“You should be the one to host the hunt this year, Your Grace!” she said. “It would be perfectly natural for you to do so. It would be an excellent way to make introductions amongst the noble families of this little piece of England.”
“Oh,” Justin began. He noticed that Portia was looking directly at him, her eyes narrowing. “Cor—Lady Cordelia and I were planning on hosting a ball, just before summer truly kicks off. She thought it would be a good way for me to receive proper introductions.”
“An excellent idea, to be sure!” Lady Billings trumpeted. “I am at your disposal, Your Grace, if there’s anything you should need. Perhaps suggestions on who to invite.”
“I thank you kindly, my lady,” Justin replied. “Lady Cordelia has been absolutely indispensable to me in preparing things. At the moment we have matters well in hand, though I will certainly take you up on your offer should needs arise in the future.”
Lady Billings seemed to nod her head, pleased. “Yes, well, I did teach our Cordelia everything she knows. If Rhys were here, he’d be so pleased with how she’s getting on.”
Looking back at Cordelia, he could see that she’d tensed up at Rhys’s name. The color went out of her cheeks enough for him to notice the change. Was she not pleased with that man? Justin had not heard anything back from the earl, but he’d be happy to send him back to whatever Riviera he was currently stationed at.
“Lady Billings,” Portia piped up. “Will you tell me of how you planned the shooting weekends? I know you believe in a strict itinerary for your guests.”
Justin smiled to himself as he recognized the attempt to change the subject.
“Absolutely, my dear child,” Lady Billings said, launching the company into a discussion of whether port or brandy was better served in the courtyard after a hunting party returned.
Justin saw his chance. Standing up from the settee, he made his way over to where Cordelia and Bea were sitting, taking his place on a chair next to them.
“May I see it?” Justin asked, nodding to Bea’s embroidery.
“Oh,” Bea said, blushing from cheek to jowl. “It’s really not very good!”
“Bea,” Cordelia chided lightly.
Taking a deep breath, Bea stood and handed Justin the embroidery hoop. For a moment, he could not make out what the large triangular shapes were in the middle of the soft beige cloth, but with the bits of green and taupe dunes, he made a likely guess. “Are these the pyramids of Giza?”
Bea’s face lit up like a lamp. “Yes!” she replied, excitedly. “Menkaure, Khafre, and…”
“Khufu,” Justin finished.
Both Bea and Cordelia cocked their heads at him. A family trait, for Portia did it as well when she was interested in something. “I’ve been. Well, Mr. Peverill and I have, actually. It was nearly ten years ago.”
“Have you really?” Bea asked, clasping her hands together. “It’s a dream of mine to see them one day! Are they as big as they seem in person? Could you venture inside them? Perhaps—”
“The duke can only answer one question at a time, dearest,” Cordelia said. “And it is growing late.”
“Oh Lia! I’m not even tired!” Bea protested.
“Not to worry,” Justin said. “I think I have some architectural drawings of the pyramids, with all of their diameters at my home in London. I will share them with you sometime.”
“I would like that very much!” she replied.
Justin handed her back the piece of embroidery. “You’ve captured their likeness very well,” Justin said. “If you keep at it, we’ll find a place for it somewhere in this house.”
Bea smiled widely at that and then looked at her sister, an eyebrow raised. Cordelia simply laughed and asked her little sister to bid the duke goodnight. Bea curtsied a little clumsily and then was led out of the drawing room by a maid.
“She has been absolutely obsessed with the pyramids recently. Last year it was the coliseum in Rome,” Cordelia said, settling herself back down and arranging her skirts artfully.
“I can understand why,” Justin said. “Though I confess I haven’t made a tour of Italy. I only went where the army stationed me.”
“How long were you a soldier for?” she asked. Justin was surprised that she was making an effort to have a full conversation. On their ride earlier she was decidedly silent.Perhaps she’d tucked away her barbs for him… at least for the time being.
“Five years,” he replied. “And then I went back to Cambridge to earn my specialization in architecture. My professor was able to introduce me to a large firm in London.”
“Which firm is that?”
“Strauss, Gilroy, and Wright.”
