Page 28 of A Bluestocking for the Wicked Duke

“Good, let’s keep it that way. Let them give themselves a good reason as to why we picked interest in them,” William said.

They rode for a few seconds without saying anything before William broke the silence again.

“I was wondering why Miss Emma allowed herself be taken away for so long. You aren’t so charming, that I know for a fact,” William said.

He saw Lord James throw a punch at him and quickly turned to the side, dodging it.

“She said she enjoyed my views. The word she used was “Unenglish”, she said I had unenglish views,” Lord James answered.

William wondered where that came from. The look he gave his friend was one of pure amazement.

“What kind of conversations did you and this damsel get into?” William asked his friend.

He had turned to face Lord James completely now. He was very interested in the details of their conversation.

It seemed to have been interesting.

Lord James smiled, obviously seeing his friend’s gestures out of the corner of his eyes.

“I asked her why she wore a gown so short. I told her people tended to wag tongues a lot in this part of England, what would be on dit would be that she was doxy or at best a cyprian.” he said.

William stared at his friend with his mouth wide agape.

“You said what!” William said.

Lord James laughed at his friend’s reaction.

“Even the girl did not react as dismayed as you. You act as if I told her to be my ladybird,” he said.

“So what was her reply?” William asked.

“She asked me what I thought. And I told her she was a woman of differing views from the traditional English woman but there was no need to bluntly flaunt it. Some things are better hidden,” Lord James replied.

“Hmmm,” William replied. “I wasn’t aware you were capable of speaking so much sense.”

“This time you are really asking for a hiding,” Lord James replied. .

William laughed and turned to face the road again. The evening had been nice. Joane Hardwater was proving to be a more sophisticated woman than he thought.

I didn’t want to leave the dance. I didn’t want it to end.

William suddenly remembered, he was meant to introduce himself to the Earl of Norfolk and his daughter. In his excitement, he had forgotten all about her and the arrangement his mother had made, so had his friend. When he spoke, his voice was calm and controlled.

“We forgot about the Earl of Norfolk and his daughter,” William said.

“I was just about to say that, it just came to mind,” Lord James replied.

William shook his head; all this would not have arisen if his mother had not been too forward.

Mother always finds new ways to meddle in my affairs.

“Speak of the devil, isn’t that the carriage of the Earl of Norfolk? It seems to have made a stop,” Lord James said, stretching his neck as if it would make him see further.

William raised his gaze and saw the carriage. He couldn’t tell if it was for the Earl of Norfolk. He waited until they got closer before he determined. He could see Esther, standing beside the horses. It looked like someone was under the carriage, William wasn’t sure.

When William’s curricle got behind the stopped carriage, William signaled to Lord James to stop it. He alighted from the curricle and went closer to the carriage. He was right, someone was under the carriage.

“Good afternoon, my Lord,” William said to the Earl.