way of phrasing things at times.
"She will be at Hyde House tonight?" he asked.
"I believe she was invited."
"Dutton and Lord Henry will be there as well. It should prove an entertaining evening."
"I'm quite certain it will be," Sophia said softly. "I wonder, your grace, if you would be interested in a private wager?"
"Of what sort?"
"Of the friendliest sort," she said, shifting her weight so that suddenly her legs were outlined beneath the fragile silk of her gown. Calbourne shifted his own weight in direct response. "I will wager that Louisa Kirkland will make her choice and make it obviously by tomorrow night. Three days... nothing of this sort requires as much as three days to decide."
"So quickly?" Calbourne said slowly, studying Sophia and learning nothing. "You think she will make her choice known by tomorrow night?"
"I think, your grace, that she will make her choice known by tonight, if one measures the length of a night by the dawn," Sophia said with a polite smile. "I'd rather err on the side of prudence, hence, until tomorrow night. Is it a wager?"
"Done," he said.
"And shall we not include the naming of the gentleman?"
Sophia said. "I think you men do, at times, put too much upon what is your fluxuating allure and not nearly enough upon the unchanging beauty of a pearl necklace. But I am likely biased in my views, you will allow."
He certainly did allow. A woman who had made a tidy sum on collecting pearls and other items from men would see things differently, but Louisa Kirkland was no courtesan.
"You think she will prefer Blakesley over Dutton?" he asked.
"Blakesley has the pearls, does he not?" she answered with a smile.
There was plainly no possibility of Louisa choosing any other but Dutton; she had been doing so for two years and there was no reason for her to change her mind now. It was equally obvious that her pearls had been sold out from under her by her father, and none knew that fact better than Louisa. There was simply no getting them back now, no matter who had them.
"Done again. I will back Dutton. The terms?"
"Not money," Sophia said, rising to her feet, "for that would be too crass by any measure. Shall we say an intimate dinner at Cal-bourne House?"
"I would be delighted," he said, bowing crisply. "If Lord Dutton attracts the lady's interest in the next twenty-four hours, I shall host an intimate dinner at Calbourne House." Where Sophia would be the only guest. A very tidy win, if Louisa behaved as she had reliably done for the past two years.
"And if she chooses elsewhere by tomorrow night, then I shall host an intimate dinner, you being the guest of honor. This gives every appearance of being a wager I cannot lose," Sophia said, smiling up into his eyes. He returned her smile fully. There were many things said of Sophia Dalby, but the one on which all men agreed was that she was charming company.
"Nor can I, Lady Dalby. I shall see you at Hyde House tonight?"
"Your grace, you will most assuredly see me at Hyde House tonight. It promises to be a most entertaining evening, does it not?"
Again, Calbourne could not help but note that there was a slightly sinister, one might even say provocatively malevolent edge to Sophia's question. Most odd.
Nine
LOUISA, looking as enticing as she possibly could in a gown of fine white muslin with a daringly low décolleté, because Lord Dutton required daring décolletés, entered Hyde House for the second time in a single week. It was something of a coup. While hundreds were invited to a Hyde House assemblie, only a few were ever invited to celebrate the Marquis of Iveston's birth. This was her first time doing so. Amelia, dressed in ivory silk with a cunning design of indigo beading at the hem, was at her side, looking equally triumphant.
Tonight, they would achieve their purposes. Louisa would finally ensnare Lord Dutton, and Amelia would entice whatever eligible duke happened to be about.
It promised to be a spectacular evening.
"I
"She will be at Hyde House tonight?" he asked.
"I believe she was invited."
"Dutton and Lord Henry will be there as well. It should prove an entertaining evening."
"I'm quite certain it will be," Sophia said softly. "I wonder, your grace, if you would be interested in a private wager?"
"Of what sort?"
"Of the friendliest sort," she said, shifting her weight so that suddenly her legs were outlined beneath the fragile silk of her gown. Calbourne shifted his own weight in direct response. "I will wager that Louisa Kirkland will make her choice and make it obviously by tomorrow night. Three days... nothing of this sort requires as much as three days to decide."
"So quickly?" Calbourne said slowly, studying Sophia and learning nothing. "You think she will make her choice known by tomorrow night?"
"I think, your grace, that she will make her choice known by tonight, if one measures the length of a night by the dawn," Sophia said with a polite smile. "I'd rather err on the side of prudence, hence, until tomorrow night. Is it a wager?"
"Done," he said.
"And shall we not include the naming of the gentleman?"
Sophia said. "I think you men do, at times, put too much upon what is your fluxuating allure and not nearly enough upon the unchanging beauty of a pearl necklace. But I am likely biased in my views, you will allow."
He certainly did allow. A woman who had made a tidy sum on collecting pearls and other items from men would see things differently, but Louisa Kirkland was no courtesan.
"You think she will prefer Blakesley over Dutton?" he asked.
"Blakesley has the pearls, does he not?" she answered with a smile.
There was plainly no possibility of Louisa choosing any other but Dutton; she had been doing so for two years and there was no reason for her to change her mind now. It was equally obvious that her pearls had been sold out from under her by her father, and none knew that fact better than Louisa. There was simply no getting them back now, no matter who had them.
"Done again. I will back Dutton. The terms?"
"Not money," Sophia said, rising to her feet, "for that would be too crass by any measure. Shall we say an intimate dinner at Cal-bourne House?"
"I would be delighted," he said, bowing crisply. "If Lord Dutton attracts the lady's interest in the next twenty-four hours, I shall host an intimate dinner at Calbourne House." Where Sophia would be the only guest. A very tidy win, if Louisa behaved as she had reliably done for the past two years.
"And if she chooses elsewhere by tomorrow night, then I shall host an intimate dinner, you being the guest of honor. This gives every appearance of being a wager I cannot lose," Sophia said, smiling up into his eyes. He returned her smile fully. There were many things said of Sophia Dalby, but the one on which all men agreed was that she was charming company.
"Nor can I, Lady Dalby. I shall see you at Hyde House tonight?"
"Your grace, you will most assuredly see me at Hyde House tonight. It promises to be a most entertaining evening, does it not?"
Again, Calbourne could not help but note that there was a slightly sinister, one might even say provocatively malevolent edge to Sophia's question. Most odd.
Nine
LOUISA, looking as enticing as she possibly could in a gown of fine white muslin with a daringly low décolleté, because Lord Dutton required daring décolletés, entered Hyde House for the second time in a single week. It was something of a coup. While hundreds were invited to a Hyde House assemblie, only a few were ever invited to celebrate the Marquis of Iveston's birth. This was her first time doing so. Amelia, dressed in ivory silk with a cunning design of indigo beading at the hem, was at her side, looking equally triumphant.
Tonight, they would achieve their purposes. Louisa would finally ensnare Lord Dutton, and Amelia would entice whatever eligible duke happened to be about.
It promised to be a spectacular evening.
"I
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