Pippa sighed. “What if his answers are boring, Mama?”
“It doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters isyourreaction to them.”
Bridget fell silent as they entered the supper-room, a space bigger than the entire shop and rooms they’d occupied back home, with a long table set in the middle. Neat little cards indicated where each guest was meant to sit, and people were rounding the table, eyes peeled for their name on the little cards.
Lord Barwick and his mother had gotten ahead of them, somehow, and were standing by the table with thunderous expressions. Bridget hurried over to them, and Pippa was obliged to trail along in her wake.
“There’s been some mistake, I think,” Lady Henrietta said at once, flashing a tight-lipped smile. “Miss Randall’s place is here, but mine and my son’s place is across the table.”
Bridget stared down at the place settings. “But that can’t be right. I arranged this!”
Pippa didn’t bother to ask justwhather mother had arranged. She was too busy staring at her own name, written neatly on thick, creamy card. And, of course, she was looking at the name beside it.
Lord Nathan Whitmore.
I’m sitting next to Lord Whitmore,she thought, unable to hold back a shiver of pleasure.
Somebody cleared their throat, and they all turned to see Lord Whitmore himself standing there, a faint smile on his face. Beside Lord Barwick’s glittering finery, Lord Whitmore seemed a little duller, a little more drab, like a grey stone next to a vibrant gem.
But the comparison was not a bad one, in Pippa’s opinion. He made Lord Barwick seemtooshowy, like a gawky young man dressed up in gilt and paste jewels.
“I believe this is my seat, Lord Barwick,” Lord Whitmore said, smiling innocently.
Lord Barwick narrowed his eyes briefly, as if thinking of something to say. There was nothingtosay, however. Most of the other guests had taken their seats, and of course now was not the time for an altercation. Lord Barwick gave a brief, wordless bow, and slid away through the crowds, followed by his mother. Bridget muttered something under her breath and disappeared in search ofherseat.
That left Pippa and Lord Whitmore alone.
Well, not exactlyalone, not in a supper-room full of people, but it almost felt like theywerealone.
“You moved the place cards, didn’t you?” she said, not entirely sure where the words were coming from.
Lord Whitmore grimaced. “That rather depends.”
“Depends on what?”
“On whether you’re pleased at sitting next to me or not.”
She had to laugh at that. “Iampleased.”
“Then indeed, I did move them. Not personally, of course, but I knew that a little shuffling was going on.”
A slow smile spread across his face, a warm expression that made Pippa want to smile back.
They took their seats, being one of the last people to sit, and the first course began to be served. Soup, of course.
“It’ll be odd eating a meal with more than two courses,” Pippa found herself saying, even though Bridget hadexpresslyforbidden her from referring even obliquely to their poverty. “We’ve been eating very simple meals since before Papa died.”
“Frankly, I believe that is a more practical way of dining,” Lord Whitmore conceded. “This food looks delicious, to be sure, and I happen to know that our hostess does not let anything go to waste. But in many homes, the wasted food is quite shocking. When at home, with one’s family, why should we need four or five courses, when one or two is more than sufficient?”
She nodded. “I think the world would be a better place if more people were as practical as you, Lord Whitmore.”
He smiled wryly over at her. “I believe that the world might also be a less genteel place. I don’t much care for traditions and how thingsoughtto be done.”
She found herself smiling back, her soup cooling in her bowl. “I must agree. All of this,” she paused, gesturing to the fine supper-room and the food, “is very nice, but rather stressful, don’t you think?”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
There was a brief silence while they enjoyed their soups, but Pippa found her gaze drawn sideways more often than she would have liked. Once or twice, Lord Whitmore was already gazing her way, and he flushed when their eyes met.
