Durward and the other remaining young man had risen to their feet, but the duke’s uninterested gaze focused briefly on Tabitha without recognition or warmth.He bowed very slightly from the waist, and Tabitha inclined her head.She felt stiff and...andhurt.
His cool gaze moved on as he acknowledged each of Louisa’s introductions in the same manner.
“The Duke of Isbourne,” she finished, rather like a conjurer at a fair.“He bears a message to you, Tab, from someone called Sir Hubert, but I am trying to persuade him to join our little party.Tea will be served any moment.Do sit down, your grace...”
She flitted off, taking an unnecessarily circuitous route back to the house, no doubt to spread the gossip of the duke’s arrival as she went.
The duke sat down in the vacant chair at the chaperone’s table.
Tabitha, for once, could think of nothing to say.Had he really brought a message from the magistrate whom she had told about the highwayman?Or was that a mere excuse to see her?Or Lily?
“Very pleased to meet your grace finally,” Durward said in his easy manner.“I have always accounted myself indebted to you for the princely sum of five guineas which I won in a wager at Oxford.”
The duke’s expressionless lips parted.“Over whether or not I would die there?”
Only Durward seemed immune from the chill shock of that.“Oh no, whether or not you were there at all!I glimpsed you through a guard of prissy old bores on Magdalen Bridge.”
Everyone seemed to hold their collective breath, waiting for his haughty grace to take offence.Behind Jack’s chair, Carily and his acolyte strolled past, blowing at the back of the ducal head.One of the youths on the blanket giggled.
Jack’s gaze met Durward’s.His lip twitched.“That would have been me,” he allowed.“Though I confess I do not recall you.”
“No reason why you should.You can’t have been there long, and I was in my final year.”
“We must have been in the same year,” Barty remarked.“I remember you too.”
“I’m only sorry we were not acquainted at the time,” the duke said graciously.Behind him, Carily and his friend, strolled past once more, closer this time, blowing audibly this time and creasing up with laughter.Everyone pretended not to see them, though Tabitha felt her lips tighten.“Does anyone else feel the draught of hot air?”
Tabitha laughed, and Carily coloured angrily to have been so neatly and so unanswerably reduced.Durward grinned at the duke, and the young girls looked bewildered, though Lily was frowning.
Perhaps Jack could deal with society’s snakes after all.He seemed to have judged to a nicety just how far to let Carily go without making fuss or complaint.She could almost see those who were nearby adjusting their opinions and expectations.Amelia gazed at him with new interest and Miss Saunders put on her best, sophisticated smile.
Tabitha glanced at the duke once more, and found his gaze on her face, still cool, still expressionless.
“Perhaps, Lady Sark, you will allow me to discharge my duty by Sir Hubert?”
“Of course,” she said, allowing only the faintest hint of curiosity into her voice.She waited.
“Then do accompany me to the arbour before tea is served.”He rose, moved toward her and even held down his hand to help her rise.
It was an oddly commanding gesture, which inevitably set her back up.On the other hand, she needed to know what he was up to.The faintest twitch of his brow acknowledged her dilemma, but there was no humour in his eyes.
Touching only the tips of his fingers, she rose.“Come, then, tell me all from Sir Hubert.”
She moved quickly toward the arbour, obliging him to catch up with her, although he seemed to accomplish that easily enough in one leisurely stride.
“Sir Hubert?”she murmured.“Really?”
“Indirectly.On my way down from London, I happened to hear of a highwayman captured in Sussex whose identity was causing some problems for the local magistrate.From curiosity—”
“Of course,” she murmured.
“From curiosity,” he continued as though she had not spoken, “I took a short detour to the home of the magistrate, one Mr.Dunwoody, and was happy to identify the prisoner as the highwayman who robbed me and no doubt tried to hold you up too.There had been some doubt involving an army officer, apparently, but my testimony appeared to remove that and this Whitey is now bound over to the assizes.”
“Did you get your horse back?”she asked lightly.
“No, the wretch must have sold him and spent my money.”
“You seem to have come in to some more.”
