He didn’t hold out his arm, just waved a hand before him, and with a last look at Henry, who was now playing tug-of-war, she started walking at his side.
“Oh dear.”
“What?” She shot him a look. “You sound worried, Forrest.”
“The Sinclair and Raven men are at the adults’ tug-of-war rope, and my family is joining them. This will go well for no one.” The words may have sounded dire, and yet he was laughing. “Come along, Iris, and prepare to be entertained.”
“I’m not at all fooled, sir. You are looking forward to the experience.”
“Of course I am, but it is not the done thing to show such enthusiasm, surely?” he teased her.
“I have found that society has many rules and social behaviors one must navigate,” Iris said.
“Amen.”
They reached the Deville women who were all standing around chatting.
“Ruby, my love, allow me to introduce you to Lady Challoner, but we call her Iris,” Forrest said. “Her son, Henry, is playing with Ella.”
“I have heard a great deal about you from Ella, but more importantly, your son,” the woman said. She had beautiful red-gold hair and soft, pale skin.
“Excellent. Now, if you will excuse me, I must join my idiot cousins and offer them my arms,” Forrest said.
“Good luck.” Ruby Howarth blew her husband a kiss before he left.
Love, Iris thought, these Devilles had it with their husbands and wives. Once, she’d believed she could find something similar. In that, Iris had been wrong.
“Now, Iris, stand here with me and watch the men, who are, for the most, intelligent individuals until they are participating in an activity like tug-of-war. They then become idiots. It will be entertaining.”
“We could always go for a walk and find more intelligent company,” Beth Deville said, joining them with Mary, Dimity, and Freya, who she’d talked with at her first society social engagement.
“But it will be entertaining,” a beautiful dark-haired lady who was with them said.
“Lady Challoner, allow me to introduce you to the Duchess of Raven. For the purposes of the tug-of-war, she is, in fact, our enemy,” Ruby said.
“Duchess.” Iris curtsied.
“We call her Eden, so you may as well,” Dimity said. She also did not consult the duchess about Iris using her first name.
“We outnumber you,” the duchess said. “So your lot is bringing reinforcements. The Duke of Stratton, Lords Ryder and Levermarch bring the Deville numbers to seven. Then the Hetherington twins total ten.”
“What are they arguing over now?” Mary asked.
“Dear lord,” the duchess gasped. “Plunge is joining them. He’s the Devilles’ number eleven to even the numbers.”
“That can’t go well for anyone,” Dimity said.
Iris watched as Lord Raine and Mr. Zachariel Deville talked to Theo. He shook his head. They continued talking.
“I almost wish I could hear what’s being said,” Mary added.
A crowd was forming around the long rope, all watching what was unfolding eagerly.
“For God’s sake, Plunge! This is your chance to be a man,” the Duchess of Yardly shrieked at him. “And when you’re done, we can commence our literary saloon.”
The groan that went around the crowd had Iris looking at the women with her.
“We told you about the books of Captain Broadbent and Lady Nauticus,” Dimity said.
