“She is planning to come, then?”
“Yes, she’ll be here. She should be arriving at any moment.” He smiled at Lady Rebecca. “I suppose I’ll have to increase my efforts to ensure that I show her a wonderful time. I expect this party to be the very best she’s ever experienced.”
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll be more than capable of giving her that, Your Grace,” Lady Rebecca giggled. She moved ever so slightly closer and leaned in to whisper to him. “The truth is that every lady here wishes she were on your arm today!”
“Is that so?” Allan raised his eyebrows. It was just what he’d wanted, of course, and just what he had hoped to hear.
“Yes,” Lady Rebecca said. “And if you’ll pardon me…I don’t understand why you waste your time with someone you know doesn’t intend to marry! Everyone knows you’ve committed to five dates with her, but none of us can understand the reason why. Isn’t it a waste of your time?”
“I don’t consider my time to be wasted at all,” Allan replied. “My reasons are my own. But rest assured, I am very happy with my decision to spend my time with Lady Edwina.”
“Well, when your five dates come to an end,” Lady Rebecca said, “I’d be more than happy to take her place. And Idowish to marry someday, so I’m sure I’m more like what you’re looking for.”
It was a very forward thing to say, but Allan didn’t mind when ladies were forward. It didn’t offend him. He knew, though, that what Lady Rebecca was suggesting would never come to pass. He would never be interested in her, not in any serious way.
Not wishing to embarrass her, he simply smiled and said, “Your flattery is too kind, Lady Rebecca.”
“I meant every word.”
“Will you excuse me? I believe I see Lady Edwina arriving.” He separated himself from her and walked toward the front of the lawn, where guests were still making their way into the party.
Allan saw Lady Edwina arrive and felt a quick rush of excitement and admiration. She really was beautiful. It was always so wonderful to see her. His first impulse was to rush over to her and compliment her on her appearance. He also felt an additional urge, strangely, to take her in his arms.
His second impulse was that he was going to have to get that feeling under control, and quickly. He didn’t want her to know that he was feeling this way about her. There wasn’t supposed to be anything real or serious between the two of them. And when he looked at her now, the feeling he got…he was afraid it might be something real.
The next thought that came to him was a lack of recognition of the gown she wore.
It wasn’t the one he had sent to her for today’s party. The one he had chosen had been the very latest fashion, and it had been a pale lavender color that he’d believed would be lovely on her. He had looked forward to seeing it. But instead, she was wearing a blue gown that, while it was quite lovely, was one of last year’s fashions.
She’d rejected the gown he had sent her in favor of something old?
Why wasn’t she wearing it?
He was sure the size had been correct. He had sought Lavinia’s advice before making the purchase, and she’d been only toohappy to let him know what would fit her sister. Something else must have been wrong—but what?
She approached him and smiled up at him. There was something bitter in that smile. It wasn’t the one he was used to. “Good day, Your Grace,” she said. “A fine day for a garden party, wouldn’t you say?”
“I would,” he allowed. He watched her hesitantly, wondering where this was going to go. She was clearly up to something.
“Do you like my gown?” she asked, turning this way and that so that he could admire it from all angles.
She was a tease, acting so innocent about it when they both knew perfectly well that she had worn that gown deliberately to make some sort of point to him. The only question was what she was trying to say. “Didn’t you like the one I chose for you?”
“Not very much, no.”
“Ah,” he said. “The wrong color?”
“The wrong gift.”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought you understood me better,” she said. “You’re the gentleman who bought me a gift of books. I liked the books verymuch. But to send me a gown? What were you trying to tell me? Do you dislike the clothes I choose for myself?”
“Of course not. What sort of a question is that?”
“I don’t know what to think, Your Grace. If you purchased a gown for me, I can only assume you must want me to wear it.”
“Certainly, I won’t deny that.”
