Charlotte and Lady Hope Drake to the queen.”
“When do you expect them home?” Grant asked, trying to remain impassive.
“Not before four o'clock, my lord.”
“Please let Lady Essex know that I have stopped by. If she could send me a note of a more convenient time for us to meet, I would appreciate it.”
“Of course, my lord.” With that, the butler opened the door and escorted him out.
Grant began his long walk home. It was turning out not to be his day. Hopefully, Alysanne would contact him soon.
Chapter 13
The ladies arrived home just before four o'clock. Ginny ushered the girls upstairs to change out of their large gowns and ordered that tea be served in an hour. As Hope had predicted, nothing had happened during their presentation. They barely spoke above three words to the queen. They were ushered out as soon as their turn was done. They had waited around for hours to be released. All three agreed it was nice to be home.
The three entered the small parlor in the back of the house at much the same time. It was Hope's turn to serve, so Charlotte and Ginny took their seats and made themselves comfortable. After being served, all three fell into a companionable silence.
Mr. Frommer entered a few minutes later with the news that Ginny had been waiting over two weeks to hear.
“I beg your pardon, my lady, but you had a visitor earlier. Here is his card,” Frommer said while handing her a small, white card on a silver tray.
Ginny reached for it and examined it closely. There it was, in plain black and white. Lord Grant Montgomery. Ginny worked hard not to give anything away on her face, but still she could feel the blush rising from her neck.
“Thank you, Mr. Frommer. Did he say anything in particular?” There, her voice hardly squeaked at all.
“Yes, my lady. He asked for you to contact him with a more convenient time for a meeting.”
“Thank you,” Ginny nodded, and the servant left. Before she could tuck the card away, Hope reached over and grabbed it.
“Who, pray tell, is Lord Grant Montgomery?”
Before Ginny could answer, Charlotte asked, “Why is a man coming to call on you, Ally?”
Taking a deep breath, Ginny responded, “He is an old friend of my father's. He attended my wedding. I sent him a note asking him to tea so we could catch up, but he hadn't responded before today.”
Hope and Charlotte exchanged a confused look. Hope asked, “A friend of your father's?”
“Yes. I've known him since I was ten years old.”
Charlotte perked up. “You must invite him to dine with us this evening. He may be a man of information. At the very least, he could give us some advice about London.”
Hope rolled her eyes. “Dining with some stodgy, old man is not my idea of a well-spent evening. But as he is an old friend, I will make an exception.”
Ginny was about to correct Hope on the “stodgy, old man” reference, but decided not to. Instead, she said, “I think it's a good idea to invite him to dine with us. Charlotte, you are correct. Lord Grant is a great source of information.”
“You must write to him immediately. Before he can make any other plans.”
“Indeed.”
Chapter 14
Grant was nervous. Never in his life had he been nervous about having dinner with anyone, let alone an old friend. Yet, here he stood just outside her door, hand up to knock. His stomach was alive with movements, as though a small cache of mice had moved in and made their home inside. What did he have to be anxious over? She was the same girl he'd known most of her life. She was the quiet, shy, little thing with pigtails.
Though she was the girl he'd known for so long, she was also the woman he'd taken to bed on her wedding night over a year earlier. The woman who had responded to his touch with genuine enthusiasm, not because of his looks or position. The woman who would probably allow him
“When do you expect them home?” Grant asked, trying to remain impassive.
“Not before four o'clock, my lord.”
“Please let Lady Essex know that I have stopped by. If she could send me a note of a more convenient time for us to meet, I would appreciate it.”
“Of course, my lord.” With that, the butler opened the door and escorted him out.
Grant began his long walk home. It was turning out not to be his day. Hopefully, Alysanne would contact him soon.
Chapter 13
The ladies arrived home just before four o'clock. Ginny ushered the girls upstairs to change out of their large gowns and ordered that tea be served in an hour. As Hope had predicted, nothing had happened during their presentation. They barely spoke above three words to the queen. They were ushered out as soon as their turn was done. They had waited around for hours to be released. All three agreed it was nice to be home.
The three entered the small parlor in the back of the house at much the same time. It was Hope's turn to serve, so Charlotte and Ginny took their seats and made themselves comfortable. After being served, all three fell into a companionable silence.
Mr. Frommer entered a few minutes later with the news that Ginny had been waiting over two weeks to hear.
“I beg your pardon, my lady, but you had a visitor earlier. Here is his card,” Frommer said while handing her a small, white card on a silver tray.
Ginny reached for it and examined it closely. There it was, in plain black and white. Lord Grant Montgomery. Ginny worked hard not to give anything away on her face, but still she could feel the blush rising from her neck.
“Thank you, Mr. Frommer. Did he say anything in particular?” There, her voice hardly squeaked at all.
“Yes, my lady. He asked for you to contact him with a more convenient time for a meeting.”
“Thank you,” Ginny nodded, and the servant left. Before she could tuck the card away, Hope reached over and grabbed it.
“Who, pray tell, is Lord Grant Montgomery?”
Before Ginny could answer, Charlotte asked, “Why is a man coming to call on you, Ally?”
Taking a deep breath, Ginny responded, “He is an old friend of my father's. He attended my wedding. I sent him a note asking him to tea so we could catch up, but he hadn't responded before today.”
Hope and Charlotte exchanged a confused look. Hope asked, “A friend of your father's?”
“Yes. I've known him since I was ten years old.”
Charlotte perked up. “You must invite him to dine with us this evening. He may be a man of information. At the very least, he could give us some advice about London.”
Hope rolled her eyes. “Dining with some stodgy, old man is not my idea of a well-spent evening. But as he is an old friend, I will make an exception.”
Ginny was about to correct Hope on the “stodgy, old man” reference, but decided not to. Instead, she said, “I think it's a good idea to invite him to dine with us. Charlotte, you are correct. Lord Grant is a great source of information.”
“You must write to him immediately. Before he can make any other plans.”
“Indeed.”
Chapter 14
Grant was nervous. Never in his life had he been nervous about having dinner with anyone, let alone an old friend. Yet, here he stood just outside her door, hand up to knock. His stomach was alive with movements, as though a small cache of mice had moved in and made their home inside. What did he have to be anxious over? She was the same girl he'd known most of her life. She was the quiet, shy, little thing with pigtails.
Though she was the girl he'd known for so long, she was also the woman he'd taken to bed on her wedding night over a year earlier. The woman who had responded to his touch with genuine enthusiasm, not because of his looks or position. The woman who would probably allow him
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