impatience. Why should he be impatient? Thea demanded of herself. Unable to think of a reason, she sighed. Any man would be flattered to have such a beauty casting such obvious lures at him.
Penny joined Thea. “Lady Cowper is prodigious good-natured,” she reported. “If it were up to her alone, I might conceivably be admitted to Almack’s. However, I thought it best not to request vouchers even for you and Meg. If they are not offered, someone of high social standing must approach the patronesses for you.”
“Lord Hazlewood will,” said Thea with confidence. “For Meg, at least. I do not care to go.”
“Very wise, Miss Kilmore.” Lady Anne had overheard. “A more insipid entertainment cannot be imagined.” She nodded to Penny. “You must be the new Lady Kilmore. Don’t let ’em frighten you, ma’am. A woman should be judged on her own merits, not her father’s or her husband’s.”
Penny was nonplussed. While the dowager presented her in proper form, Thea turned her attention back to Lord Hazlewood. At that moment he gestured in her direction, his gaze on his beautiful companion. The blonde shook her head with a pettish frown, and glared after him as he deserted her to rejoin the Kilmores. Catching Thea’s eye, the woman gave her a black scowl.
Thea guessed that she had refused to meet them. “I fear your friend is vexed,” she said to the marquis when he reached her, after exchanging brief greetings with several of the people he passed.
“My friend?” he asked in surprise. “Oh, you mean Lady Daphne. A mere acquaintance.”
“With ambitions to something warmer,” said Will, coming up with Meg. “Like a dozen others, she has been setting her cap at Rod since she made her come-out, even, to my certain knowledge, refusing other offers. He’s the greatest prize on the Town, you know.”
“You flatter me, coz. Aunt Anne, I’m glad you managed to bring yourself to quit the library for a while. You are free to return thither now, since we must be leaving.”
She beamed at him. “Anything, dear boy,” she said obscurely. Turning to the dowager, she promised, “I’ll hunt down that pamphlet for you, ma’am.” With that, she rose and strode from the room, her extraordinary lilac draperies swirling.
“Aunt Anne has a mind above fashion,” said Will mournfully.
Thea sprang to her defence. “She has a kind heart!”
“Well said.” Lord Hazlewood smiled at her.
Meg’s new acquaintances had already gone. Few of those now present had seen the Kilmores’ arrival, but their departure was equally illuminating to anyone who cared for the marchioness’s opinion. When Lord Hazlewood informed his mother that they were leaving, she waved her vinaigrette vaguely in their direction, then raised it to her nose and sniffed.
This time, following Penny’s lead, they all took polite leave of her as if they had noticed nothing untoward in her behaviour. Thea thought she saw Lady Hazlewood’s drooping mouth tighten for the merest instant.
Perhaps that was a victory of a sort, yet she could not regard the visit as a success. Lady Anne was no Society hostess. Lady Cowper might acknowledge them if they met by chance, but was unlikely to go out of her way to invite them. And though Meg had been the most successful at breaking barriers, even she now looked glum.
CHAPTER NINE
“If only we had a respectable address!” Meg cried passionately from her usual hopeful post at the morning-room window. “They were friendly until Sir Gideon asked permission to call and they found out where I live.”
“So you have told us a hundred times,” said Thea without raising her eyes from her book. “Can you think of nothing else? At least stop talking about it, for Penny will be down soon.”
“Do come and sit down, dear,” their mother said in mild reproof, her fingers busy with a netting shuttle. “If anyone should call, they would be shocked to see you peering out at them like an ill-bred
Penny joined Thea. “Lady Cowper is prodigious good-natured,” she reported. “If it were up to her alone, I might conceivably be admitted to Almack’s. However, I thought it best not to request vouchers even for you and Meg. If they are not offered, someone of high social standing must approach the patronesses for you.”
“Lord Hazlewood will,” said Thea with confidence. “For Meg, at least. I do not care to go.”
“Very wise, Miss Kilmore.” Lady Anne had overheard. “A more insipid entertainment cannot be imagined.” She nodded to Penny. “You must be the new Lady Kilmore. Don’t let ’em frighten you, ma’am. A woman should be judged on her own merits, not her father’s or her husband’s.”
Penny was nonplussed. While the dowager presented her in proper form, Thea turned her attention back to Lord Hazlewood. At that moment he gestured in her direction, his gaze on his beautiful companion. The blonde shook her head with a pettish frown, and glared after him as he deserted her to rejoin the Kilmores. Catching Thea’s eye, the woman gave her a black scowl.
Thea guessed that she had refused to meet them. “I fear your friend is vexed,” she said to the marquis when he reached her, after exchanging brief greetings with several of the people he passed.
“My friend?” he asked in surprise. “Oh, you mean Lady Daphne. A mere acquaintance.”
“With ambitions to something warmer,” said Will, coming up with Meg. “Like a dozen others, she has been setting her cap at Rod since she made her come-out, even, to my certain knowledge, refusing other offers. He’s the greatest prize on the Town, you know.”
“You flatter me, coz. Aunt Anne, I’m glad you managed to bring yourself to quit the library for a while. You are free to return thither now, since we must be leaving.”
She beamed at him. “Anything, dear boy,” she said obscurely. Turning to the dowager, she promised, “I’ll hunt down that pamphlet for you, ma’am.” With that, she rose and strode from the room, her extraordinary lilac draperies swirling.
“Aunt Anne has a mind above fashion,” said Will mournfully.
Thea sprang to her defence. “She has a kind heart!”
“Well said.” Lord Hazlewood smiled at her.
Meg’s new acquaintances had already gone. Few of those now present had seen the Kilmores’ arrival, but their departure was equally illuminating to anyone who cared for the marchioness’s opinion. When Lord Hazlewood informed his mother that they were leaving, she waved her vinaigrette vaguely in their direction, then raised it to her nose and sniffed.
This time, following Penny’s lead, they all took polite leave of her as if they had noticed nothing untoward in her behaviour. Thea thought she saw Lady Hazlewood’s drooping mouth tighten for the merest instant.
Perhaps that was a victory of a sort, yet she could not regard the visit as a success. Lady Anne was no Society hostess. Lady Cowper might acknowledge them if they met by chance, but was unlikely to go out of her way to invite them. And though Meg had been the most successful at breaking barriers, even she now looked glum.
CHAPTER NINE
“If only we had a respectable address!” Meg cried passionately from her usual hopeful post at the morning-room window. “They were friendly until Sir Gideon asked permission to call and they found out where I live.”
“So you have told us a hundred times,” said Thea without raising her eyes from her book. “Can you think of nothing else? At least stop talking about it, for Penny will be down soon.”
“Do come and sit down, dear,” their mother said in mild reproof, her fingers busy with a netting shuttle. “If anyone should call, they would be shocked to see you peering out at them like an ill-bred
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