that Fanny had with Basil, if they fell in love ... well, she could wish no greater happiness for the girl.
Fanny scanned the room for a friendly face among the scowling high sticklers when her gaze fell upon a vaguely familiar and very young man intently watching Max and Rosalind. Her niece had won another admirer, she thought, but then full recognition dawned.
"By God, it is young Thomas Lacey!"
"What's that?" Lord Eldridge asked.
"Rosalind's eldest brother. The tall, thin young fellow in the bottle-green coat, just over there." Fanny chuckled at the wide-eyed incredulity on the boy's face. What must he think of his once shy and dowdy older sister, now fashionable and dancing an almost indecent waltz in arms of an infamous womanizer?
"There'll be the devil to pay now," she said. "He will likely show up at my front door tomorrow, rip up at Rosalind, and report every juicy detail back to his father. Impudent puppy. Perhaps I will have a brief word or two with him."
Just as she made a move to approach Thomas, another young man tugged on his arm and pulled him away. A moment later he had disappeared through the main entrance.
After the waltz, Fanny coaxed Rosalind into leaving. She could not decide whether or not to tell her niece that Lady Jersey had asked that Fanny remove Miss Lacey from the premises, stating that her vouchers would no longer be honored. Fanny was amused at the woman's outrage and was perfectly happy to be barred once again from Almack's doors. It was a sort of badge of honor. Some of the best people had been barred: the Duchess of Bedford, Lady Rochford, Lord Marsdon. She rather suspected Rosalind might also appreciate being among such elite company.
Their next stop was the Easterbrook ball, where news of Rosalind's behavior at Almack's had already spread as the latest on-dit. Her niece's popularity among the gentlemen only increased with her new notoriety: every rake, rogue, and libertine sought to partner her. She danced every dance, and Fanny so enjoyed watching her niece conquer Society by defying it, she did not realize until much later that she had forgot all about Thomas Lacey.
Lord William Radcliffe had remained one of Rosalind's most stalwart admirers since their first meeting. They had danced earlier in the evening, and when Fanny saw them stroll through the terrace doors, she could easily guess what the young man had in mind.
"And what makes you smile like the cat who swallowed the canary?"
She thought Max, who had naturally followed them to Easterbrook House, would remain in the card room the rest of the evening, and was surprised to see him back in the ballroom. "It is all your fault, my boy."
"What is my fault?"
"You have led my niece straight into the arms of every libertine in town with that wretched Almack's waltz. Upon my soul, Max, it looked as though you meant to make love to the girl right there on the spot, with all the ton looking on and the patronesses swooning."
A smile twitched at the edge of his mouth. "I merely flirted with her. Nothing more."
"Quite so. And now, because no woman can resist such charm, you have made her appear fast, thereby giving permission to every other young buck to have a go at her. Why, only a few moments ago Lord Radcliffe maneuvered her onto the terrace, and I am certain you can imagine his intentions."
"The devil you say."
"Yes. Oh, and here they come now. I ask you, Max, does she not have the look of a woman who has just been well and truly kissed?"
"Well, I'm dashed!"
Fanny gave a smug smile as Max turned on his heels and stalked away like an angry bear. Yes indeed, the boy was definitely smitten.
Chapter 8
Rosie heaped her plate with a most unladylike quantity of food. She was ravenous, having eaten very little the night before. During supper, she and Mr. Newcombe, her partner for the supper dance, had been joined by several other couples, and more talking and laughing had taken place than eating.
There had been no
Fanny scanned the room for a friendly face among the scowling high sticklers when her gaze fell upon a vaguely familiar and very young man intently watching Max and Rosalind. Her niece had won another admirer, she thought, but then full recognition dawned.
"By God, it is young Thomas Lacey!"
"What's that?" Lord Eldridge asked.
"Rosalind's eldest brother. The tall, thin young fellow in the bottle-green coat, just over there." Fanny chuckled at the wide-eyed incredulity on the boy's face. What must he think of his once shy and dowdy older sister, now fashionable and dancing an almost indecent waltz in arms of an infamous womanizer?
"There'll be the devil to pay now," she said. "He will likely show up at my front door tomorrow, rip up at Rosalind, and report every juicy detail back to his father. Impudent puppy. Perhaps I will have a brief word or two with him."
Just as she made a move to approach Thomas, another young man tugged on his arm and pulled him away. A moment later he had disappeared through the main entrance.
After the waltz, Fanny coaxed Rosalind into leaving. She could not decide whether or not to tell her niece that Lady Jersey had asked that Fanny remove Miss Lacey from the premises, stating that her vouchers would no longer be honored. Fanny was amused at the woman's outrage and was perfectly happy to be barred once again from Almack's doors. It was a sort of badge of honor. Some of the best people had been barred: the Duchess of Bedford, Lady Rochford, Lord Marsdon. She rather suspected Rosalind might also appreciate being among such elite company.
Their next stop was the Easterbrook ball, where news of Rosalind's behavior at Almack's had already spread as the latest on-dit. Her niece's popularity among the gentlemen only increased with her new notoriety: every rake, rogue, and libertine sought to partner her. She danced every dance, and Fanny so enjoyed watching her niece conquer Society by defying it, she did not realize until much later that she had forgot all about Thomas Lacey.
Lord William Radcliffe had remained one of Rosalind's most stalwart admirers since their first meeting. They had danced earlier in the evening, and when Fanny saw them stroll through the terrace doors, she could easily guess what the young man had in mind.
"And what makes you smile like the cat who swallowed the canary?"
She thought Max, who had naturally followed them to Easterbrook House, would remain in the card room the rest of the evening, and was surprised to see him back in the ballroom. "It is all your fault, my boy."
"What is my fault?"
"You have led my niece straight into the arms of every libertine in town with that wretched Almack's waltz. Upon my soul, Max, it looked as though you meant to make love to the girl right there on the spot, with all the ton looking on and the patronesses swooning."
A smile twitched at the edge of his mouth. "I merely flirted with her. Nothing more."
"Quite so. And now, because no woman can resist such charm, you have made her appear fast, thereby giving permission to every other young buck to have a go at her. Why, only a few moments ago Lord Radcliffe maneuvered her onto the terrace, and I am certain you can imagine his intentions."
"The devil you say."
"Yes. Oh, and here they come now. I ask you, Max, does she not have the look of a woman who has just been well and truly kissed?"
"Well, I'm dashed!"
Fanny gave a smug smile as Max turned on his heels and stalked away like an angry bear. Yes indeed, the boy was definitely smitten.
Chapter 8
Rosie heaped her plate with a most unladylike quantity of food. She was ravenous, having eaten very little the night before. During supper, she and Mr. Newcombe, her partner for the supper dance, had been joined by several other couples, and more talking and laughing had taken place than eating.
There had been no
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