Or, to use Stephanie’s kinder description, a man with a sense of responsibility.
“Come on,” he said, grasping one of his sister’s braids and tugging gently on it. “Let’s get ready and go purchase those ribbons.”
Chapter Three
Miss Jane Miller, the younger of the two sisters who ran the general shop on the village green, helped Stephanie choose ribbons. They had just had in a new supply, she explained, in all colors of the rainbow and more.
“Choosing is not easy when there are so many lovely colors, is it?” she said when she saw her customer dithering. “But look at this orange one, Lady Stephanie. Is it not as vibrant as the loveliest sunset you have ever seen?”
“Oh yes, itis,” Stephanie agreed. “I must have one of those. Andthatone too. It is just the color of daffodils, my very favorite flower. Lady Rhys told me it is the flower of Wales.”
Devlin stood back, since his opinion as a mere male had not been solicited. He nodded a greeting to the vicar’s housekeeper and held the door open for her as she left the shop, a laden basket over one arm. He kept it open for Sally Holland, the blacksmith’s daughter, as she entered and for Lady Rhys and Gwyneth, who came in almost right behind her. Sally would have stood aside to allow themto be served first, but Lady Rhys insisted, after thanking her, that it was only fair that they await their turn. Miss Miller, meanwhile—the elder sister, Caroline, that was—promised to serve Sally as quickly as she possibly could but also pointed out to her more illustrious customer that since Jane was already wrapping Lady Stephanie’s ribbons, she might be free even sooner to offer her services.
“We are in no hurry at all, Miss Miller,” Lady Rhys assured her. “And here is Lord Mountford waiting too, like patience on a monument. How do you do, Devlin? Is Stephanie purchasing ribbons? They must be newly arrived. There was not much of a selection when I looked a fortnight ago.”
“Oh, Lady Rhys,” Stephanie said, turning her head and beaming. “One of them isjustthe color of daffodils. Come and see. It is for the maypole, and Dev is letting me choose because sometimes I think he must be color blind.”
Lady Rhys stepped up to the counter and Miss Jane opened the wrapping paper so she could see the ribbons Stephanie had chosen.
“Men often have execrable taste,” Lady Rhys said. “They would probably choose gray or brown if left to themselves.”
“That isjustwhat I said.” Stephanie giggled happily.
Devlin meanwhile was left standing beside Gwyneth. He nodded to her. “Good morning, Gwyneth. Or is it afternoon? I have lost track of time.”
“So have I,” she told him. “We have just come from Mrs. Proctor’s. Mam and I were being measured for new dresses for the fete.”
“Ah. For the daytime or the evening?” he asked. “Or maybe both?”
“I already have a gown for the evening,” she said. “I have not worn it yet, though I have had it for a while. It was intended for the assembly after Easter, but we could not go. We all had colds.”
“I remember,” he said. “I was sorry. I missed you.”
“I daresay it was Idris you missed, not I,” she said.
It was a strange thing to say and not too gracious. “But I could not have danced with Idris,” he said. “It would have looked odd. People would have talked.”
Briefly and unexpectedly, she laughed. Gwyneth, he had always been aware, did not like him.
“Perhaps you will reserve the opening set of the ball for me,” he said, and then regretted speaking so impulsively. “Or maybe you have already promised it to Nick, or intend to. How about the second set, then?”
It would have been far better to have kept his mouth shut. He could almost see her brain churning to come up with some reasonable excuse. He had never danced with Gwyneth. He had never asked, of course.She did not like him.
“I have not reserved any set foranyone,” she told him. “Papa always says it ought not to be allowed, especially in a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone else. He says it is humiliating for a man to ask a lady for a dance only to be told someone else reserved it weeks ago. It makes him look and feel stupid, he says.Twpis the word he used. It is Welsh.”
“Yes,” he said. “Idris has called metwpa time or two. I shall wait until the evening of the fete, then, to ask you for a dance.” That would give her plenty of time to think up another excuse.
She looked as though she was about to say something else, but Stephanie whirled away from the counter at that moment, her package clutched to her bosom, and beamed at Gwyneth.
“I am going to be allowed to watch the dancing until ten o’clock,” she said, “even though I am not quite ten. But, as I explained to Mama, Iamin my tenth year. Pippa had to wait until after her birthday. She is allowed to dance this year because she is fifteen. But she is terrified no one will ask her.”
“I will ask her,” Devlin said.
She made that sound with her lips. “You do not count, Dev,” she told him. “You are herbrother.”
“Ah,” he said. “Did I give you enough money?”
“You did,” she told him. “I even have one shilling and sevenpence ha’penny change to give back to you.”
