He settled his arm more comfortably around her middle. “I have wanted to ask your mother if she would plan a ball, but in light of the undecided nature of our connection, I fear that would be presumptuous. One cannot, after all, throw a betrothal ball for a couple who may or may not remain betrothed.”
“I suppose that would be uncomfortable.” But she sounded hesitant. “It is a shame, though. We haven’t held a ball at Downy House since I was a little girl.”
He had suspected she would enjoy a ball. “What if we did not declare it a betrothal ball? We could simply put it about that your family is celebrating being together again.”
“It has been some time since all of us were here.” She was at least a little in favor of the idea, then.
“We could plan it for three weeks from now.” He knew he was pushing a little, but he had such a short amount of time that hesitancy was clearly the enemy. “If you have decided to accept me and my hand, then we could officially announce our betrothal then. If not, we need not say anything.”
She pulled her shawl more closely around her shoulders. “And would I be required to dance the first set with Edward?”
“You will not berequiredto do anything.”
She looked up at him and seemed genuinely pleased. “I look forward to the ball, George. And I hope, this time, you will not resort to fisticuffs with my brother.”
“Let us both pray that does not prove necessary.”
Chapter Six
“Ifear I am beginning to regret our friendship, George.” Tom spoke under his breath whilst his mother spoke at length of her plans for the upcoming ball.
“You and I have endured balls before,” George reminded him.
“Yes, but not the planning of them. I have never heard anyone speak in such detail about drapings.”
“Thomas, are you listening?” Mrs. Downy shot her son a look which sent both Tom and George immediately back to proper postures and attentiveness.
“Yes, Mother. You were speaking of blue. A great deal of blue.”
“Your sister likes blue,” Mrs. Downy said. “Of course we will have blue at the ball.”
“She also likes white roses,” George pointed out. “We must make certain there are white roses.”
Mrs. Downy looked to the housekeeper, who was dutifully writing down all the details of the upcoming event. “Yes, ma’am. I’ve written it here: white roses.”
“Excellent reminder, George.” Mrs. Downy offered him a smile of genuine relief. She was far more concerned about the outcome of this ball than he would have guessed.
“You are encouraging her,” Tom grumbled.
“I am attempting to be helpful. This means a great deal to her and to Caroline.”
Tom shook his head in apparent displeasure. “You talk of her as though she’s the very darling of Society. She’s only Caroline.”
“You, my friend, do not appreciate your sister as you ought.”
“And I suppose you do.”
He bit back a grin. “I do not, in fact, appreciate her as a sister.”
“You two.” Mrs. Downy’s tone of scolding hadn’t decreased in the least. “Are you paying the least bit of attention?”
Caroline stepped into the room in the next moment. She apparently made an almost instantaneous assessment of the situation.
“Mother, we ought to allow the gentlemen to go about their day,” Caroline said. “I would far rather they save their ‘best behavior’ for the ball itself rather than use it up now in the planning of it.”
“You would not misbehave, would you?” Mrs. Downy eyed them both. “Not when this ball means so very much to us all?”
“I am certain they wouldn’t,” Caroline said. “But planning a ball is not really either of their areas of interest. Let us not torture them further.”
