“Who is coming out?” Frits asked as he came to stand next to his wife.
“Our potential daughter.” She smiled at him. “We were discussing one of the ladies who we believe is much too young to be in Polite Society.”
Turley took his place at Georgie’s side and appropriated her hand, placing it on his arm. The thought that she should really put some distance between them came to her again, but it felt so right having him next to her. If only he’d fall in love with her everything would be perfect.
“Let me take a guess,” he said. “Miss Lydia.”
Georgie was finally going to find out what he had said. “Do you have any idea why she became so quiet at dinner?”
“I might.” The devil placed his fingers over her hand, warming it in a way that a fire never could. “After telling me it would not takeheras long to wed as it had her older sister, I asked who she was marrying.” He stopped and looked at each of them.
“Well?” Frits asked.
“She is betrothed to the Duke of Leicestershire’s heir.”
Georgie almost rolled her eyes. “I think any mother or father would forgive a daughter being out for three years if at the end of it she had made such a good match.”
“Indeed.” Turley raised a brow. “I believe it was that realization that made her understand how foolish she sounded.”
“I can guarantee you,” Frits said, “that when my daughter comes out she will be far beyond making a cake of herself.”
They all nodded in agreement.
Adeline yawned, and Frits glanced around the room. “Do you see either Lady Turner or Mrs. Fitzwalter? We must go home before Adeline becomes too tired.”
“Lady Turner is next to the piano.” Turley motioned with his chin. “We will all go. That way no one can delay us.”
Georgie was ready to depart as well. She did not wish to be caught in any musical performances that usually occurred after dinner. It had been fun to attend the dinner, but it was time to return to Littlewood.
Frits signaled to one of the footmen. “Please call the Littleton coach.”
Once the servant left, they made their way to the piano where Mary Turner was arranging piano performances by the young ladies.
“We do apologize,” Adeline said. “I am growing tired and my husband insists on taking me home.”
“Yes, of course.” Mary moved them away from the group that had surrounded the piano. “I suspected that would happen.”
Several minutes later they drove through the gate and onto the road. Adeline slumped against the side of the coach. “All of a sudden I have lost all my energy.”
Georgie knew that her friend would be much happier with her head on Frits’s shoulder. “Frits, change places with me. That way you can take care of Adeline.”
Once they resettled and Adeline was comfortable, Georgie wished she could lean against Turley. Instead, she peered out the window. It was past ten and had been dark since six. “It seems so light.”
“It’s due to the combination of the road materials and the moon,” Turley remarked. “Littleton’s father found a Scottish engineer by the name of Telford who had a new way to build the roads. He convinced the neighboring landlords to rebuild all the roads to the villages and estates. After I saw how much better the roads were, I did the same thing at Rivercrest.”
Frits snugged Adeline closer to him. “It makes a great deal of difference when we have a lot of rain. The roads don’t become muddy bogs.”
Georgie gazed out the window again. “It’s almost as if the roads are glowing under the moonlight.”
“It does,” Turley agreed. “It will make traveling back and forth this week easier.” He put his fingers over the hand she had on the cushions. “Did you have an interesting conversation with St. Albans?”
Georgie grinned, but he probably couldn’t see it. They had not lit the inner lights. “I discovered that his mother is very much like Frits’s mother. She knows everything about everybody. And that he came to the house party as a favor to Lord Turner. He has no interest in marrying any time soon.”
“I had wondered why he was here.” She wanted to turn the hand Turley covered and clasp his fingers.
“Remembering what Frits went through last Season, I warned him to always keep a friend with him.”
Both men barked laughs.
