How could she have forgotten that would be needed? “I will. Oh, I saw Lady Bellamny in the Park today. She said she would be sending an invitation to her soirée. I will see you soon.”
Clauson appeared as Henrietta reached the hall. “Let us go home.”
On the short walk back to Merton House she decided not to decide about the gentlemen. Dorie was a case in point that one should follow one’s instincts and not try to plan which gentleman one wanted. As for chaperoning, Henrietta should probably decide which entertainments would interest her grandmother. Dorie could chaperone her to anything else.
Henrietta went to her desk and pulled out a piece of pressed paper, dipped her sharpened pen into the standish, and began to write.
Dearest Grandmother,
Poor Lady Merton has broken her leg and cannot act as my chaperone. Would you be willing to accompany me to some of my entertainments?
Your loving granddaughter,
Henrietta
She wondered if she should be more voluble, but her grandmother generally liked directness. This would have to do. She sanded the letter, sealed it, and took it to be delivered by a footman to the Pulteney.
As she was getting ready to dress for dinner, a knock came on the door. Spyer answered it. “Her grace sent a verbal message. She said that she will accompany you to those of your entertainments you choose. You are to keep her informed.”
“Thank God for that.” When she went down to dinner she could tell her sister all was arranged. She had to ensure that the events Grandmamma attended with her were ones where she would not become bored. That meant some of her friends would be present as well. Almack’s was one choice, as was Lady Bellamny’s soirée. Neither of them would be for another few weeks. Henrietta would have to wait to receive invitations before she could make any other decisions.
CHAPTERTWENTY
The next morning Nate rose early, as was his habit, and donned the suit of clothing his valet had laid out for him. With Padraig at his side, he strode down the stairs and out the door, where a groom stood with Darragh. “Good morning.”
“A fine day for a ride, my lord,” the groom answered.
Nate’s timing couldn’t have been better. As he passed the far entrance into Grosvenor Square, Lady Exeter and Miss Stern, riding on either side of a phaeton driven by Lady Turley had turned onto Upper Grosvenor Street. When he came alongside of them, he tipped his hat. “Good morning, ladies.”
“Good morning,” they all answered at once, but the only voice he heard was Miss Stern’s. To his ears, her tone was lower and more musical than the others. “May I accompany you?”
“Of course.” She smiled at him, and his heart skipped a beat. The other ladies moved ahead, and she fell back and rode beside him. “I admire how your dog paces alongside you.”
“Yes”—he glanced at the wolfhound—“this is one of his favorite things to do, and he knows he must be very well behaved around Darragh.” As if he knew he was being talked about, Padraig looked up and lolled out his tongue.
Her head tilted slightly to one side, and Nate knew he had her attention. “You have Irish names for both horse and dog?”
“They’re both from Ireland. I went there looking for a horse. Darragh is a Trakehner Chestnut. I found him and a litter of puppies. They were probably the last or one of the Irish Wolfhounds left.”
She glanced at the horse and again at the dog, as if trying to decide which one to talk about first. “Is that not a horse breed originally from Prussia?”
“It is.” Her knowledge surprised him. “You must know your horses.”
Miss Stern’s laugh sounded like the tinkling of chimes. “My brother knows his horses. The youngest son of one of our neighbors was in the cavalry. When he came home in between assignments, he brought his favorite horse with him. My brother could talk of nothing else for at least a week.”
They rode through the gate into the Park. “I suppose he wanted one of his own?”
“He did indeed.” She smiled and shook her head. “My father said he would have to give up his horse if he wanted another one. That was something my brother was not prepared to do.”
“Not even for such a magnificent animal?”
“No.” The twinkle Nate look forward to seeing entered her lovely green eyes. “No one could take Perseus’s place.”
“I’m glad I didn’t have to make that decision.” He thought of his first horse. “I didn’t truly have a choice. I’d had Midnight since I was ten or eleven. He let me know most forcefully that he was ready to retire.”
Her smile widened. “How so?”
“He would stop in the middle of a road, or field, or anywhere else that was inconvenient, and refuse to go farther until he’d had a rest.” He grinned at her. “It got to the point that it took two days to visit my tenants. Finally my head groom told me about a breeder in Ireland who had a Trakehner for sale and convinced me to go take a look.”
