her a beauty. Decidedly I do not.’
Lethbridge’s glance flickered to his face; his lips curled imperceptibly. ‘You ought to be delighted with her, Crosby,’ he said.
‘Pray allow me to present you to the Paragon!’ said Mr Drelincourt crossly. ‘But I warn you, she stammers hideously.’
‘And gambles, and drives gigs up St James’s,’ said his lordship. ‘I never hoped for better.’
Mr Drelincourt looked sharply round at him. ‘Why – why.’
‘What a fool you are, Crosby!’ said Lethbridge. ‘Present me!’
‘Really, my lord, really! Pray how am I to take that?’
‘I had not the least intention of being enigmatic, believe me,’ replied Lethbridge acidly. ‘Make me known to this excellent bride.’
‘You are in a devilish humour, my lord, I protest,’ complained Crosby, but he moved towards the group about Horatia. ‘Cousin, permit me! May I present one who is all eagerness to meet you?’
Horatia had very little desire to meet any crony of Mr Drelincourt’s whom she cordially despised, and she turned with obvious reluctance. But the man who stood before her was not at all like Crosby’s usual companions. None of the absurdities of the Macaroni marred the elegance of his person. He was dressed with magnificence, and he seemed to be considerably older than Mr Drelincourt.
‘Lord Lethbridge, my Lady Rule!’ said Crosby. ‘You perceive him quite agog to meet the lady about whom the whole town is talking, dear cousin.’
Horatia, spreading her skirts in a curtsy, flushed a little for Mr Drelincourt’s words stung. She arose swimmingly and extended her hand. Lord Lethbridge received it on his wrist and bent with incomparable grace to salute it. A flicker of interest awoke in Horatia’s eyes: his lordship had an air.
‘Our poor Crosby has always such a happy turn of phrase,’ murmured Lethbridge, and won a glimpse of dimple. ‘Ah, precisely! Let me lead you to that couch, madam.’
She took his arm and went with him across the saloon. ‘C-Crosby detests me,’ she confided.
‘But of course,’ said his lordship.
She frowned, rather puzzled. ‘That isn’t very c-civil, sir. Why should he?’
His brows rose in momentary surprise; he looked critically at her, and laughed. ‘Oh – because he has such execrable taste, ma’am!’
It did not seem to Horatia as though this was the reason he really had in mind, and she was about to inquire deeper into the matter when he changed the subject. ‘I need hardly ask, ma’am, whether you are ennuyée to the point of extinction with such affairs as these?’ he said, indicating with a wave of his hand the rest of the company.
‘N-no, I am not,’ replied Horatia. ‘I l-like it.’
‘Delightful!’ smiled his lordship. ‘You infect even such jaded spirits as mine with enthusiasm.’
She looked a little doubtful. What he said was excessively polite, but the tone he used held a tinge of light mockery which baffled while it intrigued her. ‘J-jaded spirits usually seek the c-card-room, sir,’ she remarked.
He was gently fanning her with the cabriolet-fan he had taken from her hand, but he paused, and said with a quizzical look: ‘Ah – and so sometimes do enthusiastic ones, do they not?’
‘S-sometimes,’ admitted Horatia. ‘You have heard all about m-me.’
‘By no means, ma’am. But when I learn of a lady who never refuses a wager, why, I desire to know more of her.’
‘I am certainly very p-partial to games of chance, sir,’ said Horatia wistfully.
‘One day you shall play your cards against me,’ said Lethbridge, ‘if you will.’
A voice spoke immediately behind them. ‘Do not play with Lord Lethbridge, ma’am, if you are wise!’
Horatia looked over her shoulder. Lady Massey had entered the saloon through a curtained archway, and was standing leaning her hand lightly on the back of the couch. ‘Oh?’ Horatia said, glancing at Lethbridge with new interest. ‘Will he f-fleece me?’
Lady Massey
Lethbridge’s glance flickered to his face; his lips curled imperceptibly. ‘You ought to be delighted with her, Crosby,’ he said.
‘Pray allow me to present you to the Paragon!’ said Mr Drelincourt crossly. ‘But I warn you, she stammers hideously.’
‘And gambles, and drives gigs up St James’s,’ said his lordship. ‘I never hoped for better.’
Mr Drelincourt looked sharply round at him. ‘Why – why.’
‘What a fool you are, Crosby!’ said Lethbridge. ‘Present me!’
‘Really, my lord, really! Pray how am I to take that?’
‘I had not the least intention of being enigmatic, believe me,’ replied Lethbridge acidly. ‘Make me known to this excellent bride.’
‘You are in a devilish humour, my lord, I protest,’ complained Crosby, but he moved towards the group about Horatia. ‘Cousin, permit me! May I present one who is all eagerness to meet you?’
Horatia had very little desire to meet any crony of Mr Drelincourt’s whom she cordially despised, and she turned with obvious reluctance. But the man who stood before her was not at all like Crosby’s usual companions. None of the absurdities of the Macaroni marred the elegance of his person. He was dressed with magnificence, and he seemed to be considerably older than Mr Drelincourt.
‘Lord Lethbridge, my Lady Rule!’ said Crosby. ‘You perceive him quite agog to meet the lady about whom the whole town is talking, dear cousin.’
Horatia, spreading her skirts in a curtsy, flushed a little for Mr Drelincourt’s words stung. She arose swimmingly and extended her hand. Lord Lethbridge received it on his wrist and bent with incomparable grace to salute it. A flicker of interest awoke in Horatia’s eyes: his lordship had an air.
‘Our poor Crosby has always such a happy turn of phrase,’ murmured Lethbridge, and won a glimpse of dimple. ‘Ah, precisely! Let me lead you to that couch, madam.’
She took his arm and went with him across the saloon. ‘C-Crosby detests me,’ she confided.
‘But of course,’ said his lordship.
She frowned, rather puzzled. ‘That isn’t very c-civil, sir. Why should he?’
His brows rose in momentary surprise; he looked critically at her, and laughed. ‘Oh – because he has such execrable taste, ma’am!’
It did not seem to Horatia as though this was the reason he really had in mind, and she was about to inquire deeper into the matter when he changed the subject. ‘I need hardly ask, ma’am, whether you are ennuyée to the point of extinction with such affairs as these?’ he said, indicating with a wave of his hand the rest of the company.
‘N-no, I am not,’ replied Horatia. ‘I l-like it.’
‘Delightful!’ smiled his lordship. ‘You infect even such jaded spirits as mine with enthusiasm.’
She looked a little doubtful. What he said was excessively polite, but the tone he used held a tinge of light mockery which baffled while it intrigued her. ‘J-jaded spirits usually seek the c-card-room, sir,’ she remarked.
He was gently fanning her with the cabriolet-fan he had taken from her hand, but he paused, and said with a quizzical look: ‘Ah – and so sometimes do enthusiastic ones, do they not?’
‘S-sometimes,’ admitted Horatia. ‘You have heard all about m-me.’
‘By no means, ma’am. But when I learn of a lady who never refuses a wager, why, I desire to know more of her.’
‘I am certainly very p-partial to games of chance, sir,’ said Horatia wistfully.
‘One day you shall play your cards against me,’ said Lethbridge, ‘if you will.’
A voice spoke immediately behind them. ‘Do not play with Lord Lethbridge, ma’am, if you are wise!’
Horatia looked over her shoulder. Lady Massey had entered the saloon through a curtained archway, and was standing leaning her hand lightly on the back of the couch. ‘Oh?’ Horatia said, glancing at Lethbridge with new interest. ‘Will he f-fleece me?’
Lady Massey
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