men and do not wish to start now. What is it to be?”
“You will not tell anyone? I would feel such a fool.”
“You should feel even more of a fool for losing such a sum to me. But you have my word on it.”
Neither noticed a footman hovering behind them. The footman was well aware that there was an ex-Runner willing to pay for any information about this marquess. The fact that the Marquess of Grantley was willing to pay well over five thousand pounds for a dance with Miss Mira Markham should be worth a good reward.
“Very well,” said Mr. Danby. “But what will you tell her?”
“I shall tell her that you are feeling unwell and have begged me to take your place. That is all.”
And so Mira looked up in surprise when she was approached by the marquess later that evening, who told her solemnly that Mr. Danby was feeling poorly and had begged him to take his place.
Lady Jansen watched bitterly as the marquess led Mira onto the floor. She hoped Diggs was doing his job. She even began to worry that the guilty couple had found out about him and had bribed him to give her innocent reports.
When the marquess took Mira into the supper room, he carefully maneuvered her toward the end of one of the tables so that she would have no companion on her side, and on his other side there was deaf old Lady Antrim, who never talked to anyone anyway.
“How do you go on?” he began.
“Tolerably well,” said Mira. “I am behaving like an angel.”
“You must be enjoying your popularity.”
“I am only human. Of course, my lord.”
“I fear I misled you about young Danby. I thought he would prove to be all that was suitable.”
“And he is not?”
“I fear he is already showing signs of being a hardened gambler who cannot hold his drink.”
She laughed. “Now that I find hard to believe!”
“I do not expect you to believe me. Do not rush into marriage with him. Do not encourage him anymore until you have studied him a little further.”
Those green eyes flashed with mockery. “Yes, Father.”
“Jade! Admit you are not shocked or startled or hurt by my news. You feel nothing for Mr. Danby.”
She looked at him cynically. “Am I meant to? I did not think love entered into a society marriage.”
“It sometimes does. Lord Charles and your sister, I suppose, are typical.”
“Of a love match?”
“Of a loveless arrangement.”
“I think you are mistaken. Charles is willing to sell out, and all for love of Drusilla.”
“Have some more wine. I think you will find Lord Charles became engaged in haste and is now repenting his decision at leisure.” He wondered now whether to warn Mira that Lord Charles was becoming infatuated with her. He decided against it. Those wonderful eyes of hers might light up with gladness.
The weather after the miserable preceding two weeks had turned fine and warm. The long windows at the end of the supper room were open, and balmy air blew in, sending the candle flames streaming.
“Shall I get a footman to close those windows?” asked the marquess.
Mira shook her head. “I love fresh air, any fresh air, even London air. I have been feeling cribbed, cabined, and confined of late.”
“Have you forgiven me for that kiss?”
She blushed and pleated a fold of the tablecloth between nervous fingers. “I suppose so. But it was wicked of you to make fun of me.”
“I was not making fun of you. I forgot myself. But I enjoyed riding with you.”
Her eyes shone. “I wanted to ride again, even in the Row, but Mama said it was not suitable and I must put my wild ways behind me. But I find it hard to let so much of my old self go. I feel if I could have just one more day of freedom, I could face the idea of settling down with equanimity.”
The warm air flowed about them. The marquess felt a tingling of excitement. “Are you bored with all
“You will not tell anyone? I would feel such a fool.”
“You should feel even more of a fool for losing such a sum to me. But you have my word on it.”
Neither noticed a footman hovering behind them. The footman was well aware that there was an ex-Runner willing to pay for any information about this marquess. The fact that the Marquess of Grantley was willing to pay well over five thousand pounds for a dance with Miss Mira Markham should be worth a good reward.
“Very well,” said Mr. Danby. “But what will you tell her?”
“I shall tell her that you are feeling unwell and have begged me to take your place. That is all.”
And so Mira looked up in surprise when she was approached by the marquess later that evening, who told her solemnly that Mr. Danby was feeling poorly and had begged him to take his place.
Lady Jansen watched bitterly as the marquess led Mira onto the floor. She hoped Diggs was doing his job. She even began to worry that the guilty couple had found out about him and had bribed him to give her innocent reports.
When the marquess took Mira into the supper room, he carefully maneuvered her toward the end of one of the tables so that she would have no companion on her side, and on his other side there was deaf old Lady Antrim, who never talked to anyone anyway.
“How do you go on?” he began.
“Tolerably well,” said Mira. “I am behaving like an angel.”
“You must be enjoying your popularity.”
“I am only human. Of course, my lord.”
“I fear I misled you about young Danby. I thought he would prove to be all that was suitable.”
“And he is not?”
“I fear he is already showing signs of being a hardened gambler who cannot hold his drink.”
She laughed. “Now that I find hard to believe!”
“I do not expect you to believe me. Do not rush into marriage with him. Do not encourage him anymore until you have studied him a little further.”
Those green eyes flashed with mockery. “Yes, Father.”
“Jade! Admit you are not shocked or startled or hurt by my news. You feel nothing for Mr. Danby.”
She looked at him cynically. “Am I meant to? I did not think love entered into a society marriage.”
“It sometimes does. Lord Charles and your sister, I suppose, are typical.”
“Of a love match?”
“Of a loveless arrangement.”
“I think you are mistaken. Charles is willing to sell out, and all for love of Drusilla.”
“Have some more wine. I think you will find Lord Charles became engaged in haste and is now repenting his decision at leisure.” He wondered now whether to warn Mira that Lord Charles was becoming infatuated with her. He decided against it. Those wonderful eyes of hers might light up with gladness.
The weather after the miserable preceding two weeks had turned fine and warm. The long windows at the end of the supper room were open, and balmy air blew in, sending the candle flames streaming.
“Shall I get a footman to close those windows?” asked the marquess.
Mira shook her head. “I love fresh air, any fresh air, even London air. I have been feeling cribbed, cabined, and confined of late.”
“Have you forgiven me for that kiss?”
She blushed and pleated a fold of the tablecloth between nervous fingers. “I suppose so. But it was wicked of you to make fun of me.”
“I was not making fun of you. I forgot myself. But I enjoyed riding with you.”
Her eyes shone. “I wanted to ride again, even in the Row, but Mama said it was not suitable and I must put my wild ways behind me. But I find it hard to let so much of my old self go. I feel if I could have just one more day of freedom, I could face the idea of settling down with equanimity.”
The warm air flowed about them. The marquess felt a tingling of excitement. “Are you bored with all
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