“Prior to discovering the truth about her parentage, she was a teacher at a boarding school,” Fredrick shared.
“A teacher?” Anette asked. “What subject did she teach?”
“Does it matter?” Fredrick asked.
Anette shrugged her shoulders. “Not truly, but I find myself curious.”
“Regardless, she is in need of our help,” Fredrick said. “I can’t in good conscience just leave her be and watch her fail.”
Lowering the newssheets to the table, Anette studied him for a moment before asking, “Why is this so important to you, considering you only just met this young woman?”
Fredrick glanced at the open door before he lowered his voice. “After I received my commission in the Army, I made a terrible mistake. I gambled with money that I didn’t have and I was in debt. I was too embarrassed to tell Father and admit my mistake. Instead, I went to Sir Charles for some advice.”
“Why did you go to Sir Charles?” Anette questioned.
“Sir Charles is my godfather. He went to university with my father and they have been close ever since,” Fredrick explained. “When Sir Charles heard my plight, he paid off my debt and strongly encouraged me to never gamble again. Which I have no intention of doing. It is a terrible vice, and I was fortunate to have learned from my mistake.” He paused. “I feel as if I owe it to Sir Charles to help his daughter.”
A footman placed a cup of chocolate in front of Anette as she asked, “Are you not worried about betraying Clarissa and Calvin by helping this Miss Sutherland?”
“I do not consider it a betrayal. Frankly, I was never particularly close with either of them, partly due to the differences in our ages, but mostly because of their pretentious attitudes,” Fredrick said. “They took after their mother in that regard.”
Anette glanced at Roswell and asked, “What do you think? Should I help Miss Sutherland?”
“It is entirely your choice,” Roswell replied. “I have no say in the matter.”
“You are of little help, Husband,” Anette joked.
Roswell leaned closer and kissed her on the cheek. “I am a smart enough man to let you come to your own decisions, mostly because you always do the right thing.”
“Now I have no choice but to help her.” Anette brought her gaze back to Fredrick’s. “Does she even want our help?”
Fredrick picked up his knife and fork. “She does,” he confirmed. “But I should warn you that it might take a considerable amount of time. She has the poise of a lady, but she seems so unsure of herself.”
“That is not surprising. My mother spent my entire life preparing me to enter high Society,” Anette said. “I can’t imagine being thrust into it at her age. No doubt she has no idea what to expect or how vicious the gossips can be.”
Fredrick placed his fork and knife onto his plate. “Shall we call upon Miss Sutherland?” he asked as he pushed back his chair.
Anette grinned. “May I ask what the urgency is?”
“There is no urgency,” he replied. “I just thought it would be best if we got it out of the way.” Which was a lie. For some reason, unbeknownst to him, he was looking forward to seeing Miss Sutherland again.
There was a refreshing quality about her that piqued his interest, and he eagerly anticipated another chance to engage in conversation with her. Which never had happened before with a young woman. Most of the time, he grew tired of the overt flirtations, but Miss Sutherland had not once indulged in such behavior. Instead, she appeared to hold his opinion in high regard.
He wondered if she had discovered his true identity yet. If so, would she resort to the same desperate tactics that the other young women engaged him in to garner his attention? He hoped not.
Anette took a sip of her chocolate and lowered the cup back down to the table. “You must allow me to eat my breakfast first.”
“Of course,” Fredrick said.
Roswell glanced at the footmen before saying, “My trip into the rookeries was not very productive, I’m afraid. I made no progress on my case.”
Knowing that his brother was being intentionally vague since they weren’t alone, Fredrick said, “That is most unfortunate.”
“I could always use your help,” Roswell said. “Another set of eyes would be greatly appreciated.”
Fredrick had already made his thoughts known on the matter, but could he sit back and do nothing, knowing his friend was missing? That thought unsettled him.
But what if Caleb was just undercover and he didn’t need- or want- their help? They could unintentionally reveal his identity.