“Oh, that,” said Owen. “Grace sent our acceptance, but I keep forgetting it’s happening.”
“I’ve never much liked Atherton,” said Lark. “He’s very loud.”
Owen laughed at that. “Isn’t his wife your cousin?”
“Distantly,” said Lark. “She’s got some charm. It runs in the family.” He preened. “But he’s like a walking headache. I think I accepted the invitation, too, though.”
Hugh rolled his eyes. He turned to Fletcher and asked, “Why is Louisa’s mother thwarting you?”
“I don’t know.” Although Fletcher suspected she saw him as a threat to Louisa’s future marriage.
“Because Rotherfeld is younger, richer, better looking, and more connected than you are,” said Lark. “Only the best for Lady Louisa, so she is doing everything in her power to make sure Louisa and Rotherfeld both show up at the altar.”
“Younger, richer,andbetter looking? You wound me,” said Fletcher.
“Am I wrong?” asked Lark.
Fletcher sighed. “I don’t know for certain about him being richer, but you are probably right that Lady Petty will allow nothing to interfere with the wedding.”
“Lady Petty wants only the best husband for her daughter, and on paper, Rotherfeld is very appealing.”
Fletcher understood all this, but he wished Lark would not rub it in. “I know. But do I want to tussle with a mama of theton?”
“Do you want the woman you love or not?” asked Lark.
“I do.”
“Then you’ll have to tussle.”
“Wait,” said Owen. “You plan to propose to Louisa at the Atherton ball?”
“No,” said Fletcher. “I plan to apologize for saying something she…took the wrong way.”
“Was offended by,” corrected Lark.
“Yes. I said something that offended her, but I did not intend it the way she took it. I plan to apologize, and then possibly tell her that her fiancé is…of Lark’s kind.”
Hugh’s eyes went wide. “How do you know that?”
“Beresford,” said Lark.
Hugh nodded. “I suppose he would know.”
“We should really have our own club,” said Lark.
“I believe they call those molly houses,” said Owen.
“Something more reputable,” Lark replied. “Like this, but for men seeking other men, and not so seedy or full of young prostitutes as a molly house. There is a club that has an open policy of men being able to find whatever they desire, but I’ve always found it a bit…well, I wouldn’t want to touch anything inside, let’s put it that way.”
“Anyway,” said Fletcher. “I plan to talk to Louisa and tell her that I believe she and Rotherfeld are not well suited for several reasons, and that I love her and want to marry her if that’s what she wants, too, and generally make the argument that I am a superior choice to Rotherfeld, but I do not plan to get on one knee or anything. That would be gauche, don’t you think?”
“The way Rotherfeld announced their engagement?” said Owen. “A little too loudly, I should add. Yes. Gauche. Not the done thing.”
“I fear,” said Lark, quietly, “that he is using Louisa to avoid being found out, and she deserves better than that.”
Fletcher had come to think the same thing, which made him think Louisa was about to be trapped in a loveless marriage to a man she found dull. And every time he rehearsed his big apology speech, he ended up rambling, but he knew he needed to be more direct. He should just tell Louisa how he felt plainly. He loved her. Rotherfeld had ulterior motives. She should marry him.
“Lark?” said Hugh, cutting through Fletcher’s thoughts.
