As he was strolling toward his mother, Alvanley stopped him. “How is the wife hunting going?”
Merton struggled not to glance back at Miss Stern. “Slowly.”
“Well if you plan to get married this Season, you should stop wasting waltzes on squires’ daughters.” His friend stopped to take a pinch of snuff from his enameled box. “Care to try my new sort?”
Dom took the box and inhaled. “Too much Macouba.”
Miss Stern was a baronet’s daughter? He never thought to even ask, though who he could have gotten the information from he did not know. What else did his friend know?
“Though I suppose,” Alvanley continued, “you were forced to dance with her due to your relationship with your cousin.”
Merton raised a brow indicating his friend should continue.
“Old family. Had the property for centuries.”
The hairs on his neck prickled. Surely Alvanley was not interested in . . . “Indeed, why did you think to inquire?”
“Good-looking chit. Thought if her dowry made it worth the while I’d give it a go.”
“And does it?”
“No, just barely respectable. Not enough to tempt me to put on a leg shackle.”
God, Dom was holding his breath a lot tonight. He needed to find someone else to dance with so as not to make his dance with Miss Stern appear remarkable. “I see Lady Mary. I think I’ll ask her to join me in this set.”
Alvanley bowed. “Good hunting.”
He did ask Lady Mary to dance and Lady Jane. He avoided Miss Turley, even though her stare bore holes into him. Finally he decided it would be churlish not to stand up with her. He bowed. “May I have the honor of this dance?”
She smiled politely, but her blue eyes were hard as ice. “Of course, my lord. Such a good thing you waited until the evening was almost over, I would have had to refuse you earlier.”
“Then it is my good fortune to find you free.” He returned her smile. It was a dashed good thing he’d already decided not to marry her, else he’d probably not have discovered what a cat she was until it was too late.
After the set he returned her to her cousin. “I must go to my mother. She will wish to depart soon. I bid you a good evening.”
“I wish you the same, my lord.”
Elizabeth Turley watched Merton weave his way through the crowded room. “What am I to do, Lavvie? Papa has his heart set on Merton.”
Her cousin, Lavinia, Lady Manners, sighed. “He does seem to have cooled. You may have to think of something drastic.”
“Such as?”
“Hmm.” She tapped her fan against her cheek. “Perhaps something that would require him to marry you.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes for a moment. Lavvie’s idea would never work. “You do know his reputation? He is so stuffy, he made his mistress dress in high-necked gowns and would only buy her subdued jewels.”
“How on earth do you know about that?” her cousin squealed. “You are not supposed to know anything about mis—that sort of female.”
“Hush, you’ll draw attention to us. How do you think I heard? My brother told me. Gavin was at Oxford with Merton.”
Lavvie fluttered her fan. “Gavin should not speak to you of such things.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “He only told me because he has seen my interest in Merton.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Someone has to pull us out of River Tick.”
“Would Gavin help you with Merton?”
“No.” Elizabeth shook her head. “My brother doesn’t like him. Gavin says he’s a dry stick and would make me unhappy.”
