Emily merely allowed, “If you’re not interested in receiving callers, far be it for us to insist, but I’m not interested in your leftovers.”
“Emily!” Kathleen said sharply.
There it was again, that underlying anger in Emily that she seemed less able to control. But Vanessa decided not to put her sister on the spot by demanding why, not with their mother in the room.
Vanessa rolled her eyes instead, then glanced at Kathleen. “You might want to mention, Mother, that it’s far too soon to be fighting over prospective suitors—or making firm decisions about them, for that matter. One ball does not a Season make.”
“Indeed,” Kathleen agreed with a pointed look at Emily.
But Emily had already backed down from the sharp rebuke, eyes directed on her plate now. And Vanessa escaped to her room soon after, though she was determined now to try to catch Emily alone later today, or at least come up with an excuse to tear her away from Layla.
But she had more pressing matters just now, deciding what to wear for what amounted to a very important second meeting with the Rathban scion. One of her prettiest day dresses that screamed “innocent” or her bolder riding habit that wouldn’t? She decided on the dark blue habit that was more sophisticated, even if she would be riding in a carriage with her mother.
It was such a short trip to the Rathbans, more’s the pity, and nervousness washed over her in a wave when the carriage stopped.
As they alighted from the carriage, she said to her mother, “Go immediately to visit Lady Margaret. I’ll wait in the parlor.”
“And how does that put you in the same room with Daniel?”
“I’m going to ask their butler to fetch him.”
“Highly inappropriate.”
“I’m not going to leave it to chance that he will wander downstairs and give me a few minutes to talk privately with him. If other people are watching us, that might affect his behavior. That might have been why he was so rude last night.”
Kathleen nodded, but stressed, “You have my permission to return to the carriage if heisrude again. Some things can’t be countenanced.”
Kathleen moved up to knock on the door. Vanessa mounted the steps with leaden feet. Far too much depended on this second meeting. She had no idea what she was going to say to Daniel, but whatever it was, she needed to consider it carefully.
Chapter Thirty-three
“GOD, ANOTHER TWIT OFa debutante?”
Vanessa braced herself when Daniel stopped in the parlor doorway to say that. Had she really expected there would be no more insults from him after last night? But she had to allow she might have surprised him by being in the parlor after asking the butler to fetch him for her and declining to give the servant her name or the reason why she was visiting.
He wasn’t dressed to receive, no jacket, his lawn shirt half-open. She was struck again by how handsome he was and so glad of it because it was the only thing about him that could account for why she might want to marry him when her family could match his in wealth and prestige. She couldn’t care less if he thought her that superficial, as long as he didn’t think she had an ulterior motive.
She was seated demurely on the sofa and didn’t stand up to offer her hand for a greeting when it would just give him another opportunity to snub her. Besides, she doubted there would be anything cordial about this meeting.
When she didn’t get up to run out of the room crying as he’d probably hoped she would, he added, “If you’re here to see my mother—”
She cut in. “You and I met last night.”
“Did we? I don’t recall, but my mother is receiving in her suite upstairs.”
“I know. My mother is with her now.”
“Then why aren’t you?”
“I decided not to be bored by motherly chatter—besides, I came to see you.”
“Whatever for?”
“As it happens, the young bachelors last night didn’t impress me a’tall, but then they wouldn’t—when I like older men.”
“Then wait for my father. He’s gone round to his club but should be back soon.”
Was he being deliberately obtuse, or was that meant to be funny? In either case, she bluntly clarified, “Olderhandsomemen.”
