She supposed boredom might do that if the groom was still a shy fellow, but she could find other amusements. She smiled. “I think I can protect my spirit.”
“So you don’t even know what sort of chap he is?”
“Yes, a socially awkward introvert.”
“This isn’t an amusing subject, so don’t treat it so lightly. He’s a rake of the worst sort. I could have sworn you said you wouldn’t marry one.”
A rake? Had the boy outgrown his shyness and timidity? She supposed he could be paying for a lot of sex to get that designation, offering coin instead of personality—if it were true.
Monty seemed to think it was. There was such accusation in his tone and expression, but she couldn’t exactly tell him what she would gain from the marriage, so she said, “Well, that explains why you would offer condolences. But what d’you mean by ‘worst’?”
“Dissolute, without conscience—and what about your rule of not marrying a rake? There were exceptions you neglected to mention?”
“It doesn’t matter what Rathban is, when other things might be more important to me.”
“You confound me. You can’t want his title when you’re already a lady, and you appear not to need his money.”
It was annoyingly apparent that he wasn’t going to bury this bone, so she assured him, “Emily spoke out of turn. The engagement might have been arranged by our parents, but it’s not a certainty yet when Albert’s son doesn’t even know about it.”
“Then he hasn’t agreed?”
“As far as I know, my name hasn’t even been mentioned to him yet.”
He smiled. “That’s different. He’ll never agree.”
She wasn’t sure if she wanted to hit him or let that bloody bone stay buried. Was the man so dense he didn’t even realize how thoroughly he’d just insulted her? But she continued to the parlor to join her family. Monty could go back to his reconnaissance of the property for all she cared.
He didn’t, nor was he questioned about his absence from so many recent meals when he joined her family in the parlor. The twins might have inquired if Kathleen weren’t present, but she was and would consider it rude of them to do so. And the conversation stayed utterly neutral, which, as was typically the case, meant boring enough to ignore.
And so it continued through half the meal as well, after they’d adjourned to the dining room. Dancing was mentioned and Monty confirmed that he was still willing to give a few lessons. Vanessa kept her eyes off him as she pondered the challenge before her. Had Kathleen deceived her or did she just not know what sort of man the shy boy had turned into? And how did one woo a dissolute rake? With Monty it would have been easy, since he was mostly harmless in his rakishness, an outrageous flirt, but too amusing about it to ask him to desist. It wasn’t going to be that easy with Daniel Rathban, yet she still had to try.
But she did hear Kathleen say her name. “Vanessa, you won’t feel like dancing if you eat too much.”
The twins giggled. Vanessa stared at her nearly empty plate. She could have simply agreed with her mother, though it was rather late to do that since she already felt full, but no matter how innocuously her mother had couched it, she’d still rebuked her, and Vanessa couldn’t help reacting to it.
“I know very well I’m supposed to eat like a puny chicken, Mother—at formal gatherings. But here in the country we’re among friends and family, and I have a normal appetite I’m not ashamed of.”
Emily started to applaud. That drew such a cold look from Kathleen that Vanessa rescued her sister, adding, “But thank you for the reminder, Mother. I suppose I should get in the habit of eating more sparingly with the Season soon upon us.”
Charley broke the tense moment with the question, “When is the commencement of this Season I keep hearing about?”
“It’s already begun, though not officially yet,” Layla said.
“It follows the sessions of Parliament because that is when so many lords are in London with their families,” Emily added.
“There is no exact date,” Kathleen said. “Early in May can be considered the official start, but a few invitations have already trickled in, even here in the country, so we shall be leaving for London by the end of next week.”
“I am devastated,” Charley confessed.
The boy actually did look crestfallen, which had Kathleen assure him, “You can, of course, come to London with us. Or you can remain here in seclusion. Either of my houses will be at your disposal for however long you require them.”
Vanessa stood up and feigned a light laugh. “I believe I’ve had enough food. I will await the rest of you in the music room.”
She didn’t like being reminded yet again that she would be parting company with Monty so soon. She should have known. Father had warned her that Kathleen favored London in May. It’s why she had left Scotland in early April, so she would have plenty of time to get to Cheshire before Kathleen and the twins left. And hadn’t she already expected to part with her companions while they were still on the road? But they hadn’t parted. Monty and Charley had come here instead, and she somehow had thought that would give her a lot more time with her new friends.
She was feeling as downhearted as Charley, so it took a moment for her to grasp Monty’s remark behind her. “I don’t think George knew that our hostess would be deserting us when he arranged our sojourn here.”
She turned, saw his half smile, and had the ridiculous urge to run to him and put her arms around him, but it was gone the instant her mother came into the music room behind him. Kathleen apparently hadn’t heard him, because she moved to one of the padded chairs set up in front of the piano and harp without comment, and Charley joined her there.
