“I think you have caused enough scandal for one day, and I, for one, quite like the shape of my nose,” Stephen said, running one finger down the long, aristocratic length.
“Coward,” Patrick grumbled, but there was no heat in his words.
“Of course, you realize that your defense of the countess, while very heroic, will now give rise to further speculation about your relationship with her,” Stephen said, lifting his leg clear of the stirrup as Patrick’s big beast of a horse tried to nip him in the calf.
“Good boy.” Patrick felt himself smiling for the first time that day.
Nothing further was said as they headed back to Patrick’s town house, though both men had plenty to think about. Hisfriend was right; he had all but openly declared he had an interest in the Countess of Monmouth. Now he just had to work out what he wanted to do about it.
CHAPTER 16
Letty had assured Sophie that she must attend Lord and Lady Shubert’s garden party. Apparently, it was the event of the season. The couple was known for their extravagance and outrageous themes.
“Oh my,” Sophie said as they wandered down the lawn to where the other guests were.
“This year Lady Shubert has outdone herself!” Letty said, clapping her hands, clearly excited.
Sophie could say, without a shred of doubt, she had never seen anything like what lay before her.
Everything was Egyptian, right down to the giant pyramids made of satin surrounded by half-naked men wearing small loincloths. Each wore a long dark wig and had gold bands around their biceps. Many of the women present were gazing at them in both shock and delight. It wasn’t often half-dressed men were in attendance at a society gathering. She’d thought theatre fascinating, but this was something else entirely.
“Come, we shall wander, and I will then find my friends, and you can be swept off your feet by a handsome man,” Letty said.
“I have no wish to do that, thank you very much,” Sophie replied.
“My mouth is watering looking at that outrageously long table filled with food,” Letty said, pointing to yet another tent and ignoring what Sophie had just said. She was right—the array of food was staggering. She tamped down the anger seeing such excess when so many went without.This is now your life.
“My dear countess.”
“Lord Dinsdale.” She dropped into a curtsy to the man now before her.
They had danced a few times, and he was pleasant enough, even if his eyes were a little too close together and his laugh was excessively loud.
“I wonder if you would allow me to take you rowing. I have heard from others it is lovely on the water.” He smiled.
“Of course she would love it. Wouldn’t you, dear?” Letty said. “I will be with my friends when I locate them. Off you go, Sophie.”
She really must have a word with her sister-in-law about firing her into the arms of men. She was here for a single season and nothing more. There was also now the threat of Jack Spode; his reappearance in her life would likely change it again… for the worse.
“Thank you,” she said, glaring at Letty’s back, as she’d already walked away. “Most kind of you to offer, my lord.”
They wandered to the water, nodding to people as they went, and then Lord Dinsdale helped her into a rowboat. Soon they had pushed away from the bank and were bobbing along in the water. Sophie thought that perhaps this had not been a bad idea after all, as it was lovely out here away from prying eyes and gossips.
It had been five days since she’d received Timmy’s shirt, and there had been no other notes or parcels. Waiting for his next move stretched her nerves to breaking point.
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate….”
Sophie stifled the sigh that her peace was over and placed a smile on her face while Lord Dinsdale quoted poetry. What was it about her that men thought they needed to do that? By the time they were back at the small dock, she was heartedly sick of him, but at least she was no longer tense.
“I will disembark first, my lady, and then I will assist you.”
“Thank you, my lord, and for the lovely… ah… readings while you were rowing. Most enjoyable,” she lied.Never again.
He beamed at her.
Sophie climbed from the boat and shook out her skirts. She would find Letty and sit beside her for the remainder of the day while eating delicious food.
“Dinsdale, your mother is asking for you. I will escort the countess back to Lady Carstairs.”
