He noticed that no one was congratulating Lillias on her extraordinary good fortune. This mordantly amused him.
“Thank you, Lord Bankham. I can hardly believe it myself. One of the advantages of recognizing extraordinary good fortune is the opportunity to be grateful for the rest of my life.”
The Earl stood back and eyed him with pleased surprise. “Well said, young man.”
“We understand you’ve been a soldier,” Lady Bankham said, as though she’d been handed a pamphlet about Hugh to review just this morning. “Are you now in... trade?” She added this on a delicate hush.
“I’ve long been interested in politics, Lady Bankham. My intent was to run for mayor when I returned to New York, but...” He managed to produce a fond smile for Lillias. “Destiny had other plans for me. My interest and investments thus far are in transportation. Canals, lochs, railroads, ships. The swiftest ways to distribute goods and carry people to new destinations, of which there are an infinite number in the United States of America alone.”
Lillias’s expression was interesting. She was watching him, and appeared to be suppressing some sort of emotion he couldn’t quite decipher. He wondered if she was imagining him in the context of this kind of house, and failing.
“In America, it seems a man can be elected to office just like that, Mother.” Giles snapped his fingers.
“Just like that?” Her eyes widened as she studied Hugh. “Doesn’t your family need a parliamentary seat? I know nothing of American politics,” his mother admitted.
“American politics will never be a thing you’ll need to trouble yourself over, dear,” her husband assured her, with a little arm pat.
“Well, in truth one must earn the votes of his constituents by offering intelligent ideas for solving problems or making improvements. I typically rather relish opportunities to improve the daily lives of others. Just as I hope to continue to improve the life of Lillias for the rest of our days.”
It was possible he was overdoing the devotion a little, but it had the desired effect of making Giles shift restively from one leg to the other and everyone else eye him admiringly.
“In America, any sort of person can rise in the world in unfettered leaps and bounds, it seems.” The Earl of Bankham said this quietly to his wife, by way of explaining Hugh. “It’s rather thrilling.”
“Oh my. Unfettered. How startling.” Lady Bankham’s fan did what her eyelashes wished to do, which was flutter at Hugh.
Hugh offered her a smile, as if including her in a joke between just the two of them.
She blushed like a girl.
Giles’s square jaw was set like granite. Hugh expected it was a matter of moments before a little muscle began ticking in his jaw.
“Speaking of leaping, Giles leaped a drainage ditch on his new hunter the other day,” Lady Bankham offered. “Prettiest thing you ever did see, soaring through the air like that.”
Hugh gave Giles a bright smile, as if any efforts Giles might make toward being manly ought to beaffirmed. “Well, if the drainage ditch is going to be in the way of things, it’s a very good thing you knew how to jump it, I suppose,” he encouraged him.
Giles’s mouth made a valiant attempt at a curve, and only achieved a grimace.
Lillias so far had been merely observing. He wondered if it was uncomfortable to watch Giles gently flayed with strategic condescension.
“Lillias rides very well, too,” said the countess. “I imagine it would be a useful skill when it comes to fleeing Indians, Mr. Cassidy.”
“They don’t shoot at you if you don’t shoot at them,” Lillias said, sounding a little bored. “And there are many different kinds of tribes. One doesn’t just call themIndians. The Lenape Indians are part of the Algonquin tribe, for instance.”
Hugh turned slowly to look at her in amazement.
Lillias lifted and let fall one shoulder, with a secret little smile.
Lady Bankham swiftly gripped her husband’s arm, alarmed at this very specific thing Lillias seemed to know.
“I imagine you’re quite the horseman, Cassidy,” Giles said pleasantly. “One would need to be in order to outrun wolves and bears and the local tribes who might mistake you for a deer. And then, of course, one must be prepared to ride for hours to get to anywhere civilized.”
“Iamquite the horseman,” Giles agreed. “And civilization is a matter of perception, though we’ve every comfort a human could desire within an easy walk or ride. But we’re going to live here in England.”
“Gilly won the Sussex Marksmanship Trophy one year,” Lillias said. “He shoots very well.”
“Oh, is that a great incentive to shoot well, then? A trophy?” Hugh pretended to be puzzled.
Giles paused. “I don’t suppose you have a Manton’s or anything of the sort in New York.” Giles was all tender pity. “Where one could truly hone one’s skill.”
