“Will Lord Kynaston be accompanying his aunt to the theater?” Ethel asked.
“I dearly hope not.”
“He’s nice and tall.”
“Even so.”
The less she saw of the man, the better. But of course his aunt would have demanded his escort as part of her plan to match them up. Ariana went downstairs braced for another encounter, and there he was, looking particularly magnificent in dark evening clothes. The only color about him was his red ring and the large ruby on the pin that held his black neckcloth in place. Ariana couldn’t deny that spending more time with him would be... interesting. But then Lady Cawle introduced her, with particular emphasis, to the gentleman standing at Kynaston’s side.
Lord Churston. Another of her listed suitors.
He was of a height with her and pleasant in appearance, though his dark brown hair was a little thin, and arranged to disguise that. It was unfortunate that he be standing by Kynaston, but Churston had the edge inhaving the healthy air of someone who never overindulged in anything. Here was an excellent possibility, so Ariana smiled warmly at him, ignoring Kynaston’s rather cynical expression.
The third gentleman, Sir Norman Ffoulks, was some twenty years older than the others and both shorter and leaner. He had a worldly air and soon proved to be a sophisticated flirt. Ariana wasn’t surprised to find him the main focus of Lady Cawle’s attention. Sir Norman could easily be imagined in the satin and lace of a bygone era, heels high and small sword on hip.
That left Ariana and her mother with Kynaston and Churston. Lady Langton immediately drew Kynaston’s attention with questions about the location of his estates—which turned out to be Wiltshire—and then launched into gossip about other people she knew in that county.
Of course, Churston was on The List, and as far as her mother knew, Kynaston was not, but the effort should not be wasted. Over dinner, Ariana directed as much of her attention as possible at Lord Churston, trying to draw out his finest qualities.
It wasn’t easy, for the seating of such a small company meant that of necessity Kynaston was on her other side, talking easily to her mother. The scraps she overheard were intriguing.
Italy? He’d spent some time there?
Churston was her target, she reminded herself, and asked him if he had traveled abroad.
“Only briefly, Lady Ariana. I find Britain has everything I could want.”
“What is your native county, my lord?”
“Shropshire.”
That was in the north, far from Hampshire, but Ariana knew that was probably her fate. Wiltshire, however, adjoined Hampshire. Delacorte couldn’t be close or she’d have known that. It probably lay on the far side, many miles away. But closer than Shropshire.
She focused on Churston again. “Is your principal estate close to Wales, then, my lord?”
“It lies to the east of the county, ma’am. Not far from Bridgnorth.”
Ariana would look that up on a map later. If it lay close to a good road, the distance might not matter.
Kynaston mentioned a Phyllis.
Who was she?
Churston wasn’t an easy conversationalist and Ariana was struggling for a new topic when Lady Cawle addressed the table as a whole, mentioning the visit to Peake’s house, and inviting her to give an account. Ariana was pleased to do so, but she tried to avoid anything that might make Mr. Peake or his friends seem ridiculous.
Even so, Churston said, “Sounds like an odd fellow. Merchant, you say?”
“Something of a nabob, I gather. And related to Lady Faringay.”
“Ah.” Clearly the connection made Mr. Peake slightly more acceptable, but Churston’s attitude made him less so to Ariana. He showed every sign of being a snob.
“Collecting’s quite the thing,” Sir Norman said. “Has been forever, of course. There was Sloane gathering stuff from all over back in the last century, and then getting the government to set up the British Museum to house it all.”
“I hope to visit the museum,” Ariana said, directing the words and a smile at Churston.
She was inviting him to invite her, but he said, “I fear you’d find it dull stuff, Lady Ariana.”
Her mother intervened then. “Ariana is quite interested in antiquities.”
