in the words as with a resurgence of dread she saw the woman threshing to get up.
‘Pray don’t distress yourself, Mama! No, no, don’t try to sit up. Stay there, I beg of you!’
The matron’s efforts to raise herself ceased, but her eyes, casting about the room, fastened upon Kitty, whose heart jerked as the creature pointed, horror in her face.
‘She is there still! Oh, what have I ever done to deserve this?’
‘Mama, pray hush!’ begged Kate.
Claud, torn between a sense of duty and a strong desire to retire from the coming scene as fast as he could, found his cousin’s eyes upon him in a scowl very like that to which he had been subjected by the female he had brought with him.
‘Claud, how could you? Look what you’ve done!’
‘How was I to know?’ protested Claud aggrievedly. ‘I thought it was you!’
His cousin turned to look at her hapless mirror image. ‘Well, I can see there is a resemblance. But surely you must have known it wasn’t me? Those clothes, for one thing! Where did you find her?’
‘In Paddington.’
These simple words acted upon his aunt as if a firework had been set off beneath her. The matron reared up, dislodging her daughter, who fell back in disorder, and gazed upon her nephew with eyes standing wide with dread.
‘Paddington?’
Claud winced. ‘Confound you, Aunt, I wish you would not shriek like that!’
She paid him no heed. ‘It is as I suspected. You must take her back! Now. Immediately.’ Her arms stretched out towards him, and her voice took on a plea. ‘And not a word to your mother, I implore you, Devenick! If Lydia were to hear of it, there is no saying what she would do. Oh, it is too bad! Why, why had you to bring her here?’
She withdrew her hands, wringing them painfully, and casting loathsome glances at the wretched female that was the innocent cause of the brouhaha. Claud’s mind was alive with curiosity. Nor was he the only one, for he perceived that Kate, having taken in the gist of her mother’s speech, was looking at the girl with a new interest. It became expedient to explain himself.
‘The thing is, I was coming back from Westbourn Green—stayed at my friend Jack’s place, for we were at cards last night until the small hours—’
‘Do get on, Claud!’
Wounded, Claud protested his cousin’s impatience. ‘I am only explaining how I came to be in Paddington.’
‘I can’t think why you should suppose I would be in Paddington!’
‘That’s just it. Couldn’t believe my eyes! Only I thought you’d run away.’
‘Run away? Why, in heaven’s name?’
It occurred to Claud that it was scarcely politic to be giving his reasons in front of Lady Rothley. Not that Aunt Silvia was in any condition to be protesting over that! He gave his cousin an austere look.
‘I should have thought that was obvious. But be that as it may, I took the girl for you and thought I’d best bring you back home before anyone got wind of your escapade.’
‘But surely this person must have told you that she was not me?’
‘She did,’ Claud confessed ruefully. ‘At some length. Only I would not believe her.’ He turned to his aunt. ‘You must not blame her, for it was entirely my doing.’
Lady Rothley shuddered. ‘Blame her? No, I blame you! I blame Lydia! I blame—’
She broke off, and Claud got the distinct impression that she had recollected herself just in time before giving away whatever secret there was connected with the girl. Vaguely it came to him that the chit had said something about skeletons. Devil take it, there was something in it!
‘What’s to do, Aunt?’ he demanded abruptly. ‘What do you know of the girl? Do you know her?’
‘Of course I don’t! I mean—no, I—You must not ask me!’
To Claud’s intense relief, Kate took a hand. ‘But, Mama, that is unreasonable. After what has passed, I do think you might tell us. Why did you cry out when you heard she came from Paddington? Do you know why she looks like me?’
Lady Rothley waved agitated hands. ‘Nothing will induce me to speak of it! You must not ask me! And for heaven’s sake, don’t either of you speak of it to anyone. Least of all to Lydia!’
‘But, Mama—’
‘Unless you wish to drive me into my grave, Kate, you won’t mention this again.’
There was a silence. Across the room, Kitty eyed the trio with a burgeoning resentment, which rapidly overlay the fear and distress occasioned by the woman’s horrid reaction to her coming. She found that she was shaking, but she resolutely trod a step or two in the direction of the sofa.
‘But I b-believe you owe me an explanation, ma’am.’
Three pairs of eyes shot round, and Kitty blenched. But she stood her ground, holding her head as high as she could, and keeping her gaze fixed upon the female. She saw her abductor move, as if he would come to her, and quickly held up a hand.
‘No, sir, pray don’t approach me. It seems that I am contaminated by my—by my l-likeness to your cousin there. I did warn you.’
Claud suffered an odd pang of compassion and strode quickly forward. ‘The skeleton in the family closet, you said. Seems you were right. But you need have no fear. I won’t let you suffer for it! The blame is entirely mine, and I shall—’
‘Devenick, fetch her here!’
He checked, turning his head. ‘I’ll not let you upset her any more, Aunt Silvia, and so I warn you! She’s suffered enough humiliation already, I should have thought.’
A riffle of gratitude swept through Kitty. He had shown himself a brute, but he had a streak of kindness. She looked quickly at the matron to see how she took this.
The creature was waving plump hands. ‘Fetch her! I want to look at her.’
At which, the girl Kate jumped up and came towards Kitty. ‘Yes, pray do come closer.’ But instead, Kate came to her. She pulled Kitty about to face Claud and stood close beside her. ‘It is extraordinary, is it not? We are much of a height, I think. Only do we really look so very much alike?’
Kitty waited tensely as Claud looked them both over. She was acutely aware of the other girl’s hand clutching her at the elbow.
‘Peas