Matilda wrinkled her nose and gave a half smile.
“It was a change of scenery from Thistlewayte Hall, and the twins actually behaved themselves admirably for once, so all in all it was a reasonably good summer.”
Eliza had not met the twins -- Marjory and Millicent Calthorpe -- very many times, but she had heard some hair-raising stories about how they had behaved when her eldest sister, Georgiana, first became their governess, before falling in love with and marrying the twins’ and Matilda’s eldest brother, Edward Calthorpe, the Marquess of Billington. They had been nothing short of wild, but Georgiana had managed to discover the root of their behaviour in a way that no other governess had thought to try, and the twins had since improved dramatically.
“I am glad to hear that they behaved so well.”
Eliza could not help looking around, searching for the Duke of Elkington and his family, and Lady Matilda gave Eliza a sly smile when Eliza’s gaze drifted back to her face.
“Dare I ask if you are searching for anyone in particular?”
Matilda’s eyes danced with mischief.
Eliza shook her head, even as her cheeks flushed with heat.
“There are quite a few people I have an interest in rekindling connections with, if you must know, though I have to say that I am most excited to have seen you first.”
“And I must say that I wish we did not have to sit through a musicale tonight. It is so difficult to talk when people are playing instruments and singing.”
“Well, I do not think the point of the musicale is for the audience to converse.”
Eliza chuckled and shook her head, even as Matilda looped their arms together and the two of them made their way into the music room to find their seats. As they were passing from the hall into the music room, Eliza and Matilda almost bumped into Lady Catherine Stewart.
Eliza curtsied and offered Lady Catherine a broad, sunny smile.
“Lady Catherine! How lovely to see you again. I hope you and your family are well?”
Lady Catherine cast a furtive glance over her shoulder, as if searching for someone before returning Eliza’s smile and curtsey.
“I am very glad to see you again, as well, Miss Wingfield. I’m afraid my brothers were unable to attend tonight, so it is just my mother and myself.”
Lady Matilda curtsied as well, also offering Lady Catherine a warm smile.
“I am delighted to see you again as well, Lady Catherine, but I am saddened to hear that we will not have the pleasure of your brothers’ company as well. I very much enjoyed conversing with Lord Gabriel at the Midsummer Ball your family hosted at Elkington Hall, and I must admit that I was looking forward to speaking with him again when we all returned to London.”
Lady Catherine’s smile grew, warming her eyes as she regarded Lady Matilda.
“I shall be sure to pass your regards along to my brother when I return home this evening, Lady Matilda. It has been lovely to see both of you again, but I’m afraid I must excuse myself. I am in need of the ladies’ retiring room.”
Eliza and Matilda murmured their farewells and found their seats, settling in for the evening’s musical entertainment, and whispered conversation whenever they could manage it without being rude or disturbing those around them. As the two of them went to the refreshment table during intermission, Lord Edward Melthorn appeared at Eliza’s side, as if by magic, with a polite bow and a broad, charming smile.
“Good evening, Miss Wingfield. I had rather hoped that we would see one another here tonight.”
Eliza bobbed a curtsey, returning his smile.
“I had hoped so as well. I enjoyed speaking with you at the Manningfield Ball, and hoped that we would get the opportunity to converse again.”
Lord Edward nodded and cast a sideways glance at Lady Matilda.
“I do not believe that your friend and I have been properly introduced, and I do not wish to exclude her from our conversation, so I will depart for now, until introductions can be made, but I hope to see you again soon, Miss Wingfield.”
* * *
The next day,Eliza found herself walking in the park with Lady Catherine Stewart, whose maid kept looking around with a furtive expression, as if she feared discovery or admonition, or perhaps expected some sort of avenging harpy to sweep down on them from above at any given moment and rip her hair out.
“My brother seemed upset to hear that we were going to take a walk in the Park today. Can you think of a reason why that would have upset Raphe?”
Eliza’s cheeks heated and she looked away, her gaze trained on the area of the Park where he’d saved her life before the last Season ended.
