“Thank you but you really didn’t have to,” she replied. “Please sit.”
He sat down in a chair across from her. The conversation wasn’t forced, but Harriet was sure he wasn’t ready to call on a lady who was merely a stranger to him.
“Lady Harriet, did you enjoy your time at the ball last night?”
“Yes, I did. There was a nice mixture of people attending I thought.”
“I thought so too. I knew a great number of people attending,” he replied.
Harriet studied him for a moment. He had dark-brown hair. He wasn’t a handsome man but appeared to be confident in his own skin. She recalled him but the dance they shared was acountry reel and didn’t leave time for talking. “Like I said there was a nice mixture of people in attendance.”
“Your parents were not in attendance?”
How would he know if they were or not? Might just be an attempt to make conversation. “No, they were not. They are away at the moment. The duke is my cousin and agreed to get me through the season.”
“That is very noble of them,” he replied. “I understand the duke is a distinguished member of Parliament.”
“He is,” Harriet said with pride.
“I’m the second son, so I’ll never get the honor.”
“Oh? What will you do?’
“My father owns a coal mining business in the north. He wants me to gain experience and sees that as a way of doing it.”
“You won’t be working inside the mine, will you? I understand it’s a filthy, dangerous job.”
He shook his head and gave her a lopsided grin. “You would be right. I’m going to oversee an expansion of the operation on behalf of my father.”
“I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”
“Thank you. I’m sure my Oxford education won’t go to waste.”
He was boasting and the conversation was turning to him and she hated when that happened. She glanced over at Daphne who was pretending to read a book. It was time for him to go. She wasn’t impressed either.
“Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to call on me. I’m sure we’ll see each other again before your journey to the north.
“The honor is mine. I don’t leave for another month, so I feel confident we’ll see each other another time.”
“My lord,” she murmured. He was even dragging a polite good-bye out. She couldn’t imagine herself with this man unlessthere was another side to his personality. If he were looking for a wife to take with him, it wasn’t going to be her.
Once her guest left, she heard Daphne giggling in the distance. “It’s not funny, Daphne. I thought he’d never leave. Conversation with him was excruciating, and this comes from me.”
“He wants a wife. One he can control. You don’t need his type,” Daphne said.
“Have you decided the next ball?”
“I’m going to reply to them all. Of all these there’s one I don’t wish to attend, and it falls on the same night as the Duke of Northumberland’s ball.”
“Sounds like we’re not going to be spending many evenings at home,” Harriet replied.
“There is an early evening musicale at Baron Whitehead’s. A more intimate setting to meet people. He always has some wonderfully talented musicians.”
“That will be different so long as the musicians are talented.”
“Oh yes, I’ve been to some where it’s their daughters, or nieces they believe are the most talented. And they’re anything but.”
Harriet knew all too well about that. Her own mother tried a couple times to have her play piano and sing during teas she would hold. It was the worst experience. She finally had to refuse; her mother didn’t listen though and tried to embarrass her into playing. Harriet’s resolve was to sneak out of the room and hide until the guests had gone. That’s when she began to challenge her mother’s bullying.
