Or perhaps not. The thought saddened him. “When have I ever lied to you?” Aside from a moment ago, that was. “We were friends. Can we not be friends again?”
Her azure gaze softened. “You would be satisfied with that?”
There was nothing for it. He was going to have to lie again. “Yes.”
“In that case”—a tentative smile graced her lovely pink lips. Lips he had kissed only once—“we may be friends.”
Richard sucked in a breath and gave thanks to several deities he had come across over the years. “Thank you.” He made a show of surveying the room. “I am a bit rusty. Whom do I escort into dinner?”
Pae glanced around, and he could see her calculating the ranks. Then she seemed to slow. “Me.” She stared at him as if she could hardly believe it. “You will escort me.”
“Excellent.” Suddenly she looked like a startled hare. He had to think of something quickly before she found an excuse to bolt. “At least I’ll be sitting next to one person I know. I am out of the practice of making polite conversation.”
“Oh, yes. Of course.” Her shoulders dropped, and her expression returned to one of well-bred calm. “Why do I not introduce you to some of the other guests?”
Because he didn’t care about any of them. “Thank you. I would enjoy broadening my acquaintances.”
He spent an interminable half an hour being introduced to Lord and Mister this and Lady and Miss that. When all he wanted to do was talk toher. How the devil was he going to get Pae alone?
The answer it turned out was that he was not. He did, however, discover that she loved to ride in the Park during the Grand Strut. Not that she told him, but he’d become very good at listening to one conversation while engaged in another.
After dinner, when the gentlemen joined the ladies for tea, he took his cup and joined the circle of guests with whom she was standing. One gentleman, a latecomer to the dinner party, opened his mouth, and before the man could issue an invitation to Pae, Richard jumped in. “Lady Worthington, would you accompany me for a ride in the Park tomorrow?”
The other man glowered at him, and he resisted the urge to preen.
“Yes, that would be lovely.” Again there was that disconnect between her words, mien, and her eyes. What had happened to the joie de vivre that had been part and parcel of Pae?
“It appears I must request the following day,” the other gentleman said.
“Sir Grant,” Pae responded gently, “I regret that I must refuse your kind offer. I am only accompanying Lord Wolverton because he is an old family friend.”
“You may as well find out now rather than make a cake out of yourself,” Lady Bellamny said in her usual acerbic manner. “Lady Worthington does not ride out with gentlemen.”
“I see,” the man said smoothly.
Yet it was clear that Sir Grant did not understand at all. Although Richard was beginning to, and it did not please him at all. Pae may have children, and position, but she had turned into a shriveled-up old maid. What had happened to the vibrant lady she had once been?
Chapter Three
Patience had never had such a horrible time at a dinner party in her life. There was Richard, who confused her to no end. First by saying he had come for her, which would have thrilled her beyond belief when she was younger, but could cause a plethora of problems in her current life.
Then he had said he would settle for being merely friends. That, she was almost certain, was an outright falsehood. Yet he had not said or done anything to distress her during the rest of the evening. That was something she should be grateful for, she supposed.
And there was that dreadful Sir Grant. Why Sally Jersey would have even invited the man, Patience had no idea. He was handsome to be sure, but the devil was a rake. She could tell by the way he had almost undressed her with his eyes when he thought no one was looking.
Well, if he thought to toy with her, she would quickly put him in his place. He would not be the first gentleman, using the term loosely, she had spurned. She had too much to lose. Her children being the most important.
Her exile to the country had ended five years ago when her year of mourning had concluded. During her marriage her husband had not allowed her to come to Town at all. It was definitely not the life she had envisioned when old Lord Worthington had proposed.
Since then, she had worked long and hard to be in the position she was now: respected and sought after fortonevents. There was even a chance that she would be invited to be a patroness of Almack’s. Considering that she had essentially disappeared from Polite Society during her first Season until after her period of mourning had ended, it was quite a coup that she commanded the respect she did. Never again would she allow herself to be left on the fringes of Polite Society. Nor would she allow herself to fall from grace. A scandal would destroy all she had worked for, not to mention harm her daughters’ chances for a good match.
She gave herself an inner shake. There was truly nothing to be concerned with. Her life was perfect. Or had been until Richard Wolverton had shown up.
An urge to groan came over her. Why in the name of heaven had she agreed to a carriage ride with Wolverton? Just the thought of being next to him for an hour or so made Patience warm enough to apply her fan.
“My lady?” Wolverton’s soft voice caressed her. “Would you like to step outside? It is quite warm.”
It was, but not for the reasons he probably thought. “A stroll round the room will be sufficient. I would not like to catch a chill.”
