And even Beatrice, who had never been particularly intrigued by Vauxhall, had to admit that the sight of the lighted trees, the pretty supper boxes, and the fashionable revelers flitting along the pathways created a striking tableau.
“I have engaged a supper box for us,” said Leith, when they had all disembarked.“From there we can enjoy the revelry.”
His dry tone announced that he would do anything butenjoythe commotion around him.
An attendant led them to their box and Beatrice took in the orchestra, which currently played at full bore.She also spied the mouths of winding paths that led in all different directions, deeper into the gardens.
“Have you been to Vauxhall many times?”she asked Leith, when they were seated.
“Indeed,” he said, his tone bored.“Once, it was a favorite haunt of my friends.But I have not been here in years.”
“It is beautiful,” Beatrice said, trying to cut through the din around them.The other revelers were extraordinarily loud and seemed to be, largely, quite drunk.Talking soon proved to be impossible.
Instead, they ate their sliced ham and champagne in silence, with only Sally’s frequent oohs and ahhs and various expressions of elation forming any kind of conversation.
Beatrice was beginning to find the entire situation quite trying.For reasons she struggled to name, she did not enjoy sitting next to Lord Leith in silence.
Once Beatrice could bear it no more, she turned to Lord Leith.“Shall we walk into the gardens?The noise is quite—”
“Yes,” he said, immediately.“It is unbearable.”
“Sally, would you like to walk?”
“Oh, but the fireworks will be starting soon!And they can be best seen from here.”
Beatrice glanced over at Lord Leith.His expression looked vaguely seasick.She sensed that he very badly wanted to escape from the supper area.
Was it irresponsible to leave Sally?she wondered.Would she be safe?
“But you walk,” Sally said, as if reading her mind.“I have Charles.”
Charles nodded at her.He seemed a responsible young man.She couldn’t imagine Leith employing him otherwise.In fact, on the carriage ride over, Leith had chanced to mention that Charles was the son of his butler and housekeeper.He had known the young man his entire life.
“Very well.We won’t be long.Don’t leave the box.”
Sally gave her a little smile.“We won’t move an inch.”
They left the supper box and went down the path that seemed the darkest and quietest.As the din faded behind them, she could see the tension about Leith’s shoulders easing.
“You don’t like Vauxhall, do you?”
“Is it that obvious?”he said, with a small smile.
“Yes.Why did you agree to take us here if you loathe it so much?”
He shrugged.“You wanted to come.”
She shook her head.“Sally would have died of disappointment if she didn’t get to see it.I can’t say I am much fond of the noise, either, although the lights are very pretty.”
They wended down the path, the noise growing fainter with each step.
She stopped before a little garden right off the path, obscured largely by high hedges.She had to step forward in order to see it all.
It was a pretty inlet, furnished with a stone bench.
It was perfect for her purposes.
“I have heard,” she said, “that lovers tryst at Vauxhall.”
