The young man looked behind him, while Albert gave Kathleen an odd look before saying, “That’s my nephew Edward and his brother Charles, John’s children.” Then he added pointedly, “My brother Henry wasn’t blessed with children.”
Kathleen started to blush over her mistake, or more likely at Albert’s mention of the brother who had died in a duel because of her.
But Albert’s wife was quick to add, “Daniel isn’t here yet, but he will be soon.”
It was a rather tense moment for the four of them, or so Vanessa thought. And she was disappointed that neither of the two dullards was Daniel. They were nothing to look at, but she was sure she could have had them eating out of her hand. But Kathleen recovered enough to say, “We will all look forward to meeting him.”
Vanessa would have preferred to head for the exit, but of course she couldn’t. And as soon as the Blackburn women left the line, other guests converged on them. Kathleen was warmly greeted by old friends, and gentlemen surrounded the girls, requesting the first dance, even though the music hadn’t begun yet. The twins happily made their choices while Vanessa declined. She needed to keep herself available to meet the Rathban heir as soon as he arrived.
But after the first dance began, she got her mother’s attention long enough to ask, “Is the son here?”
“I would say, not yet, or he would have joined his parents to greet guests that are still arriving. I imagine he’s making sure to avoid that very thing and waiting for the greeting duty to be over. But I don’t doubt Lord Albert will bring him by to meet you once he does make an appearance. Feel free to dance in the meantime. The boy may be tardy deliberately.”
Vanessa hoped not. She would prefer to get the meeting over with, then have a good cry if it didn’t go well, or enjoy herself if it did. And then the music started again. The twins’ second choices were back almost instantly to lead them to the large dance floor. She caught sight of a half dozen young men heading her way again to request a dance.
But a hand suddenly slipped over hers and tugged her toward the middle of the room, and while she could see only the back of him as he wove them through the crowd, she could think of only one person who would do that without asking first. He even stole her breath for a moment as soon as he began the waltz, giving her a frontal view of him. She’d never seen Monty done up this formally, with his cravat tied perfectly, his black jacket with tails, and his auburn hair tightly queued.
He appeared to be a little amazed himself, blurting out, “Good God, Nessi, you’re beautiful tonight—not that you aren’t always, but tonight you take my breath. I wish you didn’t. Bloody hell, did you have to primp so much?”
She burst out laughing at the complaint. “No more than you did. I suppose you feel our friendship allows you to get a dance without asking for it?” she teased.
“Of course it does, since I’m the one who taught you how to waltz.” But he amended with a grin that belied the words, “I saw you shake your head at nine others and couldn’t bear the thought of a similar refusal.”
“Did you get here before we did?”
“I’ve been lurking in the shadows.”
She grinned. “You snuck in uninvited?”
“Not exactly, but now it’s my turn to ask a question. Why do your sisters continue to think you were in the West Indies? You’ve had time to tell them where you really were these last years.”
She frowned. “When did that subject come up again?”
“Today during the park ride. And don’t think you can’t satisfy my curiosity this time.”
“Actually, I must think that because I can’t. It’s not my secret to divulge.”
“Whose then? Your father’s?” And then he laughed. “Has he been hiding from his wife? She might be a dragon, but really, six years’ absence likely won’t make the heart grow fonder.”
“Wrong and wrong, so do stop guessing,” she said tersely, then suddenly had a good reason to change the subject. “Oh, my, was that Charley who just waltzed by? His new dark hair color certainly helps him blend in.”
Monty raised a skeptical brow. “In that gold brocade jacket?” But he wasn’t letting the previous subject go, remarking, “George mentioned my hostess’s husband was in the West Indies. Two to one in favor of the Caribbean, as it were, or does everyone think he’s been in the West Indies all these years?”
“My mother knows he’s not there. They just agreed to tell people that’s where he went. But she doesn’t know where he really is, and he doesn’t want her to know.”
“And you don’t trust me enough to explain, when I am your favorite confidant? Dashed if I’m not wounded.”
“You don’t look wounded.”
“Would it change your mind if I did?”
“No.”
“Didn’t think so.”
After a few more twirls, her annoyance with him faded and her nervousness returned. “Is he here?”
He guessed whom she meant. “The lucky cur? No, I haven’t seen him yet.”
