He smiled when he saw her, his smile lighting his entire face, just as Gwinnie’s did hers. Definitely siblings.
“You must be Lady Blessingame,” he said in a smooth, deep voice. “The Duke asked me to pass on his apologies to you. He will not be here at dinner this evening to meet you. He is in Richmond attending some lecture. I don’t know which one. They all sound so dreadfully boring I’ve stopped asking.”
Bella laughed, as she knew he meant her to.
Lord Lakehurst led her to a blue jacquard sofa. “May I get you a preprandial?” he asked.
“Yes, that would be lovely.”
“Ratafia or sherry?”
“I prefer sherry,” she said.
“I will remember that,” he said as he picked up a cut crystal decanter and removed the glass stopper.
“Lake, would you pour me a glass as well?” asked Lady Malmsby, as she and Gwinnie entered the room.
“And I would prefer my ratafia.”
“I know, Sister, my dear. Would you come help serve?”
Gwinnie went to join Lord Lakehurst at the beverage cart to pick up the glasses for Lady Malmsby and herself. Bella marveled at how alike they looked for brother and sister. She was relieved to see Gwinnie was not dressed in as formal an attire as her brother. She wore a teal gown with slight ruching on the bodice and cream lace edging. Her attire displayed restrained elegance that clearly suited her height.
Lady Malmsby sat down next to Bella.
“I just told Lady Blessingame that the Duke will not be joining us this evening.”
“Another lecture?” Lady Malmsby asked resignedly.
Lord Lakehurst inclined his head, “Of course.” He handed Bella her glass while Gwinnie handed one to Lady Malmsby.
“Then there will only be the four of us for dinner, as Ann and Mrs. Hallowell are joining Ellinbourne and his family tonight for dinner,” Lady Malmsby said.
“That is wonderful,” Lord Lakehurst said as he took a chair. “Then we shall have our lovely guest all to ourselves and I get to ask all manner of questions.”
Lady Malmsby turned to Bella. “I should have warned you about Lake.”
“Warn anyone about me? You make me sound like some dastardly fellow,” Lord Lakehurst protested.
Gwinnie and Lady Malmsby laughed.
“My brother is an author. A novelist,” Gwinnie said. “He is currently in the midst of writing his third or fourth novel, I forget.”
“You wound me, Gwinnie, that you don’t know that this is my fourth,” Lord Lakehurst said.
“What do you write? Are any published?” Bella asked.
“They published two, and the third is due out later this month, according to the publisher,” he said. “I write Gothic fiction.”
“Under the nameAnonymous,” Gwinnie put in.
“Why Anonymous?” Bella asked.
“Because my publisher was of the mind it would provide more salacious mystery and therefore more sales.”
“Has it?”
Lord Lakehurst shrugged. “I have nothing to compare it to, so I don’t know. However, I will say sales have been generous, so I am not inclined to mess with a winning formula.”
