Ah. So this was truly about the woman’s daughter. And likely her matrimonial prospects. How different this faux interest in helping others was to Miss Faraday’s kindnesses. The way she’d tended that woman’s wrist the night before and remembered the young children said a lot about her genuine nature.
And just like that, he’d fallen back into thinking of Miss Faraday.
Lady Haddington was watching him expectantly. Right. Her daughter. Not wishing to be caught in the woman’s machinations, he said only, “My mother is well-versed in my opinions and would certainly share them with you when desired.” He caught his mother’s eye and saw the humor there. She pressed her lips together in amusement. He was less amused but did not blame her for being entertained.
Lord Allston took that moment to enter the conversation that, until then, he’d only been a bystander to. “Lady Cheltenham, you said that woman’s name is Faraday? Is she, by chance, connected to the Faradays of Dover?”
Yet again, Lucas was caught in another conversation surrounding Miss Faraday. He prepared to extricate himself.
“I do not know, Lord Allston, but you are welcome to ask her.”
“I do believe I will. Might I prevail upon you for a formal introduction?”
“Certainly.” Mother caught Lucas’s eye as he retreated. “My son would be happy to provide the introduction.”
Blast.
“Ah, thank you. After you, Lord Berkeley,” Allston said sedately, gesturing him forward.
Lucas briefly considered feigning deafness. Was this part of his mother’s attempts to push Miss Faraday and Charlie together? Introducing the woman to umpteen men seemed a poor way to make Charlie want to court her in earnest. If Charlie felt at all like Lucas, it would push him to the bodily harm of said eligible men.
He gritted his teeth then stalked in the direction of the dancers. Lord Allston followed him to where Miss Faraday was now dancing with Lord Danby. Apparently the man had found his introduction. Wonderful. Lucas stood several feet away, waiting for the current song to end while Allston clasped his hands behind his back, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.
For some reason, the action grated on Lucas’s nerves, and he was just about to beg the man to stop the movement when the music came to an end. Miss Faraday stepped back from Lord Danby, but he was apparently not willing to let her go just yet. “Miss Faraday, I truly cannot believe our paths have not crossed before now, but I am determined to have them do so in the future. What would you say to a ride in Hyde Park tomorrow?”
Miss Faraday’s jaw slid to the side in thought. “Ah, tomorrow. No, I do not believe I am available.”
“No matter. The next day?”
“Actually”—she dragged the word out—“the last time I took a ride, I found myself sneezing for days. I do not know that a closeness to horses would be particularly prudent just now.”
Lucas had not known she’d suffered from their ride.
Lord Danby opened his mouth, but Miss Faraday’s eyes alighted on him. “Lord Berkeley!” She made for him with alacrity, and Lucas was momentarily dumbfounded by her delighted expression as she crossed in front of him. “Your mother told me the garden blooms are just perfection right now. Would you escort me?”
Lucas blinked at her. In all their acquaintance thus far, she had not once tried to sequester him alone or act as other women often did. There had to be some reason she was acting so now. “Certainly,” he said, thankful that none of his surprise bled into his voice. “Ah, first, Miss Faraday, may I introduce Lord Allston? Lord Allston, Miss Faraday.” Considering his duty completed, he held out his arm to Miss Faraday and escorted her out the open drawing room doors.
Once outside, Miss Faraday blew out a breath, glancing over her shoulder before saying in an undertone, “I promise I will not rely on your rescue indefinitely.”
“Were you in need of rescue?” he asked as they entered the first row of hedges. The moon was full, and silvery light bathedthe walled garden, revealing a stone walking path through the hedges lined by flowers.
“Yes, thank you. I promise not to keep you out here long. Only a few minutes, then we might return, if that is amenable to you?”
If she was not going to offer, he would not pry as to why she needed rescue, but he hoped it was because she did not wish to continue dancing or conversing with Danby. “Yes, that is agreeable.”
“Wonderful.”
They crossed through the garden in mutual silence. Lucas glanced over his shoulder at the party. It seemed to have continued without much care for two of the group missing, though someone appeared to be standing in the framed light of the drawing room doors, looking out. He turned back to Miss Faraday at the same moment she muttered, “Drat.”
“Is everything well?” he asked.
“Yes, yes, just a frustrating rock has lodged itself in my shoe and—” She grunted a little as she kicked her foot. “Impractical slippers. Just a moment.” Suddenly she dropped down to a crouch in the middle of the path, digging within her shoe.
Unsure what he ought to do, he shifted his weight, looking around. Whoever had stood in the drawing room door was gone now.
“Drat it all, there’s more than one,” she murmured to herself.
“Do you think you have a sensitivity to horses then?”
