Lord Dymond put his fingers to his brow and shook his head. “Alas! I’ve known it any time this past hour.”
Try as she might, Apple could not hold on to her justifiable annoyance, though she was sure he was behaving in this fashion only to win her out of it. “I know what you are at. And I know you won’t treat me with courtesy, so you need not pretend.”
A rueful look came into his face. “Dare say that’s true. Wandered far from the point, however, and it’s high time we were setting forward.”
“Where? To London?”
“Taking you to my sister’s. Tell you all about it when we’re away.”
He got up as he spoke, going across to pick up her cloak. Too startled to think what to say for the moment, Apple allowed him to place it about her, wondering when and how he’d made this decision.
By the time Lord Dymond had arranged for his coach to be readied, paid their shot and was ushering her out into the darkening afternoon, she had so many questions she didn’t know where to start.
Her escort handed her into the coach and stayed to give instructions to his servants. Then he jumped in and took his seat beside her. “Fortunately, my sister’s home is much quicker to reach than my own. It’s a short way beyond Romsey. Should be there in a little over an hour.”
Apple could no longer contain herself. “Who is your sister? Won’t she object? She might not wish to have me foisted upon her.”
“Oh, Georgy won’t object. Thing is, she’s increasing so she and my brother-in-law ain’t coming home for Christmas. Fortunate I remembered that, for I couldn’t possibly take you home. My mother would cut up stiff. And I can’t say I’d blame her.”
Apple was conscious of a drop in spirits. Not that she’d expected Lord Dymond to present her to his mother. But it was not pleasant to hear that the countess would not welcome her presence. “I suppose I am too lowly for her.”
“Suppose it no longer. It ain’t that.”
“What, then?”
“For the same reason I can’t take you with me to London, greenhead.”
Beginning to feel resentful all over again, Apple balked. “What is the reason? And pray don’t say I wouldn’t know in that odious way. It’s not my fault I don’t know.”
“Suppose that’s true. Though it beats me why you weren’t taught. Where did you go to school?”
“In Bath, of course. Like everyone else. There must be five hundred academies like Miss Godfrey’s.”
“Don’t exaggerate.”
“Well, fifty at least. We were always meeting girls from other schools.”
“What sort of girls went to yours?”
“Girls like me.” Apple sighed. “There weren’t any titled girls, if that’s what you mean. Though Sally claimed her uncle was a viscount.”
Lord Dymond said nothing for a moment, and Apple regretted saying as much. She had not envied the pupils in the more select academies. Most of them held themselves on too high a form to notice Miss Godfrey’s girls. But her fellow pupils at the Academy were genteel, even if their parents were of less account than the lords and ladies of the ton. Only Jenny had a father in trade like Papa. But Jenny’s father was so wealthy, it had puzzled Apple how Papa managed to afford the fees. She’d asked him once and he’d brushed it off, saying he would not have her attend the nearby school where she’d meet only with cits’ daughters. She deserved better.
How or why she deserved better, Apple was never able to work out. It had not saved her from the hideous prospect of marriage with Mr Cumberledge. But she couldn’t blame Papa for that. He hadn’t known what was in the wind. If he had, would he have tried to arrange something better for her?
“You’re very quiet, young Apple.”
She jumped. “I was thinking.” She recalled how she’d been pitched into reverie. “And you haven’t answered my question.”
“Which one?”
“You said your mother wouldn’t welcome me for the same reason you won’t take me to London.”
“Ah. Simple enough, my dear. You can’t jaunter about the country alone with a gentleman. Ain’t the thing.”
“Oh, we are back to thethingagain. I told you I don’t care about yourthing.”
“ButIdo. Single man, unchaperoned young girl. Height of impropriety, if you must know. It won’t do.”
