My Dearest Grandson Alexander,
After having met and known many men during my long life, I can attest to what Lord Chesterfield says here: “A man of pleasure, though not always so scrupulous as he should be, and as one day he will wish he had been, refines at least his pleasures by taste, accompanies them with decency, and enjoys them with dignity. Few can be men of pleasure, every man may be a rake.”
Your loving Grandmother,
Lady Elder
As soon as Susannah’s companion was gone, she took a deep breath and plopped onto the chair at her desk. She was annoyed yet relieved. She was pleased Lord Raceworth had finally come but rather frustrated that she must bow to his wishes for a ride in the park.
Susannah had to do something other than be anxious while she waited until time to meet the marquis, so she changed into a pale pink dress with a sensible bodice, trimmed with delicate white lace at the neckline and high waist. She fastened a delicately styled ruby necklace around her throat and added matching earrings. She reworked the chignon at her nape and rubbed lavender-scented lotion on her hands and face.
When the hour was up, she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and took in a deep breath before entering the small, sparsely decorated sitting room. The marquis rose from his chair and bowed. Her breath caught in her throat and she went still.
He was too handsome for words with his rakish long hair and impeccable dress. If possible, the over-the-knee Hessian boots he wore made him look all the more powerful, more roguish, and more handsome than when she’d first seen him in more formal attire. She couldn’t keep the dizzying beat of her heart from pounding.
She quietly cleared her throat and said, “My lord, this is a surprise.”
His eyebrows drew together while a half grin lifted one corner of his mouth. Cautiously, he said, “Is it really? I thought you issued an invitation for me to stop by for a visit.”
She willed herself to relax and be natural, even though his charming manner didn’t make that easy. All of her senses were on high alert.
Calmly clasping her hands in front of her, she said, “I issued an invitation for you to stop by and view the documents I have, showing my family’s ownership of the Talbot pearls, not to invite me for a ride in the park.”
He faked a frown as his generous lips curved into another slight grin. “Ah, I must have misunderstood. I didn’t remember there was a qualifier attached to your invitation. But it is a beautiful afternoon, and my carriage is outside, complete with a basket filled with wine, cheese, and curried apples. What do you say?”
Her resistance melted like spring snowflakes in the April sun. “I say what lady can resist curried apples? I’ll get my cape and parasol, and of course the very important documents in case you decide you would like to review them while we are out.”
“Fair enough.”
The marquis followed her to the vestibule where Mrs. Princeton was waiting with Susannah’s outdoor things, including a pink velvet drawstring reticule with several sheets of rolled papers sticking out of the top. At the carriage, Lord Raceworth took hold of her gloved hand and helped her step up and into the curricle. His grip was firm, masculine, and a tingle of something wonderful radiated throughout her body.
She made herself comfortable on the far side of the seat and neatly arranged the skirts of her dress while he climbed up beside her.
She popped open her dainty parasol, which was trimmed with pale pink flowers and ribbons to match her dress. Years ago, she learned that the parasol was good not only for keeping the sun off her face, but she could easily lower it from one side to the other so that it would be impossible for anyone to see her face when she passed by. She had no plans to do that today. She had no idea if anyone would remember her fall from grace twelve years ago. She had been gone so long that it was probably foolish of her to think anyone would recognize her at all, or that they would point a finger of shame at her if they did.
Susannah had told herself for years that she could no longer be hurt by Polite Society, and that was still the case. She had paid her debt to the unforgiving upper class by marrying the duke.
The marquis was right. It was a beautiful day, and she was delighted to be out of the house and in his company. Spring had been long in coming to England this year, but it had finally arrived. The wide expanse of blue sky didn’t have a cloud in sight. The air had lost its chill, and there was a clean and fragrant scent to the breeze. The trees and shrubs had fresh green leaves covering their branches. Signs of spring were everywhere, and all indications were that winter had disappeared.
Lord Raceworth picked up the ribbons and released the brake handle. He clicked the ribbons on the horses’ rumps, and the two bays took off with a jerk, jingle, and a clank of harness. Rather than guiding the horses along at a brisk pace, he had them walking along the streets of Mayfair as if they had all day to dally rather than only half an afternoon.
As they rode along, Susannah remembered the last time she traversed the streets of London in an open carriage. She was with the man she loved, and at the time thought he loved her. Suddenly she shivered.
“Are you all right?” Lord Raceworth asked.
Susannah looked over at the marquis, and somehow she knew he was nothing like Lord Martin Downings. She smiled at Lord Raceworth and confidently said, “Yes, I’m fine.”
And she was. She hadn’t intended for it to happen when she came to London, but just the same she was doing more than just trying to recover the pearls for her mother. She was exorcizing some old ghosts that had haunted her for years. It had taken time, but she had finally forgiven herself for being young and foolish. She was ready to forget the past, forget the last time she was in London. She was no longer a young miss with a tender heart.
“You’re very quiet,” he said after they had ridden in silence for a while.
She looked at him from underneath the parasol. “So are you.”
“Me?” He threw her a questioning glance. “I thought I was being considerate. I got the impression you wanted to be alone with your thoughts.”
“I was simply enjoying the afternoon ride.”
“You know, for a few moments back there at your house, I thought the dour Mrs. Princeton was going to come with us.”
