this?” he asked, and waved a hand, encompassing London’s finest and Gunter’s catering.
“Oh, yes.”
“Perhaps we could arrange something.”
“Such as?”
He thought quickly. He knew that what he was about to suggest was, in the words of Lady Carolyn Lamb about Lord Byron, mad, bad, and dangerous. But he said it nonetheless. “Has your family been invited to go tomorrow on the Earl of Hardforth’s barge outing?”
“Yes, we are to join the barge quite early and sail up the Thames to Hampton Court. It will take all day.”
“You could plead a headache and join me. Put on those riding clothes I gave you, and we could ride out of London and be free.”
Her heart beat hard. “You will not do anything like… like…?”
“Kiss you? No, my sweeting. I will lead that Arab you liked so much to Hyde Park toll and meet you there. Now what time?”
“Ten,” said Mira. “At ten in the morning. They are not due to return until late.”
“Make sure the servants do not see you leave!”
“Be assured. I will tell them not to disturb me at all. I will lock the door of my room behind me.”
“Will you leave by the back door?”
“No. As soon as they have all left, our servants will go to their own hall for tea. There will be no one about. I can slip out by the front door.”
He looked at her doubtfully. “I fear I am leading you astray.”
“Just one day of freedom will not matter. No one will find out, and after it I will be an even more correct young lady than before. Tell me, if Mr. Danby is such a bad prospect, whom do you recommend?”
His eyes roamed about the room. “There is Mr. Jessop, who is young, wealthy, and has already had two dances with you.”
“I did not notice him particularly. Which is he?”
“The tall young man four seats away from your sister, with thick brown hair and a plum-colored silk coat.”
“Ah, yes, he pressed my hand rather hard in the promenade. I fear he is too forward.”
“The devil he did!”
“Who else?”
“There is that young baronet, Sir Giles Parry. He is quiet and good.”
“And dull.”
“You have become hard to please, Mira Markham.”
“Perhaps I shall be a spinster after all. That would not please my father.”
“From what you have told me, your whole young life has been devoted to trying to please your father.”
“I think he has become fond of me,” she said wistfully. “I hope so.”
The marquess stopped himself with a conscious effort from saying that he thought Mr. Markham a most unnatural parent.
“Be very careful you are not seen,” he warned.
After supper Mira’s next dance was with Charles. It was a waltz. She wondered as she danced with him why it was that she should no longer feel anything for him. Perhaps it was because he had chosen the role of cross elderly brother. She was dreamily looking forward to her day of escape on the following day and hoping the ball would not go on very long so that she could get a few hours’ sleep when Charles interrupted her thoughts by saying, “You are looking very beautiful tonight, Mira.”
She looked up at him, her eyes glowing with simple pleasure at the compliment. “Why, thank you, Charles!”
“If I had known… but no matter. You seem to be close to Grantley.”
“He is a friend, as you once were, Charles.”
“You hurt me, Mira. I am still your friend.”
Mira laughed. “Pooh, you think I am a silly little girl.”
His hand holding hers tightened. “You have become a woman, Mira, an intriguing and attractive woman.”
“Thank you,” she said, looking every bit as uncomfortable as she felt. “You are holding my hand too tightly, Charles.”
“I beg your pardon,” he said miserably.
Mira wondered what had come over him. Then she thought he had probably drunk too much. Gentlemen behaved strangely in
“Oh, yes.”
“Perhaps we could arrange something.”
“Such as?”
He thought quickly. He knew that what he was about to suggest was, in the words of Lady Carolyn Lamb about Lord Byron, mad, bad, and dangerous. But he said it nonetheless. “Has your family been invited to go tomorrow on the Earl of Hardforth’s barge outing?”
“Yes, we are to join the barge quite early and sail up the Thames to Hampton Court. It will take all day.”
“You could plead a headache and join me. Put on those riding clothes I gave you, and we could ride out of London and be free.”
Her heart beat hard. “You will not do anything like… like…?”
“Kiss you? No, my sweeting. I will lead that Arab you liked so much to Hyde Park toll and meet you there. Now what time?”
“Ten,” said Mira. “At ten in the morning. They are not due to return until late.”
“Make sure the servants do not see you leave!”
“Be assured. I will tell them not to disturb me at all. I will lock the door of my room behind me.”
“Will you leave by the back door?”
“No. As soon as they have all left, our servants will go to their own hall for tea. There will be no one about. I can slip out by the front door.”
He looked at her doubtfully. “I fear I am leading you astray.”
“Just one day of freedom will not matter. No one will find out, and after it I will be an even more correct young lady than before. Tell me, if Mr. Danby is such a bad prospect, whom do you recommend?”
His eyes roamed about the room. “There is Mr. Jessop, who is young, wealthy, and has already had two dances with you.”
“I did not notice him particularly. Which is he?”
“The tall young man four seats away from your sister, with thick brown hair and a plum-colored silk coat.”
“Ah, yes, he pressed my hand rather hard in the promenade. I fear he is too forward.”
“The devil he did!”
“Who else?”
“There is that young baronet, Sir Giles Parry. He is quiet and good.”
“And dull.”
“You have become hard to please, Mira Markham.”
“Perhaps I shall be a spinster after all. That would not please my father.”
“From what you have told me, your whole young life has been devoted to trying to please your father.”
“I think he has become fond of me,” she said wistfully. “I hope so.”
The marquess stopped himself with a conscious effort from saying that he thought Mr. Markham a most unnatural parent.
“Be very careful you are not seen,” he warned.
After supper Mira’s next dance was with Charles. It was a waltz. She wondered as she danced with him why it was that she should no longer feel anything for him. Perhaps it was because he had chosen the role of cross elderly brother. She was dreamily looking forward to her day of escape on the following day and hoping the ball would not go on very long so that she could get a few hours’ sleep when Charles interrupted her thoughts by saying, “You are looking very beautiful tonight, Mira.”
She looked up at him, her eyes glowing with simple pleasure at the compliment. “Why, thank you, Charles!”
“If I had known… but no matter. You seem to be close to Grantley.”
“He is a friend, as you once were, Charles.”
“You hurt me, Mira. I am still your friend.”
Mira laughed. “Pooh, you think I am a silly little girl.”
His hand holding hers tightened. “You have become a woman, Mira, an intriguing and attractive woman.”
“Thank you,” she said, looking every bit as uncomfortable as she felt. “You are holding my hand too tightly, Charles.”
“I beg your pardon,” he said miserably.
Mira wondered what had come over him. Then she thought he had probably drunk too much. Gentlemen behaved strangely in
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