Page 37 of Her Royal Houseguest

‘We should expect a great number of visitors today,’ she said, her tone suggestive.

‘Hmmm?’

‘Everyone will want to hear about the Siamese. And “everyone” will likely include Lord Patrick.’

‘Oh.’

That was all she could manage. Lord Patrick was her one and only suitor. Her mother thought she had a chance with him because the man was Irish and therefore less likely to wince at Anna’s curse. After all, his family was poor because of a fairy curse generations ago, or so he’d told her father who had relayed it to her mother who immediately let it be known that they would entertain his suit for Anna’s hand.

It helped that he had a great deal of coin now thanks to his employment by the East India Company.

No one had consulted Anna. But then beggars couldn’t be choosers, so she had walked with him in Hyde Park and danced with him at two different balls. What she learned over that time was that he was pleasant. Nothing more, nothing less.

And maybe ‘pleasant’ was enough to form a marriage. But it was no pirate risking all to save his one true love.

‘I’ll change my clothes right away,’ she said.

‘Wear something cut low in front. He’s not very tall, so help him look down.’

Anna sighed. No one told the pirate’s one true love to help him gape at her breasts.

‘Yes, Mother.’

She changed and made sure everything was prepared. It was. Both Stanier and Mrs Barker knew the duchess cherished her salon above all things. But even so, no one was prepared for the deluge of high society that knocked on their door.

Everyone who had ever claimed an acquaintance visited. Her mother’s friends were of the older generation and had been the first to arrive. But very soon every lady and gentleman of the ton arrived, all claiming a long-standing friendship with Anna. And everyone wanted news of the Orientals.

Mama loved it. She glowed at the attention while Anna was left to see that everyone’s tea was served, everyone had an adequate chair and every cake or sandwich in the house was available.

She was at her wit’s end when Phoebe appeared.

‘I cannot believe this crush!’ Phoebe said when she finally made it to the parlour door. Or so Anna guessed, given that the words were mouthed, not spoken aloud.

Rather than find the woman a seat, Anna grabbed her friend’s arm and steered her out of the parlour.

‘Anna!’ her mother called. ‘Where are you going? I believe that’s Lord Patrick coming up the walkway now.’

Damn. No way to escape now.

‘I have a message for Phoebe. It’ll only take a moment.’

Phoebe’s eyes danced with excitement as she tried to look out the window. ‘Is he finally coming up to scratch?’ she asked. ‘Will you accept him?’

‘Shh!’ Anna said as she pushed her friend to the side. Phoebe already knew the answer was a resounding, ‘I don’t know!’ The girl couldn’t resist hoping for a love story. Neither could Anna but that didn’t seem to be in the cards for her.

‘He’s very handsome, isn’t he?’ Phoebe pressed.

They’d been over this before. ‘Handsome’ was not enough of a reason to marry. Plus, between the two of them, Phoebe was the one more distracted by looks than Anna. Rather than answer, Anna went straight to the point.

‘I need your help with the monks.’

Phoebe’s eyes widened. ‘Really?’ Interest vibrated in the word.

‘Yes. Really. I can’t trust anyone else to not pester the man. He wants to see some of the sights but he…’ She shook her head. ‘That saffron robe sticks out.’

Phoebe nodded. ‘Yes, it does. But you know I am going to pester him.’

‘Not in the way everyone else will. You know how to be polite.’