Page 99 of The Viscount Who Vexed Me

Hattie slowly smiled. “That may trick all of your potential brides, my lord, but I won’t fall for it.”

He turned his smile to her, his gaze falling to her lips. “You’re certain?”

“Completely.” She laughed. “What else did you see?”

“Tigers and wildebeests.”

Hattie noticed Flora turn her head, looking around. She spotted them in the back row, and her gaze slid over them before facing forward again. Below, a line was forming to meet the elephant.

“What do you think of the dancing elephant?” Hattie asked.

“He has reminded me of my childhood.”

“How?”

He shrugged. “In that when I was in public, I was always made to feel as if I was a trained monkey. Jumbo has a look in his eye that I understand.”

Hattie looked at the elephant. People were crawling up a small ladder and then the elephant took them around in a circle. “He doesn’t seem entirely happy, does he?”

Teo smiled ruefully at her. “Is anyone?”

“Sometimes most of us are. Sometimes not.”

“I’m happy to see you here today. I’m happy to see you every time.”

There was suddenly a cry of alarm—two people had jumped into the arena to pet Jumbo’s trunk, and Hattie realized in a moment of horror it was Peter and Perry. Flora glanced over her shoulder at Hattie, her eyes wide. She was mortified for Hattie, but...but Flora knew the twins? How did she know them? When did she meet them?

She heard someone shout Flora’s given name and realized with even more horror that it was Daniel. He was calling to her like she was part of the riffraff. He was standing on the railing of the paddock fence, pretending to be conducting the platform of rich people. Some people laughed at his antics. Others glared at him. One man shouted at him to get down and leave them be.

Just when Hattie thought her family couldn’t possibly embarrass her more, they found a way. They were the true backwater cousins, terribly behaved and oblivious to the discomfort they caused.

Now Daniel was pretending to have a trunk of his own. And—it was beyond Hattie to grasp, but—Flora was laughing. She waslaughing at Daniel.

Teo suddenly rose. “I should return to my mother before the crowd gets too out of hand,” he said. “I’ll see you soon?”

She nodded. Her face felt on fire from the heat of her shame. She didn’t know how she would ever apologize to Flora.

As it seemed nothing was left of the show but rides for children, people began to leave the box. Hattie watched Teo speak to Flora’s parents. And then, naturally, Lila appeared seemingly out of thin air, and the discussion turned livelier. At last, Teo bowed and held out his arm. His mother took it, and they began to climb the steps to the exit. Flora, Hattie noticed, had reunited with Queenie.

She struggled to get through the crowd to reach Flora and Queenie before they disappeared. She had to rush to catch them, and put her hand on Flora’s arm to stop her.

Flora jerked around.

“Flora,” Hattie said, breathlessly. “I must apologize for my brothers.”

“What?”

“My brothers? And Daniel in particular—I’m so sorry for his behavior. I hope you weren’t terribly offended.”

“Of course I was,” Flora said, and her cheeks flushed bright. “He’s impossible, I’ve told you. He really ought to know his place.”

“I agree!” Hattie said. “For some reason, he is desperate to impress you.”

“Oh, Hattie,” Flora said. She leaned forward and pinned her with a dark gaze. “I really don’t care.”

“Look, there’s Lady Mabel!” Queenie exclaimed. “She’s come after all. Shall we go and see her?”

“Yes,” Flora said, and linked her arm through Queenie’s. Hattie moved to keep in step with them, but Flora suddenly turned, jerking Queenie to a halt. “Hattie...you can make your way home, can’t you? Your family is here. I’m sure you’ll want to walk with them.”