Claudia felt amusement again at finding herself in such illustrious company. But she was determined to enjoy the evening to the full. Soon she would be back at school, and it was unlikely that she would experience such an evening ever again.
And what an experience it was!
The company was mostly congenial. Though the Suttons virtually ignored Claudia, and Miss Hunt sat at the opposite side of the box and rarely looked her way, everyone else was more than polite. The very sweet and pretty Countess of Kilbourne and the elegant, dignified Duchess of Portfrey engaged her in conversation for some time as did Viscount Ravensberg and his wife. And of course there were Susanna and Peter and Charlie.
But all did not depend upon conversation.
There was supper to be eaten, most notably the thin slices of ham and the strawberries for which Vauxhall Gardens were famous. And there was wine to be drunk. There were other people to watch as they moved by along the main avenue and strolled around by the boxes, stopping to engage some of their occupants in conversation. There was the music to listen to.
And there was the dancing. Although she had not danced in a long while, Claudia participated anyway. How could one possibly resist dancing in the open air with waving lanterns and the moon and stars above to light the ground on which they moved? She was partnered by Charlie, the Earl of Kilbourne, and the Duke of Portfrey.
Eleanor would tease her quite mercilessly about all this when she heard of it.
And if the music and dancing were not enough to fill her cup of pleasure to overflowing, there were the fireworks to look forward to later.
While they waited for that display to begin, Lady Ravensberg suggested a walk, and everyone agreed that it would be just the thing. They all paired off to walk together—the Earl of Kilbourne with his cousin, Lady Sutton, on his arm, Viscount Ravensberg with the Countess of Kilbourne, Peter with the Duchess of Portfrey, the duke with Susanna, the Earl of Sutton with Lady Ravensberg.
“Ah,” Charlie said, “I see that everyone is taking a different partner. Miss Hunt, may I have the pleasure?”
She smiled and took his arm.
The Marquess of Attingsborough was finishing a conversation with a couple of acquaintances who had stopped outside the box.
“Go on ahead,” he said, waving everyone on their way. “Miss Martin and I will follow in a moment.”
Claudia felt a little embarrassed. He really had no choice but to accompany her, did he? But really, if there had been one secret disappointment about the evening so far, it was that there had been no chance to converse or to dance with him. The afternoon picnic seemed as if it must have happened days ago.
I do believe, Miss Martin, you must be the loveliest woman it has ever been my privilege to meet.He had spoken those very words to her a mere few hours ago. And of course, the more she tried to forget, the more she remembered.
And then he was smiling at her and offering his arm.
“I do apologize for the delay,” he said. “Shall we chase after the others? Or shall we stroll in more leisurely fashion while you tell me truthfully what you think of Vauxhall?”
They made their way across the main avenue and down a shorter one until they reached another long, wide path, parallel to the first, that was breathtaking in its loveliness. Not only were there lamps hanging among the trees, but the series of stone arches across the path ahead was hung with them too.
“Perhaps,” she said, “you expect me to look about with great good sense, Lord Attingsborough, and pronounce my disdain for such frivolous artificiality.”
“But you are not going to do it?” He looked down at her with laughing eyes. “You cannot know how delighted I would be to know that you are not always ruled by good sense. This evening I have been chilled by good sense.”
“Sometimes,” she said, “I prefer to forget I even have such encumbrances as critical faculties. Sometimes I prefer just toenjoy.”
“And you are enjoying yourself this evening?” he asked her, guiding her around a largish group of merry revelers who were not looking where they were going.
Their own group was some distance ahead, Claudia could see.
“I am,” she said. “Oh, Ireallyam. I only hope I can remember all this just as it is so that I can draw out the memories when I am alone in my quiet sitting room in Bath some winter evening.”
He chuckled. “But first you must enjoy it to the last moment,” he said. “Andthenremember it.”
“Oh, I will,” she assured him.
“All is well with McLeith?” he asked her.
“He came to dinner and made himself very agreeable,” she told him. “He recounted exploits and episodes of mischief in which we were embroiled as children, and I was reminded of how very much I liked him then.”
“You were lovers later?” he asked quietly.
She felt the heat in her cheeks as she remembered almost admitting as much to him in Hyde Park. How could she possibly have said what she had aloud to him—or to anyone?
