Before she could answer, Mabry interjected. “I hope she can. I had plenty of bruises from practicing it with her.”
Instead of being ashamed, she appeared to gloat. “I told you it wouldn’t be painless. If you hadn’t told father about our foray over to the London Docks, you could have been spared. It was your fault entirely.”
Mabry turned to Lady Beaumont. “Did she, or did she not, beg me to go with her?”
The lady shook her head. “I’m sure his grace doesn’t want to hear about your less than appropriate adventures.” She met his gaze. “I do not waltz. It was not considered acceptable when I came out, but I do enjoy watching the dancers glide about the floor. It seems so effortless.”
Mabry opened his mouth then suddenly winced.
This was not what he had expected. There was an unusual familiarity between the cousins that he found foreign. For a moment he tried to envision them at Burhleigh Park as part of his family. It was impossible. He would have to steer Elsbeth toward someone with a more staid family dynamic.
Joanna abruptly set her hand down on the table, and leaned forward to view her sister. “It may look that way, but it is very difficult. Of course, it might be easier with a better partner.”
Her movement caused a warm soothing scent to waft by him. It fought the crispness of the cool in the air. He tried to pinpoint it, but she quickly sat back and faced him. “Are you a good lead, Your Grace?”
He stiffened. “I do not waltz.”
Her dark eyebrows lifted. “You don’t? But it is considered one of the few social graces that all men must aspire to. Surely, you haven’t let studying philosophy take precedence over dance lessons? Maybe Elsbeth could teach you.”
Though her tone sounded as if she thought it a pity he didn’t know how to waltz, her words and gaze had his back stiffening with the sense again that she didn’t like him. “Do not mistake me, Lady Joanna, I am quite proficient at dancing. It is simply that in Peterborough, I had no need and no time to learn the latest dance. I doubt very much that Elsbeth has either.”
As if he’d been waiting for the mention of Elsbeth’s name, Mabry immediately turned toward him. “I’d be pleased to teach her. If I can survive learning with Lady Joanna, I’m sure I could handle the gentle Elsbeth.”
Feeling put upon by both cousins, he allowed his rancor to slip through. “Is Lady Joanna then clumsy?”
Her sudden intake of breath gave him satisfaction.
“I am not clumsy. It was simply something new. Whenever I learn something new, I expect to make mistakes and then I become much more proficient. Take Latin for example. When I started conjugating verbs, I made a complete mess of it. But now, I’ve mastered it because I learned from those errors. Would you like me to conjugate a few verbs for you?”
She knew Latin? Maybe it was time to build a locked room for his most precious books. HisPlato’s Republiccould very well be in peril. “No. I didn’t like conjugating verbs in my school room. I certainly don’t want to think about them now.”
“Mores the pity. I so rarely get to discuss Latin since all the ladies of my acquaintance cannot read it.”
Before he could respond, Mabry threw his hands up. “Here she goes again. Please excuse her, Your Grace. The lady cannot seem to refrain for more than an hour without mentioning her theory that women’s minds are equal to men’s.”
“But they are.” At the wide-eyed stares he received from all three of his companions, he felt he should elaborate. “I firmly believe that both genders have the same capacity for knowledge. It is simply the type of knowledge that can be processed that is different. In fact, I’ve read that this is why we have two genders. One can process what is important for mankind while another can process was makes life comfortable. It firmly aligns with the theory of divide and conquer.”
From the corner of his eye, he noticed Lady Joanna reach for her wine. In an instant, Mabry had clamped his hand down around her forearm. “Joanna.”
Surprised by such a serious warning tone coming from the young man he thought to be far too happy and immature, he studied Lady Joanna. He’d never seen a woman in a fury, but he was fairly certain this is what he found in her gaze. Not sure if it was the lighting or her eyes themselves, but they appeared to be a mixture of colors, what he would consider hazel, only in the lantern light the green was dominant. That they were narrowed at him told him he was indeed the object of her ire. It was an odd feeling, that. He didn’t remember engendering any particularly strong emotional reaction, be it for good or ill, from anyone.
After pondering that a moment, he came to the logical conclusion that it must have something to do with Lady Joanna, not himself. “It appears you don’t agree. I am certainly open to other opinions.”
Her eyes returned to their normal openness. Now that he paid attention, she really did have rather round eyes, not the more common shape he was used to seeing on ladies of breeding.
“Teddy, you can release my arm.”
Teddy? These Mabrys were entirely too familiar with each other.
She turned her head toward her cousin who lifted his hand slowly from hers. “Thank you.” Calmly, she took another sip of her wine.
He frowned. Had he imagined her fury? Women were definitely emotional creatures. It may be that now she would finally tell him what she disliked so much about him.
She set down the glass and gave him her full attention. “I’m truly sorry that your education was so sorely lacking. If you like, I’d be happy to lend you a book of mine that explains the complexities of the human mind and the lack of differences between the genders.”
The calmness of her voice soothed as well as any lullaby, and he found himself nodding before her words registered. Lend him a book? “No.” Affronted, he struggled for the words he needed. “I do not need a book on the subject. I am quite well read. Perhaps I can offer to lendyouone of my many scientific examinations of the brain.”
A tiny smile just barely lifted the corners of her lips. “You’d allow me, a woman, to read one of your books?”
