James threw himself into a chair in the corner of his dressing room and waved an impatient hand at Lord Gilbert. “Remove that cravat at once, Gilbert. It’s a disgrace. Crosby, if you’d be so good as to assist Lord Gilbert?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Crosby hurried across the dressing room toward Gilly, who was studying his reflection in the looking glass with a bemused expression. “What’s wrong with my cravat?”
“It’s limp, Gilbert.Limp. It hasn’t been properly starched, and the silk is of inferior quality. A gentleman’s linen must always be flawless, andthat.” James pointed at the wilted scrap of cloth around Gilbert’s neck. “Isfarfromflawless.”
All of his careful planning, foiled by a limp cravat.
He’d hoped to arrive at Lady Upton’s ball before Euphemia did, so he might scowl any of thetonwho dared to laugh at her into silence, but he couldn’t allow Gilbert to walk into Lady Upton’s ballroom looking like he’d been dragged through a knothole. Thank God he’d had the foresight to insist Gilbert collect him at his lodgings in St. James on his way to the ball this evening.
He’d suspected something like this would happen.
Gilbert had made great strides forward since he’d appeared in the Ring in that monstrous canary-yellow coat, but one did like to keep a close eye on one’s charge, and Gilbert did still occasionally make the sort of faux pas that would earn him the scorn of other gentlemen.
He couldn’t allow that. Gilbert was going to marry Harriett, and thus, he must be above all reproach.
Gilbert hadn’t ventured to ask for Harriett’s hand yet, but he would, and it would be soon. He’d almost done so during their ride yesterday. James had done his best to appear unthreatening, but after much stuttering and blushing, Gilbert’s courage had failed him.
At this rate, Gilbert might never work up the nerve to ask his permission to court Harriett, and they’d never have this business over with. Not that he’d made it easy for the boy. To be fair, he’d been rather a bear about it all, especially at the beginning.
But Harriett had been right about Gilbert. He was a decent fellow— even rather clever on occasion, shockingly enough, and he adored Harriett, which was all that mattered.
Perhaps a tiny nudge in the right direction was in order.
James rose to his feet, plucking up Gilly’s coat from the chair before joining Gilly at the looking glass. “Weston?” he asked, fingering the black superfine.
Gilly gave an eager nod. “Yes, indeed, Lord Fairmont, just as you recommended.”
“Good man.” He slapped Gilly on the shoulder. “Fetch one of my silk cravats for Lord Gilbert, Crosby.”
“Yes, my lord.” Crosby crossed to the chest of drawers and withdrew one of the dozen lengths of flawless silk from the drawer.
“A Gordian Knot, I think, Crosby. What say you?”
“An ideal choice, my lord.” Crosby draped the silk around Gilly’s neck, fussing with the folds until he’d created the perfect Gordian Knot. “There we are. Very nice indeed, Lord Gilbert.”
James cocked his head. “It’s not quite right yet. Something’s missing.”
“What?” Gilly frowned at his reflection in the glass. “Do I need more hair pomade?”
“No, that’s not it.” James went to the rosewood jewel chest in the corner of his dressing room and rummaged through the velvet trays until he found a gold cravat pin set with a tiny emerald. “This belonged to my grandfather.” He unclasped the pin, fitted it among the snowy folds of Gilbert’s cravat, and then stepped back to admire the effect. “Yes, that will do.”
Gilly reached up to finger the pin, his hand shaking. “That’s kind of you, Lord Fairmont.”
“It suits you, Gilbert. I’ve got another one very much like it, so you may as well keep this one.”
“Keep it? That’s…” Gilly stared at his reflection in the glass, his eyes bright. “I don’t know what to say, my lord.”
“There’s no need to say anything at all,” James said gruffly, clearing his throat. “No theatrics, Gilbert, I beg you.”
Gilly swallowed. “I…”
Ah, here it was. Three, two, one?—
“I want to marry Lady Harriett!” Gilbert blurted, then flushed up to the roots of his hair.
James hid his smile. “I rather suspected you did.”
