Her smile was glorious. “I have no notion how that will be possible without the cooperation of Lady Twitchard, but I am amenable to doing so should the circumstance arise.”
Vincent would ensure that it did.
Chapter Fifteen
Brilliance wrote to her father and mother as soon as she returned to Lady Twitchard’s. Ever dutiful and honest, she knew her parents should be apprised of a gentleman’s interest in her, especially seeing how they had discussed married life.
As to finding a way to see him again alone, that was beyond her ability.
And then everything worked out even better than she could have hoped. When she went down to breakfast two mornings later, there were trunks in the hall.
“Has someone arrived?” Brilliance asked the housemaid.
“No, my lady. Two guests are leaving.” And she hurried away in the fashion of busy maids who always seemed to have somewhere else they needed to be.
Brilliance went with equal speed into the breakfast salon. Sure enough, both Lady Georgiana and Miss Newton were dressed for travel.
“Why are you leaving?” she asked, taking a seat and nodding to the footman to pour her a cup of chocolate.
“We have been invited to another house party,” Lady Georgiana said, her smug expression leaving no doubt as to her mood. “Didn’tyouget an invitation?”
“No.” Brilliance found it impossible to sound the tiniest bit sad. Inside, she was simmering with excitement.
“Are you terribly mortified at being left behind?” Miss Newton asked, spearing a morsel of sausage on her plate.
Instead of answering such a disingenuous question, Brilliance asked, “Where are you going?”
“To Richmond, to the home of Lord and Lady Boyer.”
“I’ve never heard of them,” she said.Why were the girls so excited?It wasn’t as though they were going to Syon or Devonshire House.
“Nor had I,” Miss Newton said, “but somehow, they have heard of us. Party orphans due to the cholera.”
Brilliance bit her lip.What rubbish!She wasn’t going to try to dissuade them from going, though. Far from it! “How kind of them to take you in.”
“Not just take us in. They are hosting us properly with a ball. And they have two single sons,” Lady Georgiana added.
Miss Newton nodded. “We are to stay in a home with two single gentlemen!”
“How fortunate for you.” Brilliance truly hoped this was some fortuitous event that led them to both finding matches.Wouldn’t that be magical?In any case, they clearly preferred to have two men residing under the same roof over sharing a single viscount who lived a half hour carriage ride away.
“I hope you won’t be bored here without us,” Miss Newton said.
“Oh no,” Brilliance replied. “I doubt your departure will make much difference to me.”
By the thunderous expression on their faces, she’d been a trifle too honest. But all she could do was wish them well and hope that Lord Hewitt soon invited her over again.
“We are to dine withmy cousin this evening,” Lady Twitchard said the following morning. “That is, if you are amenable.”
“I am. Very much so. I hold Lord Hewitt in the highest esteem.”
“Then I shall send word back.”
“I look forward to it.” Brilliance wondered how she would pass the hours before they set off in the Twitchards’ carriage.
“Perhaps you would like to take the response back to him yourself, go early, and spend the day in my cousin’s company.”
Brilliance wondered if she could have heard her correctly for it was a most unusual thing to suggest.
