Unconventional Suitors 01 - Her Unconventional Suitor by Ginny Hartman Page B

was at least moderately jealous last evening. I think we should continue on our course and see how she responds.”
    Silence ensued for but a moment, when all of a sudden, Miss Graham’s eyes lit up with a mischief that he had often seen in Marcus’s own eyes.
    “What are you thinking?” he asked her wearily.
    “I have a most excellent idea, my lord. Do you remember my sister Bethany?”
    “Of course,” he answered for he remembered her well. She was perhaps the most outlandish of the Graham siblings, quite the hoyden with a propensity for lightheartedness that used to get her in a fair amount of trouble when they were children.
    “She wed the Viscount Cantrell in your absence, and they are both in London for the season. I will ask her to host a dinner party and we will invite Lady Gillian to attend. It will be the perfect opportunity to further our plan. What say you?”
    “It sounds like a very fine plan, indeed,” he answered honestly, very much liking the idea.
    “Very well,” She said as they both rose. “I will see to the details and keep you informed of the plans. I’m positive Bethany will be delighted to host a dinner party, for she has always loved to entertain.”
    “Will you be inviting Marcus?”
    “But of course. I cannot very well ask my sister to plan a dinner party and not invite our eldest brother.”
    “I suppose,” he muttered, though he wasn’t sure he was fond of the idea of spending time in both Miss Graham and Lady Gillian’s company with Marcus present. It made him weary.
    “Very well. And If you could manage to wear something a little lest ghastly to the dinner party then you did to the Barringtide Ball, my reputation and I would greatly appreciate it.”
    Benedict smiled as he saw her out. “I will see what I can do. In the meantime I will look for you at Almack’s on Wednesday evening.”
    “Very well.”
    As soon as Miss Graham had left, Benedict rang the bell and instructed the servants to remove the unused tea service from the drawing room. Just as the last remnants of his visit were being removed, his mother wandered into the room, a perplexed look on her face. “Have we had company that I was not made aware of?”
    Benedict straightened. “Miss Graham, Mr. Graham’s sister made a brief visit. It was nothing of great importance.”
    “Miss Graham is it? According to the latest on dits, it’s Lady Gillian you have set your cap for,” she said angrily as she thrust a newspaper into his chest. Benedict took the paper and scanned its contents for whatever it was she was referring to. “Look here,” she said impatiently as she pointed to a column near the bottom of the page.
    Benedict’s eyes settled on Mrs. Tiddlyswan’s gossip column and began to read. It was full of ill reported gossip and scandal amongst the gentry, and as he continued to read the boring information, he had a sinking suspicion that his name would appear. Sure enough, near the bottom of the article his name stood out from the page as if it had been written in bold, angry letters: It appears that the newly minted Earl of Danford has been busy upon his return to England in his hurried attempt to find a wife. He has been seen pouring his attention heavily upon the Duke of Chesley’s oldest daughter, Lady Gillian, though with his outdated and ragged clothing it is a wonder she hasn’t given him the cut direct. It baffles the author how two years abroad can render a former rake so unfashionably out of touch with haute couture. Just the other evening, the author has it on good report that the earl fled the Barringtide ball in a flustered state of dishabille with the seam of his dress coat torn wide open. It makes one wonder what scandalous activity he was involved in that caused such an embarrassing blunder to occur. My cheeks are heating up just thinking about the possibilities.
    Benedict finished reading then looked up at his mother. “I cannot believe that there is nothing more important for the