What a contrary thing she was, she acknowledged to herself even as she wondered why he was as standoffish as he seemed. Was he only shy? Why had she never heard of him? And why, with that in mind, was Isabelle introducing them? Surely, she would only introduce her charge to someone she thought an appropriate match. What was it about this Lord Phillips that made Belle think he would be a good match for Lucy?
“Is Droitmuir far from Town?” Lucy asked. “We haven’t yet been introduced, so you must be newly arrived. I had thought I knew everyone already,” she added with a smile to excuse her ignorance.
“It’s not terribly far but since I don’t have a seat to take, I didn’t bother rushing for the opening of Parliament.”
It took effort to keep only mild interest displayed on her features when everything in her wanted to express true surprise. So he wasn’t terribly eager to be there. Why was he then? And why did Lucy suddenly think there was a mystery attached to the man’s presence? Certainly, it sounded to her as though he were made up in some way. She resolved to ask Belle all her questions later. For now, she could only ask what was socially acceptable.
“And which of this evening’s entertainments have most struck your fancy, Lord Phillips?”
The smile he offered her would have melted the meanest of hearts if she hadn’t been looking at his eyes. Lucy had to fight to keep her own from widening. He was skilled at being charming. How intriguing.
Not that she ought to be intrigued by such a thing. Why did everything tickle her intellect? Lucy tried not to sigh. Everything also reminded her of her disapproving father. Now was not the time to think about their last conversation. Their last argument to be precise. He had been reminding her once more that she couldn’t possibly be a bluestocking. Or rather, she shouldn’t be.
Lucy didn’t want to speak with Lord Phillips any longer. Her constitution wasn’t up for it.
Chapter Four
"Northcott!”
Roderick turned away from his contemplation of the questionably delectable Greta Billingsley when he was so hailed in a delighted and familiar voice.
“Smythe! What a surprise to see you here. I thought you’d still be in Oxford trying to solve your latest riddle.”
Sean Smythe, one of Roderick’s favourite fellow scholars, sighed heavily. “I wish I was still there. But it’s old Charlie.”
“What about him?” Roderick frowned. He hadn’t heard of anything happening to “Old Charlie” as Sean liked to refer to his benefactor, Lord Stanhope.
“He’s pulling out of his patronage,” Smythe said disconsolately.
“And so you thought to do some carousing in Town?” Roderick still couldn’t understand.
“No, I thought to follow your suggestion and find myself a wife.”
Roderick almost doubled over with laughter but his friend’s woe-begotten expression prevented his mirth from overcoming him.
“What are you going to do with a wife?” Rod asked, trying not to scoff.
“The usual, I suppose,” Smythe replied vaguely. “I hadn’t really thought it all the way through, but I need to do something. I’m so close to a breakthrough but if I can’t continue my experiments, I’ll never get there. Old Charlie couldn’t see how close I am, so now I need to find a backer. I thought a permanent solution might work, like you said.”
“But you don’t even have decent rooms you could take a wife to. I, at least, have the old family pile if worse were to come to worse. And I said, this solution would work for me and for all of us, but only with me doing the courting. I was certain I had been clear on the matter.”
Sean’s smile was sheepish. “You likely were clear as crystal, Roddy old boy, but I wasn’t paying complete attention. I wouldn’t have even remembered it at all except I was so despairing about Old Charlie, and Pierce reminded me. He might have been trying to tell me the rest, but you know how I get when there’s a new idea.”
Roderick shook his head at his absent-minded friend.
“Where are you staying? And how did you get invited tonight?”
“Old Charlie told me about this rout. He thought you might be here, he said.”
“Are you staying with Lord Stanhope, even after he told you he was withdrawing his patronage?” Roderick was further puzzled by his friend’s actions.
Sean shrugged. “He’s still a great fellow. Just because I haven’t managed to produce anything worthwhile for him doesn’t mean I don’t think he’s swell.”
Roderick grinned. “Come along, I’ll introduce you around. But I think you ought to go back to school and continue with your project. You’re so close. Let me look after this situation.”
“But Roddy, it’s not your problem or responsibility to look after the lot of us. Just because we’re lost souls doesn’t mean you need to collect us.”
“Sure it does, Smythe. I don’t have your level of brilliance. It’s my contribution to the good of humanity.”
