An Unexpected Countess. Laurie Benson

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ like to hold the string, Sarah couldn’t stop herself from immediately stepping forward—at the exact moment Hartwick did the same. They looked at each other and surprise flickered in his eyes.

      There was a distinct clearing of her father’s throat behind her.

      The Dowager clucked her tongue. ‘Only Lord Hartwick and Miss Forrester are brave enough to have a go?’

      Katrina eyed the machine near her foot. ‘What does it feel like?’

      ‘A wonderful zing moves through your body,’ the Dowager replied, looking pointedly at Lord Sissinghurst.

      ‘Perhaps it’s best if a man holds the string,’ Sarah’s father said, still not convinced she would not spontaneously combust if she held it. ‘His body is more sound,’ he continued. ‘It will hold the greater amount of shock.’

      Hartwick bounced on his toes as if he was restraining himself from going after the string. ‘Fear not, Mr Forrester. I shall be the sacrificial lamb and spare your daughter.’

      But Sarah wanted to feel the shock first! Why should men have all the excitement in life? As the daughter of a diplomat she was forced to suppress her daring nature and appear subdued—or as close to subdued as was possible for Sarah. Back home, her brother had taught her how to ride a horse sitting astride without a saddle. She had climbed trees, swam in the ocean and had allowed two different men to kiss her. She lived for new experiences—experiences like having electricity run through her body.

      ‘The shock will be the same regardless of the size of the person holding the string, Mr Forrester,’ the Dowager replied to his question.

      ‘How long will it last?’ Lord Everill enquired from where he was inspecting the device over the rim of his spectacles.

      ‘As long as we continue to turn the crank and generate the friction.’

      Lady Everill’s eyes grew wide. ‘How long do you intend for that to be?’

      The Dowager shrugged. ‘However long we want. The residual effects can be quite fun. Electricity can make the strands of your hair raise. You can pick small pieces of paper up by merely waving your hand over them. And if you kiss someone who has been electrified, you will feel a sharp spark of fire from their lips.’

      ‘Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,’ Katrina said, stepping away from the device and approaching her husband’s side.

      ‘Their lips catch fire?’ Lady Everill all but shrieked.

      ‘No, Harriet, but it feels that way.’ The Dowager glanced once again at Lord Sissinghurst and they shared a smile. ‘Or so I’ve been told.’

      ‘Oh, dear Lord,’ Lyonsdale groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

      Sarah looked at Hartwick, who was rubbing his lips as if to wipe a grin off them. It wasn’t working very well.

      If Sarah didn’t know any better, she would think the Dowager and Lord Sissinghurst had tried the kissing experiment themselves, but the woman had to be in her seventies. Surely people had no interest in kissing at that age. Did they?

      The Dowager walked back to the machine. ‘I promise you. We will start with a short spark of electricity. It will not harm you. I know you are all curious. I am not the first person in London to hold an electrical soirée. Certainly you have heard of the others. Wouldn’t you love to say you have tried it, too?’

      That was all it took for Lady Everill to agree. ‘I’ll do it,’ she said much too quickly.

      Then everyone seemed to be in agreement.

      ‘Capital,’ the Dowager said with excitement shining in her eyes. We will try a few experiments for fun. Be warned, you should remove any substantial metal from your person. That would include jewellery, snuff boxes and the like.’

      Wonderful! Now what was Sarah to do? She should have volunteered to crank the contraption. How was she to remove the bracelet without anyone noticing? Where would she put it? How horrible would it be if she kept it in her shoe?

      ‘My bracelet!’

      All heads turned to Lady Everill and Sarah’s body grew cold. She was certain everyone would know the woman’s latest prized possession was in her slipper.

      The Dowager’s clear voice gave her a small bit of comfort. ‘What is wrong, Harriet?’

      ‘My bracelet is missing! Oh, Eleanor, someone has stolen my bracelet!’

      ‘Nonsense! I can assure you no one here stole it. It must have fallen off. We will all help you search for it. Katrina, why don’t you and Miss Forrester look in the drawing room? You remember where we were sitting. Harriet, you, Everill, Mr and Mrs Forrester and I will search the hallway, and, Julian, you remain here with Hartwick to look for it.’

      ‘What does the bracelet look like?’ Hartwick enquired, looking at the lady in question.

      ‘It is engraved gold links and two of those links have small paintings on porcelain.’

      Hartwick nodded in understanding while Sarah’s heart felt like it would jump out of her chest. Once she made it to the Crimson Drawing Room, her heartbeat slowed.

      ‘I cannot believe her bracelet just fell off her wrist like that,’ Katrina said, closing the door behind her and locking it.

      Neither could Sarah and now she was fairly certain the Dowager had been eavesdropping on their conversation yesterday. ‘I have the woman’s bracelet in my slipper,’ she whispered back harshly. ‘I’m amazed I did not jingle down the entire hallway.’

      ‘As am I. I don’t know how you did it.’ Katrina opened the drawer of the game table and withdrew a piece of paper and a pencil. As Sarah sat to remove the bracelet, Katrina handed the drawing implements to her. ‘Use these, but be quick.’

      The bracelet was of substantial weight, leaving Sarah to believe the links were solid. She studied each link and hinge, and found no way to open it. She placed it on the table and began to sketch it out to size. Although the back of the bracelet was free of any etchings, she took a rubbing of each link just to be certain she was not missing anything. Then she made indications of the colours of each of the images.

      She folded the drawing and shoved it inside her stays, between her breasts. She was an intelligent woman. She could do this. She would not give in to doubt.

      They discovered Lady Everill sitting in the library, fanning herself and drinking wine. Lyonsdale was pacing slowly near the doorway, studying the carpet under his feet.

      ‘We found your bracelet, Lady Everill,’ Katrina called out as they entered the room.

      Lady Everill rushed to them, grabbed the bracelet out of Sarah’s hands and clutched it to her chest. ‘Oh, thank heavens.’

      A loud thud came from under a nearby table, and Sarah dropped down to find Hartwick on his hands and knees, rubbing his head.

      ‘What are you doing under there?’

      ‘Searching for that bracelet,’ he bit out. ‘What did you think I was doing under here?’

      Sarah СКАЧАТЬ