Abney bowed. “Those are for you, my lady. Her ladyship said you may read the note.”
She did not require a note to tell her they were from Lord Littleton. After what he had said, she would have been shocked if they were not. “Thank you.” Picking up the opened missive, she noted his strong hand. Fortunately, instead of writing a poem or an extravagant message the way some of the other gentlemen did, he simply wished that she would enjoy the blooms.
“Would you like them taken to your chambers?”
No! She almost shouted the word. She did not need his flowers in her bedchamber. They were too beautiful to be relegated to the drawing room, but she did not wish to think about him more than she already did. “Please put them in the morning room.”
“As you wish, my lady.”
She pulled out the hatpin from her bonnet but did not remove it. She wasn’t going to be stuck inside on such a lovely day. “I shall be in the garden, reading.”
And trying to forget about her waltz with Lord Littleton that evening.
She must begin focusing more on Lord Anglesey. It appeared as if he might be interested in her. Yet, despite his golden good looks, he didn’t affect her the way Lord Littleton did. And that was a problem she did not need. On the other hand, she had spent much more time with Lord Littleton. She would simply have to do the same with Lord Anglesey.
* * *
“Did you see them?” Annis Watford said to her friend and ally, Cristabel Littleton. As children, their families’ estates had shared a border, and the houses stood near the boundary. Their mothers had been great friends, and they had grown up together. Their mothers had attempted to arrange a match between Annis’s older brother and Cristabel, but they could not be in each other’s company without insulting each other and the idea died.
“Yes. If he has any sense at all, he’ll take her to Gunter’s. I meant to suggest it to him earlier, but I forgot.” Cristabel glanced at Annis. “You did tell me she has not been there yet?”
“She has not even had ice cream in years. I am not sure she would remember eating one. We never think about making them.” Annis focused on the carriages around them. It would not do to be behind in greeting people. “I do hope they will make a match of it. I do not remember the process being so hard when I was young.”
“Our parents arranged our matches,” Cristabel reminded her drily.
“They did, but you must give them credit. They looked to see which men attracted us and were attracted to us.” Annis still sighed when she thought of the first time she had seen William.
“You have a point.” Cristabel brought a lace-trimmed handkerchief to her eyes and dabbed. “I knew Edmund was for me the moment I saw him staring at me.”
Reaching over, Annis squeezed her friend’s hand. “I know you miss him.”
“I do.” Cristabel blew her nose. “But now it is time to see Frits married, and I agree. I think he and Adeline are perfect for each other. If only it was not for Dorie Calthorp.”
Annis waved to Lady Bellamny before asking, “What does she have to do with anything?”
Cristabel looked taken aback. “You really do not know what occurred?”
Annis shook her head. “When we’re in Town we usually only attend the political events. This is the first year I’ve been to anything but those. Even so, I have been relying a great deal on my son and daughter-in-law to chaperone Adeline.”
“Frits raised her expectations last Season, then realized at the last moment the match would not work. To make a long story short, he went home.”
“Cristabel!” For a moment, Annis was too shocked to speak. “How could he have done such a thing? Surely he knew better.”
Her friend’s lips formed a moue and she sighed. “It was not well done of him. Yet, in his defense, his attentions were not so particular that he raised the interest of the ton. Dorie is just like her mother, and it took him longer than it should have to realize that they were not meant for each other.”
“Ah, I believe I understand. The difficulty now is that Adeline met Dorie almost immediately upon arriving in Town, and they are friends.” That did make things more difficult. “My daughter is extremely loyal, but if we arrange things so that they are together more often, perhaps the attraction will become too strong for her to ignore. I do think she is, despite everything, interested in him.” Annis smiled. “The dog helps too.”
Cristabel chuckled. “Our thinking aligns. Oh”—she patted Annis’s arm—“I also spoke with Sally Huntingdon. She has always liked Frederick but never thought he was the right gentleman for Dorie. She is of the opinion that Exeter would make a much better husband for her daughter. They have more in common.”
“Now that you mention it, I can see that.” Annis grimaced. “I live in daily dread that Adeline will insist on going back to the country.”
“I am positive the only thing keeping Frits in Town is your daughter.” Shaking her head, Cristabel shrugged. “He can go years without showing his face here for more than a week or so.”
“Yet another reason we should see them wed before the Season is over. They can both return to the country and the animals.” If only Annis could find away to convince her daughter to set aside her loyalty to her friend. That, though, would not be easy to do. She and Cristabel would have to have a meeting with Sally Huntingdon. Annis had the feeling it would take the combined efforts of all the mothers to bring off this match.
* * *
Later that evening, after the second set had ended, Adeline noticed Georgie glancing down at her gown. “Is something wrong?”
