Luckily, the handsome man before her laughed at how she’d purposefully asked him again in the exact same manner.
“I need to come back for you to help me learn the proper ways to behave with a lady whom I wish to woo. Since grabbing her and kissing her soundly isn’t correct, I am at a loss. How else will I get a wife if you won’t help me?”
Lord Foxford sounded sincere, which struck her as improbable. On the one hand, he was a known libertine. As a thundering buck by all accounts, he obviously had no issues being around ladies. His name had been in the early morning paper —“Lord F__ had been seen acting in a forward manner at the Fenwicks’ latest dinner party.”
The reference was to him touching a woman’s face at the dining table, but luckily, Purity’s identity had not been mentioned or even hinted at.
Still, it could have been much worse if someone with loose lips had seen them kissing.
On the other hand, he probably had very little experience with innocent women, the kind one married. Purity hadn’t seen him at any of the previous Season’s events, so perhaps he truly had no idea how to behave.
If she had a third hand, she would add it in and wonder what any of his problems had to do with her.
“I mean no offense,” she asked, “but why would I do any such thing? Why would I help you to ensnare a woman?”
Lord Foxford brushed down his coat despite not having been offered a biscuit or any cake, and then he drew back on his gloves.
“I sense you are a fastidious female. And from all you’ve said, you prefer things done properly. Therefore, I am offering myself as a challenge.”
“A challenge?” She had to admit she was interested.
“More than that,” he continued. “Not only am I a challenge to polish and prepare so I can win a wife, but I don’t want toensnareanyone. I want a woman to fall in love with me, and in turn, I with her.”
Purity considered this. It was no small admission. Furthermore, she might enjoy helping him. She was going out in society, anyway.
“Coincidentally, a family friend needed a little polishing because he had not been much in society, and I tried to get my sister to do so, but she refused.”
“Why?” Lord Foxford looked interested.
Purity declined to explain how Clarity didn’t wish to help her now-husband spruce up enough to find a wife since she’d always been half in love with the man.
In Lord Foxford’s case, Purity had no reservations about seeing this scandalous lord ankle-chained by year’s end. It would be amusing to see who ended up with him.
“My sister’s business is not yours,” she answered, rising to her feet. “While I believe you have no excuse for your ignorance as you have not been absent from society, I shall consider your request.”
Lord Foxford looked dissatisfied.
“When will I see you again?” he asked. “In order to receive your answer.”
“I shall be at Rutherly’s ball next week. If you attend, we can talk more then. If I’ve decided to help you, then we’ll start that night.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” she reminded him. “I may decide you are more trouble than you are worth.”
He grabbed his chest as if wounded, making her laugh again. And then he correctly and gentlemanly took the hand she offered, bowed over it, released her, and departed. It was almost a disappointment not to be grabbed and soundly kissed.
Smiling to herself, Purity couldn’t wait to get to Clarity’s home on Grosvenor Square and tell her everything. Well,noteverything. Not about the two kisses. But she was eager to hear her sister’s thoughts on whether she ought to involve herself with the love life of a rake by playing his etiquette tutor. She had no idea if she could mold the baron into an upstanding example of husband material.
If she accomplished it successfully, she would be doing some woman a good deed.
After speaking with Clarity, who thought it an amusing pastime, Purity was looking forward to the next ball.
Chapter Five
Suffering from a megrim all afternoon, Purity’s mood was soured, and she would have preferred remaining home, resting on her bed. However, having decided to assist Foxford, as she now thought of him familiarly, she was unwilling not to show up as promised.
Thus, on the eve of Lord Rutherly’s ball, she dressed in a new silver satin gown, had her hair dressed with a spray of small silver-painted leaves, and set out accompanied by her mother.
