“No wonder she turned you down.” Rupert chuckled again. “Not to mention how awkward she would have felt remaining Lady Beresford.”
“There is that.” Nick grimaced. “Looking at it from your point of view, it almost seems as if Edgar used me to insult her from the grave.”
It was time to stop the man from offering for Vivian again. “I think you can leave her ladyship to me.” Rupert drained the rest of his ale. “Now that I know what I’m up against, I’ll figure out a way to deal with it.”
Nick stared as if he couldn’t believe what he had heard. “You really do care deeply about her?”
“More than I ever thought possible.” And Rupert was sure she was beginning to feel affection for him as well.
His heart ached for her and what she must have suffered. His mother had been ignored by her husband, but that was exactly the way she had wanted it. He could not imagine the pain Vivian must have suffered being compared to a woman her husband considered the love of his life.
Rupert knew, not from experience but from watching other married men, that once they fell in love, their wives were beautiful to them, no matter what others thought.
His grandmother had told him everyone had their match. He just had to prove to Vivian he was hers.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Silvia sipped her cup of chocolate. A tray with toast, a pot of jam, and two poached eggs lay across her lap.
Her lady’s maid, Hattie, rummaged around the dressing room gathering Silvia’s clothing for the next few hours. It was ridiculous how many times a day the fashionable in London changed their garments. Although it did provide much needed employment. Come to think of it, the entire way thetonlived appeared to support a great many people.
She tried to focus on the greater issue of the poor, to no avail. Unfortunately, ever since Nick had asked her to dance, she could think of little else. Try as she might, Silvia could find no way to get out of it. If only she didn’t know him so well, the cur. If she pretended to be ill this evening, he would only ask until he caught her without a dance partner.
She didn’t know what devious scheme he was plotting, but there was no way she would allow him to make a dupe of her again. Once was quite enough for a lifetime. Thank you very much.
She picked up a piece of toast and took a bite, chewing slowly.Drat, drat, drat.Why couldn’t she find a workable solution?
What she needed was a long walk to clear her head. Eying the white muslin day gown hanging on the wardrobe, she swallowed the toast. “I shall need a walking gown.”
“Yes, miss. Don’t forget you have an appointment with her ladyship to go shopping.”
“I won’t.” So much for alongwalk. “I shall also require a footman.” At home she tramped all over the country without an escort, or with Hattie. Here in London, she was required by Lady Telford to have a footman for walks, and a groom to ride out.
What would happen if Silvia took her ladyship into her confidence and told the lady why she didn’t wish to stand up with Nick? No, that was too risky. Silvia had vowed to herself never to tell anyone what had once been between her and Nick. Before he had returned to Beresford, she was sure she’d got over him. Yet being around him made the pain he had caused her come rushing back.
Her hands curled into fists. If she were a man she would have challenged him to a duel or hit him in the eye or something gruesome. Of course, if she were a man, none of it would have happened.
“If you want to have any time to walk, miss, you’ll need to finish eating and get out of bed.” Hattie poured water into the porcelain washing bowl. “I’ll send a message to have a footman waiting.”
“I’m coming.” Silvia finished her breakfast in short order. There was no point starving herself because of the blasted man. By the time she had washed, her maid was back, ready to help her dress. “How much time do I have?”
“About an hour.”
“I’ll be quick.” She adjusted her bonnet, tying the bow off to the side. An hour was enough time to make it to the Serpentine, the river that snaked through Hyde Park, and back.
Several minutes later she entered the Park from the east end and lengthened her stride. Silvia was almost to the water when she heard Lord Oliver call her name. What the deuce was he doing up at this hour?
Biting the inside of her lip, she stopped. “Good morning, my lord.”
His eyes were rimmed with red, and there was evidence of a cut on his jaw. Surely he didn’t shave himself, yet his garments appeared thrown together as well. He gave her a polite smile. “Good morning to you.”
“I’m surprised to see you strolling so early.”
“Allow me to escort you.” Without waiting for her answer or responding to her question, he took her by the elbow, and the unpleasant scent of gin almost made her ill. “Where are you going?”
Not where she was before. “Back to Mount Street. I would not wish to take you out of your way.”
“No problem at all.” He began ambling back the way Silvia had just come, at a much slower pace than she preferred. “I am glad to have seen you. Will you reserve the supper dance for me this evening? I believe there is only one ball scheduled.”
