a great deal of Aunt Prudence. “She must always exercise great care to behave with such perfect propriety that unfortunate situations do not arise in the first place.”
Augusta wrinkled her nose and said nothing.
“And, of course,” Claudia continued gravely, “if the gentleman in question happened to be a man of excellent breeding and possessed of an unimpeachable reputation for honor and propriety, that would make the case even more clear.”
“It would?”
“Oh, yes. One could certainly see why he would have been led to believe certain promises had been made. And a gentleman of such dignity and refined sensibilities would naturally expect the lady’s implied promises to be kept. Her own honor would demand it.”
“That is one of the things I have always admired about you, Claudia. You are four full years younger than I, but you have such clear-sighted notions of what is proper.” Augusta opened her novel and gave her cousin a tight smile. “Tell me, do you sometimes find that a life filled with such perfect propriety tends to be a trifle dull?”
Claudia smiled warmly. “Life has not been the least bit dull since you came to live with us, Augusta. Something of interest seems to be always occurring in your vicinity. Now, I have a question to put to you.”
“What is that?”
“I would like your opinion of Peter Sheldrake.”
Augusta looked at her in surprise. “But you know myopinion of him. I arranged to have him introduced to you. I like him very much. Reminds me a bit of my brother Richard.”
“That is one of the things that worries me,” Claudia admitted. “He does have a certain reckless, devil-may-care air about him. And he has become increasingly attentive lately. I am not quite certain I ought to encourage him.”
“There is nothing wrong with Sheldrake. He is heir to a viscountcy and a nice fortune. Even better, he has a sense of humor, which is more than I can say of his friend Graystone.”
“I
don’t believe I mentioned the fact that I had the privilege of meeting your brother a few months before he died, Miss Ballinger.” Lovejoy smiled from the other side of the card table as he dealt another hand.
“Richard? You knew my brother?” Augusta, who had been telling herself that it was time to leave the card room and rejoin the crowd in Lady Leebrook’s elegant ballroom, looked up, stunned. All thought of cards and strategy went out of her head in an instant.
Her stomach clenched as she waited to see what Lovejoy would say next. As always, when her brother’s name was mentioned, she was immediately on the defensive, ready to do battle should anyone happen to question Richard’s honor.
She was the only Ballinger left who could fight for Richard’s name and memory and whenever the subject arose, she gave her all to the task.
She had been playing cards with Lovejoy for half an hour now, not because she was a particularly enthusiastic playerbut because she had rather hoped Graystone might wander into the ballroom and come in search of her. She knew he would be irritated, perhaps even mildly shocked by the somewhat dubious propriety of a lady engaging in a card game with a gentleman in such a formal setting.
It was not exactly improper. There were, after all, several other card games in progress in the same room. A few of the ladies involved had been known to lose sums equal to those their husbands occasionally lost in the clubs. But the high-sticklers in the
ton
, of which Graystone was surely one, did not approve of such goings-on. And Augusta was fairly certain that when he found her playing with Lovejoy, of all people, the earl would be genuinely annoyed.
It was a small vengeance for his high-handed treatment of her in the garden the other evening when he had insisted her honor demanded she remain engaged, but it was all she was likely to get. She had the arguments in her own defense already thoroughly prepared. Indeed, she looked forward to delivering them with
Augusta wrinkled her nose and said nothing.
“And, of course,” Claudia continued gravely, “if the gentleman in question happened to be a man of excellent breeding and possessed of an unimpeachable reputation for honor and propriety, that would make the case even more clear.”
“It would?”
“Oh, yes. One could certainly see why he would have been led to believe certain promises had been made. And a gentleman of such dignity and refined sensibilities would naturally expect the lady’s implied promises to be kept. Her own honor would demand it.”
“That is one of the things I have always admired about you, Claudia. You are four full years younger than I, but you have such clear-sighted notions of what is proper.” Augusta opened her novel and gave her cousin a tight smile. “Tell me, do you sometimes find that a life filled with such perfect propriety tends to be a trifle dull?”
Claudia smiled warmly. “Life has not been the least bit dull since you came to live with us, Augusta. Something of interest seems to be always occurring in your vicinity. Now, I have a question to put to you.”
“What is that?”
“I would like your opinion of Peter Sheldrake.”
Augusta looked at her in surprise. “But you know myopinion of him. I arranged to have him introduced to you. I like him very much. Reminds me a bit of my brother Richard.”
“That is one of the things that worries me,” Claudia admitted. “He does have a certain reckless, devil-may-care air about him. And he has become increasingly attentive lately. I am not quite certain I ought to encourage him.”
“There is nothing wrong with Sheldrake. He is heir to a viscountcy and a nice fortune. Even better, he has a sense of humor, which is more than I can say of his friend Graystone.”
“I
don’t believe I mentioned the fact that I had the privilege of meeting your brother a few months before he died, Miss Ballinger.” Lovejoy smiled from the other side of the card table as he dealt another hand.
“Richard? You knew my brother?” Augusta, who had been telling herself that it was time to leave the card room and rejoin the crowd in Lady Leebrook’s elegant ballroom, looked up, stunned. All thought of cards and strategy went out of her head in an instant.
Her stomach clenched as she waited to see what Lovejoy would say next. As always, when her brother’s name was mentioned, she was immediately on the defensive, ready to do battle should anyone happen to question Richard’s honor.
She was the only Ballinger left who could fight for Richard’s name and memory and whenever the subject arose, she gave her all to the task.
She had been playing cards with Lovejoy for half an hour now, not because she was a particularly enthusiastic playerbut because she had rather hoped Graystone might wander into the ballroom and come in search of her. She knew he would be irritated, perhaps even mildly shocked by the somewhat dubious propriety of a lady engaging in a card game with a gentleman in such a formal setting.
It was not exactly improper. There were, after all, several other card games in progress in the same room. A few of the ladies involved had been known to lose sums equal to those their husbands occasionally lost in the clubs. But the high-sticklers in the
ton
, of which Graystone was surely one, did not approve of such goings-on. And Augusta was fairly certain that when he found her playing with Lovejoy, of all people, the earl would be genuinely annoyed.
It was a small vengeance for his high-handed treatment of her in the garden the other evening when he had insisted her honor demanded she remain engaged, but it was all she was likely to get. She had the arguments in her own defense already thoroughly prepared. Indeed, she looked forward to delivering them with
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