triumphantly, “I’ve brought him!”
“So you have.” Clio smiled up enchantingly into Alec’s eyes and held out her hand. “Well … Alec Tyrrell! At last!”
Before Alec could take the proffered hand, the young fellow (who had been looking forward all evening to taking his turn with this particular dancing partner) leaned around Ferdie’s shoulder. “I believe this is my dance,” he said, smiling at the girl hopefully.
Clio turned to him with a charming but obviously false expression of regret. “Oh, Mr. Beddoes, I am so sorry! But I really must sit down for a while. Will you consent to a brief postponement? You may have the …” She paused and studied her dance-card. “The country dance after next.”
Poor Mr. Beddoes had no choice but to accept with good grace. He made a brief bow and went off. Ferdie chuckled. “That was heartlessly done.”
“Was it?” The red-headed young lady turned to Alec, her eyes glinting tantalizingly. “Do you think so, too, my lord?”
Alec looked down at her with cool dispassion. “Since we haven’t yet been introduced, and I don’t even know your name, I think it would be decidedly improper for me to tell you what I think.”
“I sense an air of disapproval. I suspect, Ferdie,” the girl said, keeping her eyes fixed on Alec’s face, “that I have been quite deliberately set down.”
“Well, I warned you,” Ferdie responded instantly. “I told you you’d be better off with me. However, you insisted that you wanted to meet this … this clunch, so you have only yourself to blame. I suppose you still wish me to perform my duty, don’t you? Then, if I must: Miss Vickers, may I introduce—?”
Alec’s eyebrows shot up. “ Vickers ?”
The girl laughed merrily. “Exactly. Clio Vickers … your wife’s cousin.” She held out her hand for the second time.
Alec took it absently and bowed over it, his eyes never leaving her face. Priss’s cousin! No wonder there were so many little ways in which she reminded him …
Clio Vickers was fully enjoying her effect on him. “I think I should take offense at your obvious surprise, my lord. We’ve met before, you know.”
“Have we?” asked the bemused Alec.
“I was present at your wedding.”
Alec’s expression hardened. “Were you indeed? I beg your pardon, of course, but since I suspect you couldn’t have been more than twelve years old at the time, I really can’t be blamed for not recognizing you.”
“I was past thirteen,” Clio corrected, “and I was so taken with you that I followed you about all afternoon. You were forced to ask my mother to find something more suitable for me to do.”
Alec had to smile. “Did you indeed follow after me? I cannot imagine why, for I was the dullest of dull fellows. But before we go any further, may I suggest that we find places to seat ourselves. Your Mr. Beddoes is observing us from across the floor with a most disturbed expression. You did tell him you wanted to sit down, you know.”
Clio cast a laughing glance at Ferdie as she took them each by an arm. “Your friend is somewhat over-scrupulous, isn’t he?” she remarked teasingly.
“A model of probity and rectitude. I told you you wouldn’t like him,” Ferdie said promptly. “He is a veritable precisionist, stiff, pedantic and methodical to a fault.”
Alec laughed. “Thus speaks a man’s true friend. Heaven save me from my enemies.”
They found three unoccupied chairs, but Ferdie refused to join them. “I know when I’m de trop ,” he said in mock chagrin. “I can’t understand why you should prefer this witling’s company to my own, but since you obviously do, I shall go and drown my sorrows in champagne punch.”
Alec had a momentary feeling of irritation at being left alone with this designing chit, but after a few moments of listening to her describe her early case of hero-worship of him, he found the conversation most enjoyable. In fact, when she dispatched two gentlemen
“So you have.” Clio smiled up enchantingly into Alec’s eyes and held out her hand. “Well … Alec Tyrrell! At last!”
Before Alec could take the proffered hand, the young fellow (who had been looking forward all evening to taking his turn with this particular dancing partner) leaned around Ferdie’s shoulder. “I believe this is my dance,” he said, smiling at the girl hopefully.
Clio turned to him with a charming but obviously false expression of regret. “Oh, Mr. Beddoes, I am so sorry! But I really must sit down for a while. Will you consent to a brief postponement? You may have the …” She paused and studied her dance-card. “The country dance after next.”
Poor Mr. Beddoes had no choice but to accept with good grace. He made a brief bow and went off. Ferdie chuckled. “That was heartlessly done.”
“Was it?” The red-headed young lady turned to Alec, her eyes glinting tantalizingly. “Do you think so, too, my lord?”
Alec looked down at her with cool dispassion. “Since we haven’t yet been introduced, and I don’t even know your name, I think it would be decidedly improper for me to tell you what I think.”
“I sense an air of disapproval. I suspect, Ferdie,” the girl said, keeping her eyes fixed on Alec’s face, “that I have been quite deliberately set down.”
“Well, I warned you,” Ferdie responded instantly. “I told you you’d be better off with me. However, you insisted that you wanted to meet this … this clunch, so you have only yourself to blame. I suppose you still wish me to perform my duty, don’t you? Then, if I must: Miss Vickers, may I introduce—?”
Alec’s eyebrows shot up. “ Vickers ?”
The girl laughed merrily. “Exactly. Clio Vickers … your wife’s cousin.” She held out her hand for the second time.
Alec took it absently and bowed over it, his eyes never leaving her face. Priss’s cousin! No wonder there were so many little ways in which she reminded him …
Clio Vickers was fully enjoying her effect on him. “I think I should take offense at your obvious surprise, my lord. We’ve met before, you know.”
“Have we?” asked the bemused Alec.
“I was present at your wedding.”
Alec’s expression hardened. “Were you indeed? I beg your pardon, of course, but since I suspect you couldn’t have been more than twelve years old at the time, I really can’t be blamed for not recognizing you.”
“I was past thirteen,” Clio corrected, “and I was so taken with you that I followed you about all afternoon. You were forced to ask my mother to find something more suitable for me to do.”
Alec had to smile. “Did you indeed follow after me? I cannot imagine why, for I was the dullest of dull fellows. But before we go any further, may I suggest that we find places to seat ourselves. Your Mr. Beddoes is observing us from across the floor with a most disturbed expression. You did tell him you wanted to sit down, you know.”
Clio cast a laughing glance at Ferdie as she took them each by an arm. “Your friend is somewhat over-scrupulous, isn’t he?” she remarked teasingly.
“A model of probity and rectitude. I told you you wouldn’t like him,” Ferdie said promptly. “He is a veritable precisionist, stiff, pedantic and methodical to a fault.”
Alec laughed. “Thus speaks a man’s true friend. Heaven save me from my enemies.”
They found three unoccupied chairs, but Ferdie refused to join them. “I know when I’m de trop ,” he said in mock chagrin. “I can’t understand why you should prefer this witling’s company to my own, but since you obviously do, I shall go and drown my sorrows in champagne punch.”
Alec had a momentary feeling of irritation at being left alone with this designing chit, but after a few moments of listening to her describe her early case of hero-worship of him, he found the conversation most enjoyable. In fact, when she dispatched two gentlemen
Similar Books
