To Pleasure a Lady

happened. She could be in danger.”

It was another long moment before Caroline said in a rush, “Sybil is not really in danger, Miss Loring. She went to Gretna Green.”

Jane let out a low moan, while Tess met Arabella’s eyes with similar dismay. Sybil apparently had eloped to Scotland with her fortune hunter suitor, just as they feared.

“Did she go with Mr. Onslow?” Arabella asked.

Caroline’s jaw slackened as she stared in surprise. “How did you know?”

“Never mind. Just tell us what she planned. It will take at least three days for them to drive to Scotland, perhaps more. What arrangements did they make? When did they leave?”

“Shortly after classes let out…when we went shopping in the village. Mr. Onslow met us there with his carriage.”

“How did she intend to deal with her maid?” Tess asked. “I doubt Martha would simply have let Sybil elope without protest.”

Caroline hung her head, as if ashamed. “Sybil knew Martha wouldn’t keep quiet, so she made her come with them. They planned to set her down further on tonight, to make her way home by mailcoach tomorrow. And I was to cover for Sybil this evening by saying she was ill. She thought the soonest anyone would miss her was tomorrow after church.”

“Yet Mrs. Phipps,” Jane said tightly, “began wondering where Martha had gotten to, and so she searched this room and found Sybil’s belongings missing.”

“Yes,” Caroline whispered. Her gaze returned to Arabella. “I am so very sorry I lied, Miss Loring, truly.”

Arabella bit her tongue to keep from lashing out at the girl, but Jane didn’t. “This could ruin us,” she muttered. “Mr. Newstead will be outraged-”

But Arabella didn’t want to discuss the academy’s business before one of their pupils. “Caroline, I wish you to return to the dining room for now. And please don’t say a word to any of the other girls.”

“I won’t, I swear it.”

Jane had had enough of patience, however. “Young ladies do not swear, Miss Trebbs.”

“Yes, Miss Caruthers…ah, no, Miss Caruthers…” With quivering meekness, Caroline gave Jane a wide berth as she crept from the room.

Arabella looked at her two friends in shared dismay, excruciatingly aware of the scandal that threatened them. If they allowed one of their wealthy young pupils to fall into the clutches of a fortune hunter, marriage or not, no parents would ever trust the academy again with their daughters.

Even worse, Sybil could suffer more than a loss of her reputation. By eloping with only a maid for protection, she risked ravishment. No matter how vexing the girl was, she didn’t deserve that fate. And regardless, her entire future was at stake. If she was merely witless enough to let herself be seduced because she fancied herself in love, she was making a grave mistake, since Onslow was not the kind of man to cherish anyone but himself. Sybil was unlikely to relish life as his wife.

Arabella hated to think of any innocent young girl at that bounder’s mercy, even the troublesome minx Sybil. Besides, she thought grimly, Sybil was supposed to be under her protection. It was her responsibility to keep her pupils safe, and it appeared that she might have failed.

“We must stop them somehow,” Tess said, stating what they were all three thinking.

“But how?” Jane asked.

“I will go after them at once,” Arabella replied, putting a hand to her temple as she thought madly. “They have nearly four hours’ head start, but they will likely put up at an inn tonight. I cannot see Sybil suffering the inconvenience of sleeping in a carriage. If I drive through the night, I may be able to catch them.”

“But you will need help,” Tess pointed out. “Would Lord Danvers be willing to accompany you?”

Arabella nodded. “I’m certain he would, but he is in London for the day, and I expect he took his coach since it threatened to rain this morning. I will ask Lady Freemantle to loan me her coach and several stout footmen as well. They should be able to help me convince Mr. Onslow to abandon his designs on Sybil.”

“What if he has already…” Jane broke off, her face turning red.

Arabella understood the question, but Tess spoke first. “Already claimed her virtue?” she supplied. “Sybil would be an utter fool to let him touch her before they were properly married, and she is cunning enough to keep the upper hand until then.”

“He may be dastardly enough to force her,” Arabella observed.

“Perhaps, but I don’t think he will risk it,” Tess said reassuringly, “since Sybil is just stubborn enough to refuse to marry him if he tried to coerce her. No doubt she sees an elopement as an adventure and hasn’t properly considered the full consequences. She thinks her father can be persuaded to accept him for her husband. Onslow may be a rake and a wastrel, but he is considered a gentleman in most circles, and would be a fair catch for a tradesman’s daughter.”

Jane’s mouth twisted in a mournful grimace. “But even if Mr. Newstead eventually accepts the marriage, our academy will never recover from the blow.”

“I know,” Arabella said grimly. Everything they had striven for during the past three years would be ruined.

When she remained silent, Tess searched her face. “Wouldn’t you prefer to wait for his lordship to return?”

She would indeed prefer to wait for Marcus, but she didn’t have time. “I must leave right away, Tess. If we hope to keep the elopement quiet, I will have to bring Sybil back before anyone discovers she is missing.”

“Perhaps I should come with you,” Tess offered.

“I think it best if I go alone,” Arabella responded. “My absence from the school won’t be remarkable, but if both of us are gone, it will be noted. Roslyn and Lily should remain here also and attend church tomorrow as usual to keep up appearances.”

“So how do we explain Sybil’s absence?” Jane asked.

Tess answered that question. “We can say she became ill, and that Arabella took her to London to see Lady Freemantle’s personal physician.”

“That should suffice,” Jane said. “Assuming you can find Sybil and prevent the marriage.”

“Oh, I will find her,” Arabella said with determination. She had no intention of letting the exasperating little chit ruin herself or the academy. “And I will keep them from marrying, even if I have to order Winifred’s footmen to overpower Onslow so I can drag Sybil home by her hair.”

With no time to waste, Arabella found her sisters and managed to gain their approval of the plan. Although reluctant to let her go alone, Roslyn and Lily clearly understood the need for discretion and agreed to remain behind and support the pretense they’d concocted.

Next, Arabella quickly drove the gig to the Freemantle estate. She hoped to leave as soon as she could borrow Winifred’s coach and footmen, but she hadn’t counted on her friend balking.

After listening to Arabella’s request, Winifred shook her head adamantly. “ ’Tis a demmed fool thing even to consider, my dear, you chasing after them alone. You need to let Danvers handle the matter.”

“He is not here to handle it, Winifred,” Arabella said, taken aback by her refusal. “He is in London.”

“Then you should wait for his return.”

Arabella tried to quell her impatience. “I cannot wait. Sybil is in my charge, Winifred. I am responsible for her well-being. She could be in real danger.”

“And you could be putting yourself in danger if you follow her. You should rely on Danvers to help you. He is your guardian, after all.”

“Not for long. By next week, he will be obliged to grant my sisters and me emancipation from his guardianship. But that is entirely beside the point.”

Winifred gave her a stern look. “You cannot go gallivanting off across England all alone without protection, Arabella.”

“I will have your coachman and footmen to protect me.”

“Lord Danvers would do better than a score of servants.”

Doubtless he would, Arabella silently agreed. She desperately wished Marcus were here to help her. On the