She glanced remonstratively at him before she thought better of it but did scoop a bite and tasted it. The look on her face hid nothing of her feelings. He wondered if she realized how expressive she was. His inner voice told him he’d like to put that look on her face himself, but then he quickly told it to be quiet. While he was conversing with himself, Joy’s head appeared over the side of the curricle.
“What flavour do you have, Faith? I have the lavender. Would you like to taste it?”
Soon, they were all on the ground. Hope had the lemon, Patience the vanilla, and Grace the pineapple.
Dominic, Rotham, Freddy, and Montford stood watching them as they shared and delighted in the treats in their unguarded innocence.
“Your peace has ended, Dom.” Rotham watched with undisguised admiration.
“Don’t I know it.” Rotham only knew the half of it.
“A crowd is beginning to gather,” Montford remarked. Dominic was well aware, but he knew it would happen. Even if the Whitford ladies did nothing more than exist.
“There is Lady Wilton and her two fusby-faced girls. She must be livid!” Freddy laughed. “Serves her right for all the times she’s put her daughters forward as though it’s our duty to admire them.”
“I would not call Lady Agatha fusby-faced,” Montford argued.
“It’s difficult to see past her remarkable personality,” Dominic agreed with no little sarcasm.
“It does not look as though she intends to be introduced.” Rotham lifted a hand to wave at the countess, knowing full well as a duke’s heir, she would not snub him. She did incline her head, and looked as though she was warring with her better judgement, but clearly not wishing to be introduced to Lord Westwood’s beauties won out.
“That must have been a difficult decision,” Rotham reflected. “She has intended me for Lady Agatha since I was in short pants.”
“Won’t it rankle when she hears they’ve already received vouchers?” Dominic asked.
“They have? However did you achieve such a thing before they’ve been introduced?” Montford asked.
“Apparently, Miss Whitford and Miss Hope saved one of Lady Jersey’s little rapscallions from the Serpentine.”
“How fortuitous.”
“Indeed. Here comes Brosner. This is better than any play I have seen recently,” Rotham reflected.
“I had a feeling it would be. Are his pockets still to let?” Dominic asked as they watched the handsome Marquess approach. Dominic did not particularly have anything against him, but as a guardian he had to be awake on all fronts.
“As rumour has it,” Montford said, “but he’s probably no worse off than I am. He does still like a good wager.”
Freddy had wandered off to help Joy with something. Dominic could not help but laugh. She would run circles around him if he let her. It did not seem as though it would do any harm. As long as Freddy was amused by the chit.
“Westwood,” Brosner said by way of greeting. “I see the rumours are true. God must have a wicked sense of humour.”
“Certainly something,” Dominic agreed coldly.
“Think you can fire all of them off in one Season?”
“Very likely, but I do not intend to.”
“No?”
“The youngest is not yet sixteen.”
“Pity. How many of them, then?” he asked, with a gleam in his eyes that Dominic did not like.
“The three eldest. You are not thinking to wager on my wards, are you, Brosner?”
“Can Westwood remain impervious? It certainly sounds like a good wager to me.” Brosner looked smug.
“You impugn my honour when you say such things.”
