before, with a result that was startling.
“Oh, my!” the old woman exclaimed in a girlish voice. “I didn’t realize you had company, Marianne.”
“Yes, Grandmama, ” Marianne said pointedly. “Lord Lambeth has honored us with his presence.”
She had no choice but to introduce Lambeth to the other couple, explaining that they were her grandparents.
“It’s too bad that Harrison and Della aren’t here to meet you,” Betsy said, dimpling at Lambeth.
“My parents,” Marianne explained. “That is, I mean, Piers’ parents. The people who raised me.”
“Of course.”
She had thought that the situation could get no worse, but she was wrong, for at that moment the maid appeared in the doorway and said nervously, “Lord Buckminster, madam.”
Marianne shot to her feet. Even Lord Lambeth looked stunned. He rose, also, turning toward the doorway where Lord Buckminster’s amiable countenance appeared behind the maid.
“Bucky!”
“Lambeth. I say.” Lord Buckminster smiled. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Nor I you.” Lambeth regarded his friend thoughtfully. “I didn’t realize you knew Mrs. Cotterwood’s address.”
“And so I didn’t,” Bucky admitted cheerfully. “But I set my valet on it. Clever chap, Wiggins, always knows just what to do. When I told him what Penny said the other day about meeting Mrs. Cotterwood, he went right out and came back with the address.”
“Mmm. Yes, I see.”
Lord Buckminster advanced toward Marianne, catching his toe on the edge of the rug and stumbling forward. He managed to stop just before he crashed into the back of Lambeth’s chair, but he dropped his hat when he grabbed at the chair, and it rolled across the floor. Buckminster chased after it and caught it before it went under the sofa, managing to crack his shin on a stool as he did so. All the others watched numbly, unable to tear their eyes away. Buckminster straightened and grinned, his cheeks flushed.
“I say. Not usually so clumsy. My feet seem to get all tangled up around you, Mrs. Cotterwood.”
“Sure, now,” Da told him comfortingly, coming forward to shake Buckminster’s hand. “Isn’t unusual at all. My granddaughter has that effect on a number of men. Let me introduce myself. Rory Kiernan’s me name, and this is me wife, Betsy.”
“How do you do, Mr. Kiernan? Are you from Ireland? I have lands there, you know.”
“Faith, and do you now?” Da’s eyes twinkled merrily, and he gestured Buckminster toward a seat, sitting down beside him and launching into questions about Buckminster’s land.
“Now, Rory,” Betsy cut through the lilting flow of his words. “Stop all that talk about Ireland. If it was so wonderful, I can’t imagine why you left it. I am sure Lord Buckminster didn’t come here to discuss the ‘old sod.’” She smiled at Bucky, and for a moment one could glimpse the charm that had once enchanted more than one poor card player.
Buckminster smiled back. “Actually, I came to bring Mrs. Cotterwood an invitation to my cousin’s ball.” He reached inside his jacket, frowned, and stuck his hand into the other side of his jacket. “That’s odd. I would have sworn I put the invitation in here.”
He patted his outside pockets, then returned to the inner one.
“Is this what you’re looking for?” Da asked, reaching behind Buckminster and pulling out a white envelope.
“Why, yes.” Buckminster looked delighted and reached out to take the envelope from him.
“Must have fallen out of your pocket when you sat down,” Da suggested.
“How fortunate you found it,” Marianne said stiffly and glared at Rory.
“Yes, isn’t it?” Rory agreed blandly.
Lord Buckminster rose and took the invitation to Marianne. “Nicola is most hopeful that you will come.”
“Nicola?”
“My cousin Nicola Falcourt. It is her mother’s party, but of course Nicola is the one running it all. I told her all about you, and she is dying to meet you. It’s
“Oh, my!” the old woman exclaimed in a girlish voice. “I didn’t realize you had company, Marianne.”
“Yes, Grandmama, ” Marianne said pointedly. “Lord Lambeth has honored us with his presence.”
She had no choice but to introduce Lambeth to the other couple, explaining that they were her grandparents.
“It’s too bad that Harrison and Della aren’t here to meet you,” Betsy said, dimpling at Lambeth.
“My parents,” Marianne explained. “That is, I mean, Piers’ parents. The people who raised me.”
“Of course.”
She had thought that the situation could get no worse, but she was wrong, for at that moment the maid appeared in the doorway and said nervously, “Lord Buckminster, madam.”
Marianne shot to her feet. Even Lord Lambeth looked stunned. He rose, also, turning toward the doorway where Lord Buckminster’s amiable countenance appeared behind the maid.
“Bucky!”
“Lambeth. I say.” Lord Buckminster smiled. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Nor I you.” Lambeth regarded his friend thoughtfully. “I didn’t realize you knew Mrs. Cotterwood’s address.”
“And so I didn’t,” Bucky admitted cheerfully. “But I set my valet on it. Clever chap, Wiggins, always knows just what to do. When I told him what Penny said the other day about meeting Mrs. Cotterwood, he went right out and came back with the address.”
“Mmm. Yes, I see.”
Lord Buckminster advanced toward Marianne, catching his toe on the edge of the rug and stumbling forward. He managed to stop just before he crashed into the back of Lambeth’s chair, but he dropped his hat when he grabbed at the chair, and it rolled across the floor. Buckminster chased after it and caught it before it went under the sofa, managing to crack his shin on a stool as he did so. All the others watched numbly, unable to tear their eyes away. Buckminster straightened and grinned, his cheeks flushed.
“I say. Not usually so clumsy. My feet seem to get all tangled up around you, Mrs. Cotterwood.”
“Sure, now,” Da told him comfortingly, coming forward to shake Buckminster’s hand. “Isn’t unusual at all. My granddaughter has that effect on a number of men. Let me introduce myself. Rory Kiernan’s me name, and this is me wife, Betsy.”
“How do you do, Mr. Kiernan? Are you from Ireland? I have lands there, you know.”
“Faith, and do you now?” Da’s eyes twinkled merrily, and he gestured Buckminster toward a seat, sitting down beside him and launching into questions about Buckminster’s land.
“Now, Rory,” Betsy cut through the lilting flow of his words. “Stop all that talk about Ireland. If it was so wonderful, I can’t imagine why you left it. I am sure Lord Buckminster didn’t come here to discuss the ‘old sod.’” She smiled at Bucky, and for a moment one could glimpse the charm that had once enchanted more than one poor card player.
Buckminster smiled back. “Actually, I came to bring Mrs. Cotterwood an invitation to my cousin’s ball.” He reached inside his jacket, frowned, and stuck his hand into the other side of his jacket. “That’s odd. I would have sworn I put the invitation in here.”
He patted his outside pockets, then returned to the inner one.
“Is this what you’re looking for?” Da asked, reaching behind Buckminster and pulling out a white envelope.
“Why, yes.” Buckminster looked delighted and reached out to take the envelope from him.
“Must have fallen out of your pocket when you sat down,” Da suggested.
“How fortunate you found it,” Marianne said stiffly and glared at Rory.
“Yes, isn’t it?” Rory agreed blandly.
Lord Buckminster rose and took the invitation to Marianne. “Nicola is most hopeful that you will come.”
“Nicola?”
“My cousin Nicola Falcourt. It is her mother’s party, but of course Nicola is the one running it all. I told her all about you, and she is dying to meet you. It’s
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