Since no arguments of hers seemed likely to prevail against this determination, Lady Bellingham gave up any attempt to induce her niece to see reason, and tottered away to spend a melancholy morning trying to discover an error in her dressmaker’s bill, and to convince Mortimer that the stubs of the candles used in the saloons could quite well be lit again for kitchen purposes. As she succeeded in neither of these objects, her spirits underwent no change for the better, and might indeed have borne her down utterly had she been privileged to know what her niece was planning to do. This knowledge, however, was prudently kept from her, so that she was able to go out for her usual drive in the Park in ignorance of the events which were brewing above her unfortunate head.
For quite some time, Miss Grantham was, unable to think of an adequate counter to Mr Ravenscar’s last move. It really seemed to be unanswerable, but she was by this time so determined to fight him that the idea of surrender never entered her head. The time for signifying to him that she had not the least intention of marrying his cousin would come only when he was beaten out of every position. Miss Grantham would then be able to derive great satisfaction from her magnanimity. To give way to bribes or threats would be so spiritless a course that she naturally could not entertain it for a moment.
After dwelling wistfully on all the exceedingly unpleasant things she would like to do to Mr Ravenscar, but which circumstances unhappily prevented her from doing, her brain presently turned resolutely from these impractical daydreams, and grappled the problem in a more serious spirit. It was not long before a scheme, so dazzlingly diabolical as almost to take her breath away, was born in her mind. She sank her chin in her hands, pondering the plan with a rapt look on her face, and was discovered in this absorption by Lucius Kennet, who strolled in towards noon to see how she did.
“Faith, what devilment will you be up to, me darlin’?” asked Mr Kennet, regarding her with a sapient twinkle.
Deborah jumped up. “Lucius, you are the very man I need! You must help me!”
“Sure and I will!” responded Kennet promptly.
“And Silas too,” decided Miss Grantham. “You will not mind a little risk, will you, Lucius?”
“Me sword’s at your service, Deb!”
“Oh no! It has nothing to do with swords—at least I do hope it has not! I just want you to kidnap Ravenscar for me.”
He burst out laughing. “Is that all? Whisht, it’s a mere nothing! And what will I be doing with him when I’ve kidnapped him?”