“Why, it’s been ages since I’ve seen you!” Lady Crosby pressed an affectionate kiss to the other lady’s powdered cheek.
“You’d see a great deal more of me if you came to London oftener,” Lady Silvester chastised gently. “But I won’t scold, because here you are. Truly, Henrietta, I couldn’t be more pleased to see you.”
Lady Crosby turned her attention to a pretty, dark-haired young lady at Lady Silvester’s side. “Don’t ever say this beautiful creature is yourgranddaughter?”
“She is, indeed.” Lady Silvester glowed with pride as she drew the young lady forward. “Flora, this is Lady Crosby, an old and very dear friend of mine from school.”
Lady Flora curtsied. “How do you do, Lady Crosby?”
“Why, very well indeed, child. You were in pinafores the last time I saw you, and now here you are, quite the young lady. Time truly does fly, does it not, Edith?” Lady Crosby gave Lady Silvester a misty smile. “Oh, but pardon me, such a peahen I am! May I present my granddaughter, Lady Emma Crosby, to you both? Come here, dear, and makeyour curtsies.”
“How do you do, Lady Silvester, and Lady Flora?” Emma offered them each apretty curtsy.
“It’s a pleasure, Lady Emma.” Lady Silvesterbeamed at her.
“Lady Emma.” Lady Flora gave Emma a shy smile, and opened her mouth to say something else, but a tall, fair-haired gentleman approached her, and claimed her for a dance.
Lord Lovell’s dark eyes followed Lady Flora as her partner led her away, but then he seemed to shake himself, and offered Lord Dunn a careless bow. “How do you do, Dunn? Pleasure to see you.”
But he wasn’t looking at Lord Dunn. He was looking at Emma.
“You don’t appear to seemeat all, Lovell.” Lord Dunn chuckled. “Not one to dally, are you? Very well. Lady Emma Crosby, this eager gentleman is Lord Lovell.”
“My lord.”Emma curtsied.
“Lady Emma.” Lord Lovell bowed over her hand, his lips a mere hair’s breadth from touching her glove. “It’s a plea—” Before he could say anything more, however, a thin, dark-haired lady approached and took his arm. He was obliged to turn away, and Lady Crosby seized the opportunity to whisper in Emma’s ear. “My goodness. That’s Lady Lymington. I didn’t expect to seeherin London this season.”
“That’s Lady Lymington?” Emma whispered back. “But where’s the rest—”
“Emma, my love, I beg you not to inquire as to the whereabouts of the rest of Lady Lymington.”
Emma watched as Lady Lymington moved among the company, clutching at Lord Lovell’s arm. Her ladyship nodded graciously to various acquaintances, but didn’t speak much. “What’s she like?”
Lady Crosby shook her head. “I don’t know her well, but thetonregards her as a sweet lady, ifrather timid.”
Lady Lymington looked nothing like her sister-in-law. She was fragile and pale, her shoulders slightly rounded, as if she were doing her best to shrink into the background. To Emma’s disgust, she couldn’t quell a pang of sympathy for the lady, who put her in mind more of a frightened rabbit than a haughty marchioness.
A frightened rabbit with two missing housemaids on her conscience, that is, both of whom had seemingly vanished into thin air without Lady Lymington expressing a single public word of concern for their whereabouts.
But Emma didn’t have time to dwell on Lady Lymington’s sins, because Lord Lovell had turned back to her and taken possession of her hand. “Lady Emma, I beg your pardon. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Lady Emma isn’t accustomed to your extravagant gallantry, Lovell,” Lord Dunn warned. “This is her first visit to London.”
“Well, of course it is.” Lord Lovell released her hand, a boyish grin on his lips. “If Lady Emma had ever appeared at Almack’s before, I’d remember her lovely blue eyes.”
Oh, but he was a gallant, wasn’t he? Why, one could almost hear the chorus of yearning sighs that arose from the young ladies gathered around them.
To her horror, a laugh tried to tear loose from Emma’s lips. No, a laugh wouldn’t do at all. An innocent young lady on her first appearance at Almack’s didn’t burst into laughter when the most sought-after gentleman in the room paid her a compliment, no matter how ridiculous it was.
She managed a demure smile instead. “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Lord Lovell.”
“Are you, indeed?” Lord Lovell returned her smile with a flirtatious one of his own. “Then you’ll indulge me with your hand for the next two dances, Lady Emma?”
Emma was half-tempted to refuse him, just to teach him some humility, but if she danced with Lord Lovell now, then he’d be obliged to take her into supper, as well.
The timing was perfect.
Emma opened her mouth, but before she could murmur her assent, a gentleman behind Lord Dunn’s shoulder caught her attention. She gaped at him, forgetting herself entirely before gathering her wits enough to turn aside and whisper to Lady Crosby. “Dear God. Who isthat?”
