A Perfect Match

4

Nora woke up no longer feeling chilled and was ready for a day of investigating. For reason, she couldn't explain instead of letting the maid pick out her clothing Nora did it on her own. She laughed at herself she was not sure when she started to care. She examined the coral dress. It had a youthful appearance and had a touch of maturity. She wanted to feel young today. She chose to wear her hair down and the sides pulled back. She put a bow in her hair and looked more like a sixteen-year-old girl. No one would recognize her from her day out yesterday or the woman the traitor had stabbed.

When, Nora arrived in the dining room the Dowager Duchess and the Duke both had the same expression on their faces. One of surprise and Percy had a look of pleasure on his. She took the seat across from the Dowager Duchess and next to him. The butler brought her a plate of food, and they ate in silence until he could no longer contain his curiosity. She had to laugh at his questions.

"Is there a reason you want to look twelve?"

Nora laughed, and so did the Dowager Duchess.

"I hardly look twelve your grace maybe sixteen but certainly not twelve. I thought the person who stabbed me would not recognize me if I looked like a young girl."

The Dowager Duchess smiled at Nora. She loved disguises when she worked for the crown. Her best disguise was when she dressed as an old gentleman to get into a reading hall. How exciting it was to be an exclusive man's den and mingle with all the men she knew on equal terms.

"They will never recognize you dear after all I am sure they are looking for a worldly woman. I think it is brilliant. I think if you want to make it look real you should drop the hint around the village Nora is your intended and she has come for a visit where she will be living. Being a future Duchess will open more doors than being the daughter of a Duke. Do you not think so Percival?"

"I think people will accept that story, but I do not think it proper since Nora and I are not really engaged Grandmother."

The old lady laughed a hardy laugh telling Percival she had had him dead to right. He did not have long to wait to hear what it was.

"If I see you come out of her bedchamber again before her maid helps her out of her bath. I will make the announcement myself do you both understand? You will not debauch a young lady under my roof."

They nodded and went back to eating. Nora knew better than to fight her she would let her mother if the Duchess insisted on them marrying. But she was right it would be the perfect cover and why they were alone together. The first person they saw was the postal carrier who was full of information. He told them he had not received any packages for a Mr. Farnsworth, Nor had he had any large deliveries that day. Percy wondered if it was coming by a delivery service.

The couple drove around the village sightseeing as far as the locals could tell. They were looking for the man who had stabbed her. He was their best clue to who Farnsworth was and the British Lord who was a traitor to the crown. The Lady Latitia was not moored out in the water. She must have set sail after their meeting. She decided she would play the part of the future duchess and see if she could glean any information that they could use. She insisted they stroll through the park. Percy parked the carriage and took Nora for the desired walk.

"What are we doing my lady?"

"We are getting to know the people of your village your grace. We going to do acts of kindness and gather information while doing it."

"I do not understand Nora what you are planning. Over my time working in the field I have found that being myself helping others and getting to know the people they are happy to give me information they do not even know is important. But because I have been kind, they feel obligated to answer my questions."