Her cheeks had still been burning after he had returned to his own room, and even now she had not decided what the laughter in his voice had meant. Had he been laughing at her? Laughing at the idea that she could do anything to make him feel good? But she did not think so. He was a kind man.
“Why, itisLady Astor!” a voice called cheerfully. “Good morning, ma’am. How do you do?”
Arabella had been aware of two horses approaching at a canter, but she had not looked toward them or their riders. She looked up now to see Lord Farraday and another gentleman whom she did not know. She lifted her hand and smiled gaily.
“Good morning, my lord,” she called. “Is it not a beautiful day? You see? My dog arrived from the country yesterday. His lordship was kind enough to send for him.”
“So you told me a few evenings ago at the Pendletons’,” Lord Farraday said. “I am glad he has come at last, ma’am. That black-and-white collie? He looks a bundle of energy.”
“Will you present me, Clive?” Lord Farraday’s companion asked.
Arabella was soon curtsying to Sir John Charlton, a slim, blond, good-looking young man, and feeling uncomfortable. She was glad that they did not stop for a lengthy conversation. She waved them on their way a minute later and called to George to begin the walk home for breakfast. Why could she never relax and be herself when confronted with handsome gentlemen?
Arabella and Frances were attending their first ball at the home of the Marquess of Ravenscourt. It was a come-out ball for his daughter, Lady Harriet Meeker. They had come early with Lady Berry, who had insisted that since they were new to thetonit was only right that they make an appearance soon enough to be seen and presented to some eligible persons.
Lady Berry had taken her job as chaperone quite seriously, Arabella thought. Not that she really needed a chaperone, of course, being a married lady. But Lady Berry had pointed out, and his lordship had agreed, that since she was a very young married lady and new to the ton, and since she had an unmarried sister with her equally new to society, it would be as well for them to be accompanied by an older lady.
They had been promenaded around the ballroom, greeting several acquaintances made during the previous week and a half, being presented to many people they had not met before. The cards of both began to fill with the names of prospective partners.
Arabella was gratified. His lordship had taken himself off somewhere as soon as they had reached the end of the receiving line, after telling her that he would return to lead her into the opening set of country dances and writing his name in Frances’ card for a quadrille later in the evening. Arabella had expected that her sister would be much in demand as a partner. A glance around the ballroom as it began to fill showed her that there was not another lady to match Frances in beauty. But she had not expected to dance a great deal herself. Who would wish to dance with a small, round-faced, plump girl who was also married?
But Lord Farraday and Sir John Charlton had signed her card, and then several gentlemen to whom she had been presented for the first time that evening, and then Mr. Hubbard, who reminded her that she had talked to him at Lady Berry’s soiree the week before. Not that she had needed reminding. She had been affected by his sad story. Indeed, before the orchestra began to make promising noises that suggested the dancing was about to begin, Arabella found that her card was full, except for the spaces next to the two waltzes. She had no idea how that dance was performed.
“Oh, Bella,” Frances said beside her, “is your card full too? I can scarce believe this is really happening. Is not Sir John Charlton very handsome? How fortunate it is that you were presented to him just this morning. Had you not been, perhaps he would not have liked to seek out our acquaintance tonight.”
“Yes,” Arabella said. “He is a little like Theodore in coloring, is he not?”
“Oh, only slightly. And in coloring only,” her sister said, frowning slightly. “But Theodore is not nearly so fashionable or so elegant, Bella. I think there is really very little likeness.” She turned to talk to a young lady beside her with whom she had struck up a friendship in the past week.
Arabella wished Frances had not reminded her of her presentation to Sir John Charlton. She did not want to think about that morning. Or the afternoon, for that matter.
She had been so happy. There had been the walk with George in the morning, and there was to be a ride on Emily in the afternoon. His lordship was to accompany her into the park. And of course there was this ball—her first—to look forward to in the evening. There had seemed to be not a cloud in her sky. Until she had been summoned into the library after luncheon, that was.
“You took George for a walk in the park this morning, Arabella?” Lord Astor had said. He had been gone from the breakfast room by the time she had returned home.
For once she had forgotten her shyness with him. “Yes,” she had said, smiling fully up at him. “It was so lovely, my lord. The grass was wet and glistening in the sunlight, and the sky was blue again. I could imagine myself in the country. You should have been there too.”
“I wish I had been, Arabella,” he had said, but he had not responded to her smile. “You met Farraday and Sir John Charlton?”
“Did Lord Farraday tell you?” she had asked. “He was obliging enough to stop to talk for a minute, and Sir John asked to be presented to me.”
“Farraday should know better than to have put you in such an awkward position,” Lord Astor had said.
Arabella’s smile had faltered at last. “Is Sir John not a desirable acquaintance?” she had asked.
“I know of nothing against him,” he had said. “Why did you not take a maid with you, Arabella?”
She had felt her color rise as she stared back at him. “I was merely going to the park,” she had said at last.
“Merely the park,” he had said. He had been standing before the fireplace, his hands clasped behind his back, his legs apart. He had looked very large and formidable to Arabella. “Do you not realize that Hyde Park is the gathering place of all the most fashionable people in London, Arabella?”
“It was very early.” Her voice had been defensive, her eyes wary.
“It is very improper, Arabella,” he had said, “for a lady to appear in any public place unaccompanied. It is even more improper to converse with two gentlemen, one of them unknown to you, while you are doing so. Did you not know that?”
“Yes,” she had said. “I did know, my lord. But I did not realize that it was such a strict rule. The park is so close and the hour was very early.”
“I do not know Charlton,” Lord Astor had said. “We must hope that he is a man of some discretion. But he asked to be presented, you say? I am disappointed in Farraday. He should have ridden past and pretended not to see you. However, I think he can be trusted not to make anything of the story. The situation is not serious, Arabella. But I will expect you to be more discreet in future. If your sister or I am not available to accompany you where you wish to go, then you must take a maid.”
