Emma smiled and said, “Good evening, Lord Tisbury,” then turned to their hostess. “Lady Tisbury, it’s lovely to see you again.”
“Lord Tisbury, Lady Tisbury, may I present my sister, Lady Charlotte,” Richmond said.
“Good evening, Lord Tisbury, Lady Tisbury,” Charlotte said, curtseying to the pair.
After the greeting, Richmond led Emma and Charlotte into the parlor, which was already filled with guests. Lady Tisbury’s dinners were alwayswell-attended, and many in Society clamored for an invitation.
“Oh,” Charlotte whispered to Emma as they walked into the room, “I don’t see anyone I know.”
Emma squeezed her hand. “Take a deep breath. All will be well. Just be yourself, and you’ll dazzle all in attendance.”
That got a chuckle from Charlotte. “Oh, Emma, you always know the perfect thing to say.”
It wasn’t long before their hostess joined them. “Your Graces, may I make known to you, Lord Bishop,” Lady Tisbury said.
***
Richmond’s head whipped around. Bishop was here? He’d known the spy was in London but hadn’t thought he’d run into him so soon, although he should have realized being in Edgerton’s spy network, Bishop would be well-acquainted with Lady Tisbury.
“Bishop,” Richmond said. “May I make known to you my wife, the Duchess of Richmond?”
“Richmond,” Bishop nodded, then turned his attention to Emma. “Your Grace, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said, a hint of a smile playing around his lips.”
“Lord Bishop,” Emma said, flushing slightly before turning to Charlotte. “My lord, may I make known to you Lady Charlotte, my sister-in-law?Charlotte, this is Lord Bishop.”
Charlotte held out her hand, and Bishop kissed the air above her knuckles. “Lady Charlotte, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you, my lord,” she said with a curtsey.
Richmond was irritated to see a spark of interest in his sister’s eyes as she was introduced to Bishop. This was the last thing he wanted, and now that the introduction had been made, it would be harder to shut down her interest. He made a silent vow to make sure their acquaintance was brief, especially since he wouldn’t soon forget that Bishop had been interested in Emma while recovering at Emerson Hall. He’d never forget how insanely jealous he was at the time. He didn’t want the handsome spy anywhere near his wifeorsister.
They strolled slowly to the other end of the parlor, greeting the other guests as they went.
“Your Grace, a word, please,” Lady Tisbury said to him.
He didn’t want to leave his wife and sister, but he couldn’t be rude to his hostess. “Of course,” he said, holding out his arm.
They ambled around the perimeter of the room.
Finally, Richmond could wait no longer. “Lady Tisbury, is something amiss?”
“Not at all, Your Grace. I merely wanted to say that I’m looking forward to furthering our acquaintance.Edgerton believes you will be very helpful to our work,” she said.
“I hope that I may. In the meantime, you could be helpful to me by telling me what you know of Bishop.”
Lady Tisbury glanced over her shoulder to see Bishop was chatting with Charlotte and Emma. “Bishop’s a good man, Your Grace. He doesn’t gamble or drink excessively, is good to his tenants, and is very good at his job. I saw your frown when I introduced him. Is there something I should be aware of between the two of you?”
Richmond shook his head. “Not at all, Lady Tisbury. Not at all.”
“I’m pleased to hear that, Your Grace. By the way, Lady Charlotte is lovely. I predict she’ll do well this Season.”
“Thank you. I want her to enjoy herself.”
The Tisbury butler announced dinner, and Richmond escorted Lady Tisbury into the dining room while Lord Tisbury escorted Emma. He was displeased when Bishop escorted Charlotte and took the seat to her left. He wanted to forbid her from talking to him but didn’t want his sister to question why he would issue such a decree. He had no choice but to keep an eye on Bishop and discourage the spy from any designs he may have on his sister.
He just needed to make it through the evening without throttling Bishop.
“What a wonderful evening,” Charlotte gushed as Richmond handed her up in the ducal carriage several hours later. “Lord Bishop was so attentive. I wasn’t nervous at all talking with him.”
