smiled and greeted her myriad acquaintances while keeping an eagle eye out for Lucas. She was beginning to think he had deliberately avoided the meeting altogether and was wondering what hisexcuse would be, when he materialized at her elbow on a spectacular chestnut. For a moment she forgot her annoyance.
“What an excellent animal, Lucas. He’s beautiful.”
Lucas smiled faintly. “Thank you. I’m rather fond of old George, myself. We’ve been through a lot together, haven’t we, George?”
Victoria wrinkled her nose. “Did you name him after the king?”
“No. I named him George because George seemed a simple enough name for me to remember.”
“No one’s likely to forget a horse like that, regardless of his name. Have you any colts by him?” Victoria asked.
“Not yet, but George has big plans for the future.” At this, she grinned. “I see. You expect him to sire a dynasty?”
“Why not? The male of the species has certain obligations when he bears the sort of bloodlines old George here bears. We men do what we must, don’t we, old boy?” He patted the stallion’s neck and the horse ducked his head and blew through his nose.
Victoria’s grin faded. She was sorry she had raised the topic of dynasty founding. Lucas occasionally made an oblique reference to the little matter of his future obligations to his name and title and she had discovered she preferred to avoid the subject. The idea of the present Earl of Stonevale someday taking a wife and getting himself an heir was becoming strangely unpalatable.
“Well, he’s a lovely animal, but that is not what I wish to discuss with you, Lucas,” she said quickly.
“I regret to hear that. I enjoy talking about horses.” Lucas nodded politely toward a middle-aged man and woman in a handsome carriage. They smiled back and glanced pointedly at Victoria.
Victoria summoned up a regal smile for Lord Foxton and his lady and urged her horse to a slightly faster pace. Lucas and George promptly fell behind. She glanced back over her shoulder and scowled.
“Really, Lucas, do stop dawdling. I told you I specifically wish to speak to you today.”
“Then don’t rush ahead without warning like that.”
“I was trying to avoid having to speak to Lady Foxton. She was giving me a very knowing look. And she’s not the first to do so. That’s one of the things I wanted to discuss with you, Lucas. People are starting to notice our, uh, association.”
“What did you expect? You know as well as I do that if two people dance more than twice together at a ball, someone will wonder if there’s a marriage offer brewing,” Lucas said.
“But we do not dance together.”
“Details. We’ve been paired off at a few routs and that’s enough.” He tipped his hat to another elderly lady, who smiled archly.
“Never mind that. It can’t be helped. I specifically asked to speak to you today because I was afraid I would not get another chance tonight to speak to you privately and I have a few matters I want to clarify.”
“I was afraid of that.”
“There’s no need to adopt the attitude of a martyr. You agreed to our adventuring. In fact, you insisted on accompanying me on our midnight tours. This bargain between us was made at your instigation, Lucas,” Victoria said.
Lucas narrowed his eyes. “I sense a complaint about my performance to date. I’m crushed. Haven’t you enjoyed yourself on the two occasions I risked life and limb to climb your garden wall?”
“Don’t look at me like that. You know very well I found those two occasions this past week quite interesting. But they weren’t what I expected, Lucas.”
“What did you expect to find when you went spying on a man’s world?”
Victoria chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. “I’m not sure, precisely. More adventure, I think. More excitement.”
“Didn’t you get adventure and excitement enough on Wednesday night?”
“The late-night supper at the restaurant was amusing,I’ll
“What an excellent animal, Lucas. He’s beautiful.”
Lucas smiled faintly. “Thank you. I’m rather fond of old George, myself. We’ve been through a lot together, haven’t we, George?”
Victoria wrinkled her nose. “Did you name him after the king?”
“No. I named him George because George seemed a simple enough name for me to remember.”
“No one’s likely to forget a horse like that, regardless of his name. Have you any colts by him?” Victoria asked.
“Not yet, but George has big plans for the future.” At this, she grinned. “I see. You expect him to sire a dynasty?”
“Why not? The male of the species has certain obligations when he bears the sort of bloodlines old George here bears. We men do what we must, don’t we, old boy?” He patted the stallion’s neck and the horse ducked his head and blew through his nose.
Victoria’s grin faded. She was sorry she had raised the topic of dynasty founding. Lucas occasionally made an oblique reference to the little matter of his future obligations to his name and title and she had discovered she preferred to avoid the subject. The idea of the present Earl of Stonevale someday taking a wife and getting himself an heir was becoming strangely unpalatable.
“Well, he’s a lovely animal, but that is not what I wish to discuss with you, Lucas,” she said quickly.
“I regret to hear that. I enjoy talking about horses.” Lucas nodded politely toward a middle-aged man and woman in a handsome carriage. They smiled back and glanced pointedly at Victoria.
Victoria summoned up a regal smile for Lord Foxton and his lady and urged her horse to a slightly faster pace. Lucas and George promptly fell behind. She glanced back over her shoulder and scowled.
“Really, Lucas, do stop dawdling. I told you I specifically wish to speak to you today.”
“Then don’t rush ahead without warning like that.”
“I was trying to avoid having to speak to Lady Foxton. She was giving me a very knowing look. And she’s not the first to do so. That’s one of the things I wanted to discuss with you, Lucas. People are starting to notice our, uh, association.”
“What did you expect? You know as well as I do that if two people dance more than twice together at a ball, someone will wonder if there’s a marriage offer brewing,” Lucas said.
“But we do not dance together.”
“Details. We’ve been paired off at a few routs and that’s enough.” He tipped his hat to another elderly lady, who smiled archly.
“Never mind that. It can’t be helped. I specifically asked to speak to you today because I was afraid I would not get another chance tonight to speak to you privately and I have a few matters I want to clarify.”
“I was afraid of that.”
“There’s no need to adopt the attitude of a martyr. You agreed to our adventuring. In fact, you insisted on accompanying me on our midnight tours. This bargain between us was made at your instigation, Lucas,” Victoria said.
Lucas narrowed his eyes. “I sense a complaint about my performance to date. I’m crushed. Haven’t you enjoyed yourself on the two occasions I risked life and limb to climb your garden wall?”
“Don’t look at me like that. You know very well I found those two occasions this past week quite interesting. But they weren’t what I expected, Lucas.”
“What did you expect to find when you went spying on a man’s world?”
Victoria chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. “I’m not sure, precisely. More adventure, I think. More excitement.”
“Didn’t you get adventure and excitement enough on Wednesday night?”
“The late-night supper at the restaurant was amusing,I’ll
Similar Books
