gentleman and the lady with the flashing eyes. There was never any doubt who would win the contest.
Lord Avery's arm grew weary.
"Oh, damn!" said Harriet. She determined to settle the argument once and for all. She hauled Lord Avery's wrist to her nostrils and inhaled most indelicately. With her nose only an inch from Avery's wrist she stole a glance up at him. His eyes glowed warmly with admiration. Harriet tremulously returned his smile. Then Harriet sneezed.
The snuffbox slipped from Avery's inert fingers and rolled toward the row of dowagers along the wall. It struck the wainscotting with a crack and the lid snapped open, spilling the contents over the floor.
With great presence of mind, Lord Ravensworth grabbed the two ladies by the elbow and escorted them determinedly in the opposite direction.
"What about my snuffbox?" demanded a petulant Avery.
"Not now, man, not now."
The Viscount stood irresolutely for only a moment. A dowager sneezed, and then another. Soon a whole row of formidable matrons were bobbing up and down with their little white caps dancing on their heads like the billowing sails of the British Fleet outward bound on a fair wind for France.
Lord Avery took to his heels.
Chapter Nine
In the following weeks, their days fell into a predictable pattern. A stream of fawning admirers descended on Half Moon Street to escort the sought-after cousins on a round of pleasure. The girls changed their partners as often as they changed their gloves, and Briony found it impossible to form more than a passing acquaintance with any of her alternating swains. She soon came to perceive that she and Harriet had attracted a certain notoriety by their forward conduct at the Castlereaghs ' ball. The snuff incident had not gone unremarked. To have the reputation of a dasher, a high flyer—words that she heard the bucks admiringly bandy about—brought the fetching dimples flashing to Briony's cheeks. She noted wryly that any gentleman who had the good fortune to be seen in the company of either of the scapegrace cousins achieved a certain cachet among his fellows.
Great Aunt Sophy , not unnaturally, saw nothing out of the way in the current vogue among the younger dandies for her nieces' favors. There was only one cloud on the horizon which troubled that obtuse lady. There had been an inexplicable delay in procuring one of the scarce vouchers for Almack's —a slight inconvenience which she was sure would soon be resolved. Harriet knew better but forbore to enlighten her aunt, thankful that for the present her parents were miles away in Bath.
At first, Briony had been amused by her newfound popularity, but it did not take long for it to pall, and she became increasingly bored with the inanity of the interminable excursions in the park in the up to the crack phaetons and curricles which every young man who aspired to fashion was obliged to sport.
Lord Ravensworth's ardor had evidently cooled. He was never to be found among the other gentlemen who came to wait on the cousins in Aunt Sophy's best, upstairs, company drawing room. Briony told herself firmly that she was glad of it. There could be no future for a girl of her gentle breeding and a man of his questionable morals.
That Ravensworth was now in possession of the knowledge that she was an heiress of a considerable competence was confirmed by his conduct. She had, of course, known perfectly well that Avery would apprise his friend of her circumstances. Ravensworth would know , she consoled herself, that there was nothing a man of his ilk could possibly offer that would entice a lady of her character and fortune to accept him on any terms, not even if he were to lay his dukedom at her feet. Miss Briony Langland was far above his touch. She hoped that his lordship knew it.
The Marquess of Ravensworth was not to be numbered among Briony's admirers; nevertheless, he was frequently encountered riding in the park or on any of the innumerable excursions Briony
Lord Avery's arm grew weary.
"Oh, damn!" said Harriet. She determined to settle the argument once and for all. She hauled Lord Avery's wrist to her nostrils and inhaled most indelicately. With her nose only an inch from Avery's wrist she stole a glance up at him. His eyes glowed warmly with admiration. Harriet tremulously returned his smile. Then Harriet sneezed.
The snuffbox slipped from Avery's inert fingers and rolled toward the row of dowagers along the wall. It struck the wainscotting with a crack and the lid snapped open, spilling the contents over the floor.
With great presence of mind, Lord Ravensworth grabbed the two ladies by the elbow and escorted them determinedly in the opposite direction.
"What about my snuffbox?" demanded a petulant Avery.
"Not now, man, not now."
The Viscount stood irresolutely for only a moment. A dowager sneezed, and then another. Soon a whole row of formidable matrons were bobbing up and down with their little white caps dancing on their heads like the billowing sails of the British Fleet outward bound on a fair wind for France.
Lord Avery took to his heels.
Chapter Nine
In the following weeks, their days fell into a predictable pattern. A stream of fawning admirers descended on Half Moon Street to escort the sought-after cousins on a round of pleasure. The girls changed their partners as often as they changed their gloves, and Briony found it impossible to form more than a passing acquaintance with any of her alternating swains. She soon came to perceive that she and Harriet had attracted a certain notoriety by their forward conduct at the Castlereaghs ' ball. The snuff incident had not gone unremarked. To have the reputation of a dasher, a high flyer—words that she heard the bucks admiringly bandy about—brought the fetching dimples flashing to Briony's cheeks. She noted wryly that any gentleman who had the good fortune to be seen in the company of either of the scapegrace cousins achieved a certain cachet among his fellows.
Great Aunt Sophy , not unnaturally, saw nothing out of the way in the current vogue among the younger dandies for her nieces' favors. There was only one cloud on the horizon which troubled that obtuse lady. There had been an inexplicable delay in procuring one of the scarce vouchers for Almack's —a slight inconvenience which she was sure would soon be resolved. Harriet knew better but forbore to enlighten her aunt, thankful that for the present her parents were miles away in Bath.
At first, Briony had been amused by her newfound popularity, but it did not take long for it to pall, and she became increasingly bored with the inanity of the interminable excursions in the park in the up to the crack phaetons and curricles which every young man who aspired to fashion was obliged to sport.
Lord Ravensworth's ardor had evidently cooled. He was never to be found among the other gentlemen who came to wait on the cousins in Aunt Sophy's best, upstairs, company drawing room. Briony told herself firmly that she was glad of it. There could be no future for a girl of her gentle breeding and a man of his questionable morals.
That Ravensworth was now in possession of the knowledge that she was an heiress of a considerable competence was confirmed by his conduct. She had, of course, known perfectly well that Avery would apprise his friend of her circumstances. Ravensworth would know , she consoled herself, that there was nothing a man of his ilk could possibly offer that would entice a lady of her character and fortune to accept him on any terms, not even if he were to lay his dukedom at her feet. Miss Briony Langland was far above his touch. She hoped that his lordship knew it.
The Marquess of Ravensworth was not to be numbered among Briony's admirers; nevertheless, he was frequently encountered riding in the park or on any of the innumerable excursions Briony
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