She gave him a knowing smile. “I never said it wasn’t confusing, my lord. But I will teach you the intricacies.”
David leaned forward in his seat. “Why must it be so intricate? And as for calling me ‘my lord,’ I truly wish you wouldn’t.”
Lady Annabelle crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him, blinking at him prettily. “It would be entirely inappropriate for me to call you anything else.”
“My name is David,” he replied.
“Be that as it may, we do not know each other well enough for me to call you by your Christian name, and you don’t know me well enough yet to call me by mine. Only close friends use each other’s Christian names.”
He grinned at her. “Does that mean there’s hope once we get to know each other better?”
Her mouth quirked up again in the smile he was quickly coming to realize was uniquely hers. “Yes, there’s hope.” She shook her head. “Now. Allow me to ring for tea, and then I suppose we may start with the proper usage of the cards.”
“Coffee,” David said.
“Pardon?”
“I prefer coffee.”
“Oh, of course. That’s fine.” Lady Annabelle rang for the butler, who appeared moments later and promised to return with the refreshments forthwith.
As soon as the servant left the room, Lady Annabelle cleared her throat. “So, again, today you’re here early because I’m tutoring you, but normally one wouldn’t pay a call until early afternoon. If one is told by the butler that the lady of the house is not home or is indisposed, you would leave one of your cards with the butler and he would see to it that the lady received the card upon her return, or when she next came downstairs. Or perhaps he might send them up on a salver for her perusal.”
David frowned. “Why would she refuse to see me if she were home?”
Lady Annabelle smiled at him. “Perhaps she’s abed with a megrim. Perhaps she drank too much champagne the night before and isn’t feeling quite well, or perhaps she…” Her words drifted off awkwardly and she glanced away.
“Perhaps she what?” David prompted. What did Lady Annabelle not want to say?
She bit her lip. “Perhaps she doesn’t care to speak with you. Though I’m certain that wouldn’t happen toyou…often.”
David’s laughter filled the room. These lessons were already taking a turn for the ridiculous. “I see. But how am I supposed to know if she’s got a megrim or if she’s avoiding me?”
Lady Annabelle tapped her cheek, clearly considering the question for a moment. “Well, when I’m avoiding someone, I don’t return the call. Even though that’s considered to be awfully rude. Just ask Mama, she’s constantly listing the calls I should be paying.”
“I see,” David replied, giving her another smile. “I appreciate your honesty, Lady Annabelle. I would hate to pay a call on a young woman who wanted nothing to do with me.”
“As I said,” she hastened to add, “I doubt that will happen to you.”
“Really? Well, I’m completely out of my element and no doubt will say blunt and crass things to every lady I meet, so I’m not entirely certain how many of them will welcome my calls the night after a party. But I suppose I’ll find out, won’t I?”
“Oh, but with your looks—” Lady Annabelle froze, and her cheeks turned bright pink. “I mean…” She tugged at the cap sleeves of her gown and glanced away conspicuously.
David arched a brow. “My looks?”
“Yes,erm. I mean that…”
“Why, Lady Annabelle, do you find me to be—dare I say?—handsome?” He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face.
He could see her swallow a lump in her throat. It even made a cute little noise.
“We shouldn’t be talking about such things,” she offered lamely.
“On the contrary, I’d like to hear more,” he said, still grinning like a fool from ear-to-ear.
Lady Annabelle plunked her hands on her hips and stared at him sternly for a moment, but she couldn’t keep from laughing. “I bet you would.”
“No, seriously, please tell me. Am I handsome?” he prodded.
