Page 7

T en days later.

“Dinner? At Lord Waverley’s townhouse?”

Rosalyn beamed at Lady Isobella. “Yes, indeed! Our own dinner, as you know, went so well that I believe he felt quite confident in sending out the invitations. We are to attend his dinner this evening!” Her heart lifted at the thought of seeing him again.

It had been a very difficult few days for the Marquess, she knew, for ever since the ball at Almacks, he had pulled himself away from society a little, though she could not blame him for that.

She had been worried that he might refuse to attend their dinner but, much to her relief, he had chosen to do so and the evening had gone very well indeed.

It had helped enormously to have had two of her friends there, as well as Lord Albury.

That had made things a good deal easier for them all.

“I do hope it goes well,” Lady Isobella said, as they sat idly on the bench in Hyde Park, watching the world go by. “Lord Waverley does appear to be an excellent gentleman and I would not like him to be scorned by those he invites.”

“I do not think that will occur,” Rosalyn answered, having no concerns whatsoever.

“He has invited friends and acquaintances who have already been in conversation with him, so I do not think there is anything to be concerned about. Besides which, if anyone dares look down at him, then I shall certainly say something! I am sure my brother would defend him also.”

Lady Isobella turned her head to look straight into Rosalyn’s eyes. “You say you have known Lord Waverley for a long time?”

Rosalyn nodded.

“He is a friend to you, then? Nothing more?”

At this, Rosalyn let out a startled laugh. “Goodness, no! He is like a brother to me, for we have known each other for so long, it is as if he is family!”

“Mmm.” Lady Isobella said nothing more, tipping her head to one side just a little so she might study Rosalyn’s expression a little more.

“I am telling the truth,” Rosalyn protested, though a smile split her expression. “You may look at me with those searching eyes as much as you wish but I am quite certain of what I feel.”

“Then you will not mind in the least if one of your friends thinks to pursue him?”

A rock dropped into Rosalyn’s stomach. “Pursue him?”

“Yes.” Lady Isobella shrugged. “He is a good-hearted fellow, you have told me, with a fine character and quite contented for you to be a bluestocking! So why should we not think about pursuing an eligible gentleman such as he?”

Rosalyn forced a smile, spreading out her hands. “I can think of no reason why not!” she answered, seeing Lady Isobella’s small smile. “Though you must remember that the ton do not think well of him, so that might prove a little difficult.”

Lady Isobella’s smile grew, a light coming into her eyes. “As you have said so many times, however, it does not matter to us what society thinks so therefore, we can have no difficulty in that!”

“That is true,” Rosalyn murmured, her smile dimming. “You will also have to recall he is somewhat impoverished, though that, of course, is not his fault.”

“Indeed,” Lady Isobella remarked, looking away from Rosalyn. “However, I am sure that, in time, he will have improved things in that regard. And some of us have some money of our own, do we not? So it is not as though we will be utterly without coin!”

Again, a weight fell into Rosalyn’s stomach, seeming to drag her down low. She did not know what to say to this, managing to only shrug and smile briefly as though this was all quite agreeable, even though, inwardly, she felt nothing of the sort.

How very strange it was to feel almost upset at the prospect of Lord Waverley courting one of her friends!

She ought to be delighted at the thought, should she not?

As she had only just said, Lord Waverley was akin to a brother and thus, to have one of her friends marry him would be a wonderful thing, would it not?

So why do I find myself so very troubled?

“I did find dancing with him to be quite delightful, though I am sure the waltz would have been even more so.”

Rosalyn glanced at her friend, then shrugged as if to say that every dance was just like another.

“You will not mind if I dance the waltz with him the next time?”

“Of course I will not!” The words caught in Rosalyn’s throat and she was forced to cough, though for whatever reason, this only made Lady Isobella laugh. Rosalyn was about to ask her what it was that made her smile so but at that very moment, her brother reappeared from his turn about the grounds.

“And here you are still, safe and sound.” He smiled at Rosalyn and then at Lady Isobella. “Alas, we must take our leave. Have you a chaperone nearby?”

“I do.” Lady Isobella smiled back at him, then squeezed Rosalyn’s hand. “Enjoy your dinner this evening. I hope it all goes just as wonderfully as you hope it shall… and that Lord Waverley will enjoy the excellent company also, yourself included.”

