Chapter 13
It turned out to be easier to get out of attending Mrs. Cadogan’s house party than Caro had feared. The following morning, Fanny proved to be a magician with a pot of lip pomade and dabbed a very convincing rash on Caro’s hands and feet. A hot washcloth was applied to her brow moments before the physician arrived, creating the illusion of a fever. She complained of a sore throat and a headache, as Fanny had coached her.
Her mother, who had a dread of the sickroom, hovered at the door. “Please do not fret, my lady,” the physician reassured her. “Your daughter will be quite uncomfortable for a week or so, but her condition is not dangerous. It is highly contagious, however, and will spread throughout the household.”
“Oh, darling,” the countess said once the doctor had left, “of
