Miss Landon and Aubranael

Part 24

I did not send Felebre to Sophy! Ye'll have guessed that much, I imagine. Funny bein', that cat. I reckon there's more there than meets the eye, but try as I might, I cannot find out what.

No matter. 'Twas a full day before I knew that the guide I sent hadn't found my Sophy, and by then... well, a single day can make a lot o' difference, can it not?

Two days after Miss Landon's departure for Grenlowe, a note arrived in the morning's post.

Mr. Stanton,

I will be attending the Alford Assembly on the evening of the 8th of June. May I hope to see you there?

Miss Sophy Landon

The 8th of June was today—and today was his last day as Mr. Stanton. Thank goodness! He was being given a chance; one last chance to set things right and make everything well with Sophy.

But when he showed the note to Grunewald, his friend conspicuously failed to share his elation. The Goblin King (if that was what he was—he had yet to either confirm or deny it to Aubranael) held the note with the tips of two fingers, as though it was dirty, and curled his lip at it.

'What is it?' Aubranael asked anxiously. This was not the reaction he had expected, at all.

Grunewald looked at him as if he was stupid, and said: 'Miss Landon sent this?'

'I—well—apparently?'

Grunewald's eyes narrowed, and then he smiled a smile of pure, malicious glee. It made Aubranael nervous.

'Is that... bad?' Aubranael faltered.

'Bad?' Grunewald said, blinking at him incredulously. 'My dear boy, have you learned nothing?'

Aubranael could only blink back at him, mystified.

Grunewald beamed. 'It is the rules, my dear fellow. A lady and a gentleman may not correspond unless they are married, closely related or engaged to each other. That goes doubly if neither party is married to someone else.'

Aubranael thought that through.

'Are you engaged to Miss Landon?' Grunewald prompted.

'I... no.'

'Indeed. In which case, Miss Landon knowingly breaks all the conventions of polite society in sending this note to you. In doing so, she runs a great risk; for if it became known that she had sent you a note, her reputation would be considerably tarnished. It is a serious matter for single young ladies, and Miss Landon's situation is already delicate.' He grinned widely again and added, 'I never would have thought it of her.'

Clearly he intended this reflection as a compliment, but Aubranael could hardly view it as such.

'Perhaps that is why...' he began weakly.

Grunewald raised a brow.

'Perhaps she is pushed to desperate measures by... because circumstances...'

'That will not do as a defence,' Grunewald said with a malicious twinkle in his eyes. 'You are suggesting to me that she is desperate enough to go "on the catch", as I believe the charming phrase goes, and risk everything in order to 'land' a rich husband. In this instance, you.'

Aubranael frowned. This did not sound like Miss Landon at all. But that the note came from her, he did not doubt; who else would have sent it, and signed it with Sophy's name? He could only shrug helplessly, and put the matter from his mind. The more important problem was that he had only a few hours to prepare for the Assembly, since the journey there would take up the rest of the afternoon.