Rosalyn rose to her feet. “Thank you, Isobella. I am sure it will be an excellent evening indeed.”

“I must say, Lord Waverley, you have some of the most beautiful paintings I have ever seen adorning your walls!”

Rosalyn, who was just finishing her final course, glanced with interest towards Lady Whittaker, who was speaking in the most expressive tones.

“There are some remarkable pieces there. I confess to being somewhat taken with the marble bust also.”

“As was I,” said Lady Coates, though her husband nodded fervently in agreement with this remark. “It is plain to see that you have a great interest in art, Lord Waverley.”

“Just as your father did,” added Lord Coates, gesturing towards Lord Waverley. “I was well acquainted with him many years ago and he always had a good eye for such things.”

“Oh, it is not my son who cares for such things!” Lady Waverley laughed softly as Lord Waverley grinned. “Most of the pieces were chosen by myself, for I am quite sure that he would not be able to tell one thing from another when it comes to such things!”

Lord Waverley grinned broadly, a happiness sparkling in his eyes which Rosalyn was glad to see. “That is quite true, much to my shame. My mother knows a good deal more than I, and I am very grateful to her for it else my townhouse would be somewhat shambolic, would it not?”

This made all the guests laugh and Rosalyn smiled to herself, glad to see that Lord Waverley’s dinner was going so very well.

After Lady Billington’s harsh words to him at Almacks and his response to that, Rosalyn had known the rumors would grow vehemently – and so they had.

Many were speaking of Lord Waverley’s dark temper, comparing him to his father and stating that they were quite sure he was just the same as he in every way, but there were still some who did not speak in such a way.

Not everyone believed the gossip, thankfully, as was shown by the guests here at the dinner table.

She took them all in, going around the large dining table one by one and seeing how each person had a smile on their face.

This was very good indeed for Lord Waverley, she thought. An excellent night for all concerned.

“It is by Turner, is it not?” Lord Stockton, a broad-shouldered, red-faced gentleman, threw a smile towards Lady Waverley. “The painting, I mean.”

Realizing she had missed some of the conversation, Rosalyn saw Lady Waverley nod. She had very little understanding or even appreciation of art, though clearly Lady Waverley took a great interest in it all.

“I thought it was!” Lord Stockton exclaimed, his eyes bright with interest. “J.M.W Turner, yes? Or William Turner, as he is known. An artist who is beginning to make something of an impression, I believe!”

“That is quite right, Lord Stockton, yes,” Lady Waverley said, her voice quiet but her smile warm. “I think that particular piece quite beautiful in its own way, even though the scene is somewhat turbulent.”

Lord Stockton nodded his understanding. “He often paints seascapes, yes? And landscapes also.”

“Yes, that is right. The painting in question was, in fact, given to my son as a gift from his father only a little before his death, though it has been kept here in London.”

Rosalyn’s eyebrows lifted and she, as well as every other guest, looked directly at Lord Waverley who, with a wry smile, rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.

“In truth, I had forgotten about that,” he said, his voice low as Rosalyn’s skin prickled, sensing the sudden tension. “But it does go to show you how little I know of art, for I cannot even think of which painting you are speaking of, Lord Stockton!”

This made everyone at the table laugh again and Rosalyn let out a slow breath, smiling quickly at the Marquess when his eyes caught hers. Any mention of the late Marquess brought a tension to the party but the moment had passed quickly.

“Shall we take tea, ladies?” Lady Waverley was the first to rise to her feet and, with a smile, Rosalyn followed suit. “Let us leave the gentlemen to their port.”

The ladies all filed out of the dining room but before they could make their way to the drawing room, Lady Pleasance spoke up.

“Might we see the painting that Lord Stockton was speaking of?” she asked, as Lady Waverley beamed with obvious pride and pleasure at being asked such a thing. “It seems that he knows a great deal about it.”

“As do I,” Lady Whittaker sniffed. “I believe I was the one who spoke of it first, was I not?”

“You were indeed, Lady Whittaker.” Lady Waverley gestured to her right. “Please, if you would all follow me, I will show you the painting. It is in the hallway, with more than a few works adorning the walls. Mayhap you will see some others that you also appreciate.”

Rosalyn followed the other ladies to the hallway where not only were there paintings, there were also two marble works and a vase or two. Some, she was sure, held great value though her awareness of such things was a good deal lacking still.