Page 45 of How to Ruin a Rake

“Allegra!” Her mother burst into tears and ran toward her. “I thought you were dead!”

“I am quite well.” Allegra patted her mother’s back while everyone else came rushing toward her. “I have had something of an adventure.”

“I’d say so.” Julian smiled at her. “Perhaps you’d care to enlighten us? Carenza has been very worried about you.”

Her father cleared his throat. “When our coachman returned and told us there was no sign of you, I immediately traveled up to London to raise the alarm.”

“Thank you for doing that, Father,” Allegra sat down and her mother immediately joined her.

“No one seemed to know where you’d gone.”

“It was all quite ridiculous, really.” Allegra, who was a terrible liar, had rehearsed her story several times in the past hours, and could only hope she sounded sincere. “On that last evening in London, I heard a carriage stop outside the house and assumed it was ours. I hurried to get in because it was raining and didn’t think to look up and confirm it was our coachman. I must have dozed off, because it wasn’t until quite a while later that I realized that we should have stopped for the night and that we appeared to be going in the wrong direction.”

“At what time of day was this?” her father asked.

“It was very late,” Allegra said. “When I got in the carriage, the light had already begun to fade, and the weather was terrible. I know it was silly of me not to look up and check, but because I was expecting it to be Wilkins, I didn’t even bother.”

“What happened when you realized things weren’t right?” Carenza asked.

“I tried to make the coachman stop by banging on the roof, but he didn’t heed me.” Allegra took a deep breath. “I opened the window to shout at him, and just as I got his attention, the coach lurched to one side, and I ended up in a ditch.”

“Good lord,” her father said. “Do you think you distracted the driver?”

“I hadn’t considered that, Father, but you might be right,” Allegra said. “But what else was I supposed to do?”

“Were you injured?” Carenza asked.

“I was rather shaken. The wheel had come off the carriage, so I helped the coachman calm the horses and untangle the reins. While we accomplished this task, I was finally able to ask him where he was taking me. He said that he’d been ordered to pick up the Northrups’ governess from their London house and bring her down to their country abode.”

“The Northrups live on the other side of the square,” her father said. “I suppose the coachman got the house number wrong and waited outside our door instead of theirs.”

“That’s what I assume, as well, Father. He did say it was his first time traveling to London. We decided to walk the horses to the nearest inn and ask for help there.”

“Which was where exactly?” Julian looked at her, and Allegra had the uncomfortable sensation that he didn’t believe a word of her tale.

“Suffolk.”

“I thought the Northrup place was in Kent.” Her father frowned. “But perhaps they have other properties.”

“We were apparently near Southwold.”

“Never heard of it.”

“When we reached the inn, I was drenched through, and I had to take to my bed for several days. The landlady was very kind and looked after me when I succumbed to a fever and chills.” Allegra looked at her audience. “Once I was well, she lent me her gig, and her son to drive it, in order to come home.”

“My goodness! What an adventure!” her mother exclaimed as she hugged her. “I am so glad you are returned to us. Are you completely recovered?”

“Yes, thank you, Mama,” Allegra said. “Although, I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and having a good long bath.”

“You were very resourceful,” Carenza said. “I am proud of you.”

“It was quite frightening at first when I realized something had gone wrong, but in the end it all worked out,” Allegra said. “I am sorry I didn’t write and let you know my circumstances, but I wasn’t well enough to hold a pen.”

“My poor, brave girl.” Her mother kissed her cheek. “Go and have a bath and change out of that horrible dress, and we will see you at dinner.”

Allegra rose to her feet and let out a breath. “I shall do exactly as you suggest.” She thought she’d convinced her family about what had happened, but she wasn’t so sure about Julian, who was extremely sharp.

“By the way,” Julian called out as she reached the door and she stiffened. “Carenza and I are married.”