“That’s a relief. I think you two would suit very well.”
Mabry, who had obviously been drinking more than his cousins leaned forward again. “Do you think Lady Elsbeth and I would suit?”
“Lord Mabry, mind your manners.” Lady Mariel’s stern rebuke had the fellow slumping back in his chair.
James felt Lady Joanna’s stare, but did not meet it. “I have no doubt that Lady Elsbeth will have her choice of suitors once she is presented. Friday evening, we are going to a recital by the Worthington sisters, and I understand a number of unattached gentlemen will be there.”
Mabry straightened. “I’d be happy to number myself among them.”
Lady Joanna shook her head. “You are to escort us to the lecture on coal lamps at the Royal Institution that evening. Sir Davy is unveiling a new design that he believes will save lives. You cannot possibly go.”
Mabry frowned at her. “Your father would be happy to escort you. You don’t require my presence. Last time I went with you, I fell asleep and you kicked me awake.”
He raised his brows at that. To her credit, Lady Joanna appeared embarrassed for once.
“I had to. You were snoring so loud. I’m surprised I was allowed entrance to the next lecture.”
She attended lectures? The more he learned about Lady Joanna, the more confused he became. He found it distracting. He needed to focus on discovering if she took his book. But how to know for certain. Nothing in the evening had given him any clues.
Lady Joanna abruptly rose from her seat, and he quickly stood. “We won’t keep you any longer from your exploration of the Pleasure Gardens. I do hope you enjoy your evening.” With the slightest of curtsies, she stepped behind him and off the dais.
Mabry bowed. “It was a pleasure to have your company, Your Grace. I’m usually outnumbered by my female cousins. I look forward to seeing you at the recital.”
Cursing himself for revealing where Elsbeth and he would be, he simply gave a short nod.
Lady Mariel gave a proper curtsy. “I hope we didn’t shock your sensibilities this evening. I’m afraid we are far too close for most families to understand, but with the death of our sister, all formality was lost. I won’t ask your forgiveness, but I do ask that you reserve your judgment. Have a lovely evening, Your Grace.”
Stunned into silence, he simply watched as the quiet Mariel joined her family members, and they strode back toward the entrance of Vauxhall.
He resumed his seat. He hadn’t learned what he’d hoped to this evening, but he had learned much he hadn’t expected. Unfortunately, it was much like the mascarpone ice cream. In the aftermath, he was left wanting to know more. On quick review of his observations, he concluded that Lady Mariel tried to serve as a chaperone and role model to her younger sister and cousin. Lord Mabry, though, had obviously been far too indulged in his youth with few responsibilities and had not yet matured to where he would make a good husband for anyone, though he did show a few signs of promise.
And then there was Lady Joanna.
James steepled his hands. She was a conundrum. Her intelligence was there to see in her eyes, but her lack of poise and fluctuating emotions were unpredictable. It was, in his estimation, a combination that portended ill. Despite his reservations, he needed to find out if she had indeed stolen his book. It appeared that guilt was not one of the many emotions she felt, which meant he must engage her in further conversation to determine if she was the culprit.
A part of him did not relish the task. However, his mind was excited by the challenge. No matter the outcome, he was absolutely certain he would learn a lot more than he knew now about Lady Joanna Mabry.
Chapter Five
Joanna waited untilthe maid closed the door behind her then jumped from her chair at the small table in her room, her robe parting as she rushed to the door. She had requested she be woken at such an ungodly hour in the morning to ensure a few hours of privacy. Setting her ear to the wood panel, she listened as the maid’s footsteps faded. Stepping back to her table, she took a quick sip of tea and bite of toast with marmalade before she dropped it back to the plate and turned to the chest at the end of her bed.
When Northwick happened upon them the night before, she’d cursed her luck. He was the last person she wanted to see. Once he asked about reading, she became suspicious that he might know she’d taken his book, but as the evening continued, she wasn’t as sure. Her brief instructions in acting, when she was young and had written a play for her siblings to perform, allowed her to draw on those long-ago lessons to throw him off her scent.
She grinned as she knelt before the chest. If their paths crossed again, she would take him up on his offer to let her borrow a book. Opening the chest, she dug her hand beneath the linens but didn’t feel anything except soft material. Her heart raced, and she quickly pulled items out, tossing them onto the floor. Surely the maid had no need to take out linens last eve. As her hand touched something hard, she calmed. Lifting a quilt, she pulled the large tome from its hiding place and grasped it to her chest. She still hoped to garner some small piece of wisdom from its pages. Stuffing the various bed linens back into the chest, she closed the lid, and stepped onto the chest. She flounced across her bed before dropping down to tuck her legs beneath her, pushing her robe aside. Finally, she set the book in front of her.
The cover was well used. She couldn’t resist gliding her fingertips across it, especially over the border that had been worked into the leather. Golden curls and swirls accentuated bold lettering. The title,Educating the Feminine Species,was gilded in gold, and bold black lettering beneath it proclaimed the book created by “Lord Ancil Rutherford.” The golden clasp that locked it closed had a slide mechanism to allow the reader easy access to the knowledge inside.
The bold title was at complete odds with the delicacy of the rest of the decoration. She wrinkled her nose.
It was a horrid title, and she imagined it would be a horrid book, based on the single illustration she’d seen. Despite that, she reverently opened it, turning past the two blank pages to read the title page.
The Illustrated Pleasures of Seduction.
She frowned. Quickly, she closed the book and read the title again. Opening it, she shook her head. It didn’t make sense. Was it an error? She turned another page to find the same title with a copyright date of 1815. There was no author listed. Turning that page, she read the dedication.
To all young men. Ignorance is not bliss. Only the knowledge contained herein can provide you with the skills to enjoy the true beauty and wonder of the female form. In the body of a woman, true bliss can be achieved. There is no greater pleasure on earth than when both of you reach fulfillment. Read carefully, study well, and practice often. This is your birthright as a man and your obligation to your woman.– The Author
Not comprehending, she re-read the dedication. This could not mean…surely it didn’t…. Was the duke’s book, this book, an educational treatise on how to seduce a woman? If so, that meant it went farther than the medical texts she’d read that explained how mankind perpetuated itself. Shocked, she kept her hand on the dedication page, fearful of seeing anymore.
