PHILIP PLAYED A HAND of cards with Prinny and a few old chums before being allowed to excuse himself. He doubted Miss Bright would intentionally get up to trouble. Then again, she was like a rough gem and many of the single men there would wish to polish her. Upon entering the ballroom, alas, he saw only her chaperone.
“Mrs. Cumbersome, where is your niece?”
“She danced with a young man you introduced her to, Lord Lowry.”
Philip nodded. “Good.” The man was harmless and considered upstanding by all. However, Lowry was across the room talking to another young lady. “But where is she now?”
“She went with Lady Harriet Beaumont to promenade the three rooms. I gave my permission since the young lady is an earl’s daughter and she wished to introduce Miranda to her sister.”
That would be fine,Philip thought,except Lady Harriet had only a brother, and a randy one at that!
Chapter Five
Philip knew the game the Beaumont siblings played. They traced their lineage back to the dawn of Britain, or so they claimed, and they enjoyed nothing as much as putting down those whom they considered upstarts — ormushrooms, as the newly monied were called.
In the case of a young woman such as Miss Bright who was innocent to the ways of a Mayfair evening, the still-unmarried Lady Harriet would enjoy lessening the competition by helping to ruin her on her first foray.
Except Lady Harriet was playing with the wrong debutante. Miss Bright’s father could toss a Beaumont into Newgate as easily as any light-fingered bubber. Philip glanced around the ballroom and determined the magistrate’s daughter was not there.
“How long has she been out of your sight?” he asked.
“Merely five minutes,” she said, but catching his worry, Mrs. Cumbersome frowned. “I believe you should go in search of my niece.”
Hurrying through the other two rooms, also vacant of Miss Bright’s shimmering figure, Philip went down the stairs. The dining room was already set up with tables and full service. Empty save for servants, he searched the other two rooms prepared to accommodate those who didn’t get seated at the main table. They, too, were empty.
Rushing outside, he prayed he wasn’t too late. If Miranda Bright was ruined at the first event, the magistrate would have his hide. Their deal would be finished before it had barely begun, and his brandy would be the least of his worries.
At first, Philip saw only gatherings of men, and then he heard female laughter.
Sure enough, behind a yew hedge, he found his quarry in a small cluster of young ladies, including Lady Harriet, with whom Philip had once enjoyed the briefest of sensual encounters in a garden very like this one.
No, wait — that was Lady Astrid. He’d dallied with Lady Harriet in an alcove on the third floor of a house in Piccadilly. He vividly recalled the painting next to her head. While they were kissing, his mind had wandered to the fine representation of a man atop a chestnut horse. Philip had realized at that instant he wasn’t actually interested in her and had never again attempted to get her alone.
To his relief, the group of females seemed to be doing nothing more than chatting and drinking champagne.How extraordinary!And Miss Bright, who was the one presently speaking, looked perfectly at ease.
Every head turned toward him as he approached. All their faces lit up with varying degrees of interest, except Lady Harriet’s which transformed into a scowl. Regardless, Miss Bright was the one who boldly stepped forward.
“Lord Mercer, there you are,” she said as if he was the one who had gone missing. “Do you know all these ladies or shall I make introductions?”
He had to hand it to her. She was behaving as if she’d been born to thebon tonlike a duke’s daughter. Taking another look at the other three, he said, “I believe I have met everyone here. Good evening, ladies. A fine evening, in fact. But the ballroom is sorely lacking your feminine presence.”
Lady Harriet Beaumont glanced slyly between him and Miss Bright, then she nodded.
“We must do our duty to our host and hostess, or the swells will end up forced to dance with each other.”
Her friends laughed, and the three moved off toward the terrace doors. Miss Bright went to follow, but Philip stopped her.
“You should have stayed with your aunt,” he chided.
Her hazel eyes widened. “I was perfectly safe.”
But he thought about what could have happened if he had been right about Lady Beaumont’s intentions.
“You cannot leave your chaperone, or you may end up alone with a man.”
Miss Bright put her delicate hands upon her hips, causing her gown to pinch and show him her slender figure. Then she cocked her head.
“Do you mean exactly as we are now, my lord?”
