eyes off Kathlyn barely long enough to answer. “No, I’m here with the family, more’s the pity. Woody ain’t in the petticoat line.” Noting Kathlyn’s confusion, Algie pointed to a nearby box where three women sat, two girls in white gowns and an older lady in puce, with a magenta turban sporting two ostrich feathers. “Five sisters, don’t you know.”
“Good grief, Algie, how did you get escort duty?” Lord Lowe was more often found on the hunting field than on the dance floor.
“Pater stayed on in Kent to oversee some improvements.” He grimaced. “Promised to be here for the Season so I won’t have to do the pretty at all those balls and things. Mama and the girls came early to get a start on their shopping. Have to get a jump on the other debs, don’t you know.”
“Which sister is being brought out this year?”
“The middle two. Mama decided to fire ‘em off together and get it over with. Where she hopes to find two gudgeons to bring up to scratch is beyond me.”
Kathlyn smiled at the tall, thin man dressed to the nines—but not as elegantly as Lord Chase. “I am sure they are delightful girls. Lord Lowe.”
He nodded approvingly. “And I’m sure you are too polite to say otherwise, Miss Parke. Stands to reason old Court wouldn’t be squiring an antidote and wouldn’t be taking a common trollop to his b— Ouch.”
“Your sisters?” Lord Chase hinted while Algie rubbed his shin.
“Two of the silliest geese ever let off the farm, I swear, Miss Parke. One’s a hoyden, t’other’s a flirt. Ain’t that true, Court? You haven’t seen them in a while, but I promise they ain’t improved with age.”
“I’m sure they’ve grown out of their freckles and foibles, Algie. They cannot be any sillier than the rest of the chits at Almack’s.”
“And I’m sure they aren’t silly at all, my lord,” Kathlyn chided, “only young. I’d like to meet them.” Silence met her last remark. Algie’s face grew red, then white. His mouth opened and shut like a trout’s, out of water. Lord Chase cleared his throat, then checked his watch. “Intermission’s about over, Algie. Time you toddled back to your seat.”
Kathlyn knew she’d said something dreadful to halt the pleasantries, but she didn’t know what until she repeated her last comments in her own mind. Of course. A man didn’t introduce a courtesan to his young, impressionable sisters; immoral behavior might be contagious. Scarlet-faced, Kathlyn stuttered, “I... I meant I should like to meet their ... their modiste. Their gowns look quite elegant.”
A relieved Algie swept her a handsome leg and departed.
When he was gone, Kathlyn made much of unfolding her fan and wafting it about. The fan was a pretty affair of blue silk over ivory spokes, with a pair of picnicking lovers depicted on one side. It did not create enough of a breeze to cool her burning cheeks.
“I’m sorry,” she finally managed to say. “I should have known better.”
“No, the fault was mine.” He took the fan from her and gently waved it, meanwhile stroking her almost bare shoulder. “I should have warned you. The ton has a thousand foolish edicts handed down by old harridans who did much worse in their lifetimes. I never thought about such situations. Miss— Kitty, because I do not think of you in those terms.”
Of course he didn’t, but everyone else did, it seemed. “They all know I’m your... That is, I’m supposed to be your mistress?”
He shrugged. “You have no chaperone. There is no other lady in the box. We arrived alone in my carriage. That’s enough for the social world to draw conclusions.”
“Conclusions which we were aiming to encourage, weren’t we?” she asked brightly, so he could not see her hurt.
Courtney was feeling regrets, too, though, for he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “On the inside, you are more a lady than any of them. That’s what’s important.”
Chapter
“Good grief, Algie, how did you get escort duty?” Lord Lowe was more often found on the hunting field than on the dance floor.
“Pater stayed on in Kent to oversee some improvements.” He grimaced. “Promised to be here for the Season so I won’t have to do the pretty at all those balls and things. Mama and the girls came early to get a start on their shopping. Have to get a jump on the other debs, don’t you know.”
“Which sister is being brought out this year?”
“The middle two. Mama decided to fire ‘em off together and get it over with. Where she hopes to find two gudgeons to bring up to scratch is beyond me.”
Kathlyn smiled at the tall, thin man dressed to the nines—but not as elegantly as Lord Chase. “I am sure they are delightful girls. Lord Lowe.”
He nodded approvingly. “And I’m sure you are too polite to say otherwise, Miss Parke. Stands to reason old Court wouldn’t be squiring an antidote and wouldn’t be taking a common trollop to his b— Ouch.”
“Your sisters?” Lord Chase hinted while Algie rubbed his shin.
“Two of the silliest geese ever let off the farm, I swear, Miss Parke. One’s a hoyden, t’other’s a flirt. Ain’t that true, Court? You haven’t seen them in a while, but I promise they ain’t improved with age.”
“I’m sure they’ve grown out of their freckles and foibles, Algie. They cannot be any sillier than the rest of the chits at Almack’s.”
“And I’m sure they aren’t silly at all, my lord,” Kathlyn chided, “only young. I’d like to meet them.” Silence met her last remark. Algie’s face grew red, then white. His mouth opened and shut like a trout’s, out of water. Lord Chase cleared his throat, then checked his watch. “Intermission’s about over, Algie. Time you toddled back to your seat.”
Kathlyn knew she’d said something dreadful to halt the pleasantries, but she didn’t know what until she repeated her last comments in her own mind. Of course. A man didn’t introduce a courtesan to his young, impressionable sisters; immoral behavior might be contagious. Scarlet-faced, Kathlyn stuttered, “I... I meant I should like to meet their ... their modiste. Their gowns look quite elegant.”
A relieved Algie swept her a handsome leg and departed.
When he was gone, Kathlyn made much of unfolding her fan and wafting it about. The fan was a pretty affair of blue silk over ivory spokes, with a pair of picnicking lovers depicted on one side. It did not create enough of a breeze to cool her burning cheeks.
“I’m sorry,” she finally managed to say. “I should have known better.”
“No, the fault was mine.” He took the fan from her and gently waved it, meanwhile stroking her almost bare shoulder. “I should have warned you. The ton has a thousand foolish edicts handed down by old harridans who did much worse in their lifetimes. I never thought about such situations. Miss— Kitty, because I do not think of you in those terms.”
Of course he didn’t, but everyone else did, it seemed. “They all know I’m your... That is, I’m supposed to be your mistress?”
He shrugged. “You have no chaperone. There is no other lady in the box. We arrived alone in my carriage. That’s enough for the social world to draw conclusions.”
“Conclusions which we were aiming to encourage, weren’t we?” she asked brightly, so he could not see her hurt.
Courtney was feeling regrets, too, though, for he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “On the inside, you are more a lady than any of them. That’s what’s important.”
Chapter
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