“The bottom flounce is coming loose. I think one of the gentlemen caught it.” She shook her skirt and, sure enough, there was a tear. “Will you come to the retiring room with me?”
“Of course.” Early on in the Season, Adeline and her friends had decided they would go nowhere alone, especially at a ball.
She told her sister-in-law, and she and Georgie set off to find the retiring room. Once there, they glanced around. Two rooms had been put together, and there were several screens set up for more privacy.
“This is a good idea.” Adeline led her friend behind one of the screens, where they found a chair, a table with pins and other items, and the expected chamber pot. “Stand here and I will pin it together.” She sat in the chair and began to repair the skirt.
The door opened, and two ladies came in talking. After they left, all was quiet for a few moments; then a lady said, “He is quite the most handsome gentleman in Town and my mother said he is as rich as the Golden Ball and old enough to marry without his guardian’s permission. Which the Golden Ball is not.”
Adeline stopped what she was doing and whispered to Georgie, “That’s Miss Hanson.”
Georgie nodded, and placed her mouth next to Adeline’s ear. “But who is the gentleman?”
Another lady tittered. That had to be Miss Archibald. “How are you going to get Lord Littleton’s attention? He only dances with a few ladies.”
“I am not going to dance with him.” There was a pause. Adeline and Georgie exchanged a glance. “After we are betrothed I will have all his sets. I am going to write him a note. Actually, I have already written it. When we leave here I shall give it to a footman to deliver. That is when I shall need your help. Once he leaves the ballroom, you must tell my mother that you think something is wrong and bring her to the shrubbery on the right side of the terrace.”
“But how do you know he will be there?” Miss Archibald asked.
Adeline realized she was holding her breath, then as silently as possible, let it out. “I have seen the way some of the matrons look at him,” Miss Hanson said archly. “If he thinks there is a possibility of a liaison, he’ll come.”
Skirts rustled, and the door opened and closed. Adeline rose on her tip-toes to look through the carved design in the screen. The other ladies had left. She had wondered what those looks meant. She still did not know all of it, but it had something to do with being alone with a gentleman. Nevertheless, even a rake did not deserve to be trapped into marriage. “What a horrible thing to do. I have heard of ladies attempting to coerce gentlemen into marriage, but I thought it never really happened.” To be honest, she believed her brother had been exaggerating. “I have to warn him.”
“I agree.” Georgie’s brows rose as she glanced at her skirt. “After you finish pinning the ruffle.”
“Yes, of course.”
Two pins later, Adeline left the room with her friend.
Once they had reached the ballroom, she searched over the heads of most of the guests. Fortunately, Lord Littleton was one of the taller gentlemen. Still, it took a bit of time before she located him speaking with Lord Turley.
“I found him.” She did not have much time before the next set, and her party was on the opposite side of the ballroom from Lord Littleton. She and Georgie skirted the side of the room, not stopping to talk to anyone.
Finally, they reached the gentlemen. “Lord Littleton.”
A smile formed on his lips, and she dragged her gaze from it. “There is a lady trying to trap you into marriage. If you receive a note, do not follow its directions.” The sounds of the quartet interrupted her. “I must go back. Promise me you will remain in the ballroom.”
Confusion clouded his green eyes. “I shall.”
Georgie plucked at Adeline’s sleeve. “We will be late.”
They made it back to their circle just as their partners for the next dance arrived. Adeline smiled brightly and curtseyed. “Lord Ailesbury.”
“My lady.”
Even though Adeline loved to dance, the next three sets were interminable. All she wanted to do was to explain everything to Lord Littleton, and she could not do that until the supper dance. She almost snapped at poor Lord Bottomley, who stepped on her toes as he was trying to look at Augusta. Mooning over her would not do him a bit of good. But he did not know that. And Adeline was very tempted to leave Lord Gray alone on the dance floor when he tried to switch places in a country dance to be closer to Lady Letitia. Granted she was pretty, and her lineage was excellent, but why he was interested in such a vain and superficial female, Adeline had no idea.
Lord Anglesey had been extremely attentive, even explaining his reaction to Maximus: “My dear Lady Adeline, I did not mean to upset you this morning. I adore dogs. I believe I was simply shocked to see such a large one.” He smiled shyly. “My mother had pugs, and my father had hunting dogs, but they are both much smaller than a Great Dane.”
She supposed that could happen. And he was being very contrite about his behavior. “I understand. They are quite large.”
“Indeed they are.” He gave her a charming smile. “They are also quite majestic. Do you not agree?”
“I do.” Maximus was magnificent. “They are very sweet.”
“Perhaps I should think of adding one to my household.” His blue eyes warmed as he gazed into hers. “But only if my future wife would like such a grand animal.”
Heat flooded her cheeks. Was he truly considering her? “Of course, the lady must be consulted.”
