Elspeth managed a small, tight smile. “I believe I can manage, Yer Grace. I am, after all, a quick study,” she assured with a flirtatious wink.
She watched him clench and unclench his hands at his sides, which filled her with immense satisfaction.
Let him squirm.
His response encouraged her to walk ever so slightly ahead of him, swaying her hips from side to side. She knew that her dress was perfectly tailored to her every curve, and better yet, she felt it. She twirled this way and that as she slowly drifted away from him, making her way toward an acquaintance she had met earlier in the Season.
“Good luck, Lady Inverhall,” he called from behind her.
She did not turn back.
While she could not see his face, she knew that he was fuming.
This night will be perfect.
“My dear Lady Inverhall,” the Earl of Pemberton said as he met them, his eyes twinkling over the rim of his champagne flute. “I must confess, I did not expect such a spirited debate on the finer points of crop rotation from a young lady. It is most refreshing!”
Elspeth gave a smile, a genuine one that reached her eyes as she took a confident sip of champagne. “Me family’s home isnae so vast as what ye have here, Me Lord, but the weather affects us all the same. One learns to pay attention to Maither Nature.”
“Indeed.” He chuckled. “Paying attention does seem to be half the battle in almost all things. You, my dear, I find myself quite taken with. I suppose the younger generation’s newfound pragmatism. A far cry from the wilting lilies who had come out in recent years.” He raised his glass. “To the future of the Highlands, and to a mind as sharp as a newly honed dagger.”
Elspeth clinked her glass against his, her heart warming at the unexpected compliment. “And to ye, Me Lord, for yer patience with me questions.” She paused, then added with a confident smile, “Deoch-slàinte mhath!”
The Earl’s eyebrows shot up in delighted surprise, and he repeated the toast with a booming laugh. “Deoch-slàinte mhathindeed, Lady Inverhall! Do forgive the pronunciation.”
“It was wonderful!”
“Whatever does it mean, though?”
“Good health,” she explained with a wide smile.
“You continue to surprise me, and you are a delight. Please, enjoy this lovely occasion I have chosen to throw for some blasted reason. Ah, yes, my lovely wife,” he said as the Countess sidled up to him.
“Please tell me, has my husband been boring you terribly? A young lady like you—why, you must be the catch of the ton!” the Countess gushed, the intricate feathers adorning her wild hair quivering.
“Nothin’ of the sort, Lady Pemberton,” Elspeth said with a small curtsy.
“In fact, I know just the person to introduce you to.” The Countess pulled her close. “Come with me, dear. I will find you a dance partner for the evening if nothing else! I see my friend’s son. Tell me, do you know Lady Featherstone?”
“I cannae say I have had the pleasure,” Elspeth cooed. “Please, if ye would be so kind to introduce us, Me Lady.”
“Oh, Lady Featherstone,” the Countess called as she pulled Elspeth across the dance floor to the most ostentatious woman she had ever seen. “You simply must meet Lady Inverhall. Lady Inverhall?—”
“It is a delight to meet the Scottish lass who has captured the ears of all the ton,” Lady Featherstone said, approaching Elspeth with wide eyes.
She held a large, ornate feather fan in her hand that she fluttered wildly, jiggling her large bosom.
“And I am glad to meet ye as well, Lady Featherstone,” Elspeth said, suppressing a laugh at the sight. “Are ye here alone this evening? I have heard ye have a most charmin’ son.”
“I most certainly do, but unfortunately, he is out of town on business.” Lady Featherstone grabbed two flutes of champagne from a passing tray. She drank one quickly and held the other in her hand. “One never knows when the servers will pass at these events, and some of the lords hoard all the good champagne. One must always be prepared!”
“Indeed,” Lady Pemberton muttered, her back stiffening.
“Oh, I did not mean you do not have enough!”
“Of course,” Lady Pemberton said with a sneer. “If you will excuse me, Lady Inverhall. I am required elsewhere.”
“Some people are so sensitive,” Lady Featherstone whispered to Elspeth, her breath stale from champagne. “You know how hard it is, girl. I have heard the stories of your wild ways; they have followed you all the way from Edinburgh. But I must say, you look every bit the lady tonight.”
