“I hope to see you again soon.” Lady Montagu glanced at her son. “We must not keep the horses waiting.”
Alice was glad her twin had asked him if he was one of the gentlemen they had seen riding. He also seemed very interested in Eleanor. The only question now was the identity of the other man, and if they could rise early enough to meet them at the Park.
Madeline whispered something to Eleanor.
“What?” They left the supper room and were strolling to the front door.
Had she really not noticed how his gaze was focused on her? “The way Lord Montagu looked at you.”
Eleanor frowned at Alice. “How did you hear her?”
“I did not.” She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I knew what she was going to say because I thought the same thing.”
“I will be very surprised if he can tell us apart.” Eleanor snorted lightly. “A great many people will not be able to do so.”
She had a point. Then again, if he was the right one, he would be able to see the difference. Even if they did look almost exactly alike, they were not identical twins. “It is a shame we are past the age of pretending to be each other.”
“But if he can.” Madeline looped her arm with Eleanor’s. “It means that he sees you. That you are not just some young lady.”
“Perhaps.” Eleanor did not sound convinced. “We shall see. Remember neither Louisa nor Charlotte married the first gentlemen they met.”
“Very true.” Alice took her twin’s other arm. “But simply because they did not, does not mean you will not.”
“As I said, we shall see.” Clearly Eleanor was not willing to be convinced.
“He must have the funds to support a family,” Madeline mused. “Otherwise, Matt would not have introduced him.”
That was a very good point. None of them had thought about that when they had made their list.
“I am not falling in love at first sight.” Eleanor pressed her lips together. “He has many more qualities to meet.”
“So it begins.” Strolling in front of them, Matt groaned.
Grace patted his arm. “They have become shrewd ladies.”
Alice grinned as she exchanged looks with her sisters. Grace seemed certain of them, but Matt needed more convincing.
He helped them all into the coach and took the seat next to Grace. “What did Lady Bellamny say? I remember Louisa telling us she thought she’d look at her teeth.”
“Not much,” Madeline began to tell him, and Alice and Eleanor added to what she said.
In the coach light, Grace’s smile could be seen. “I think it was a matter of like recognizing like. I was very proud of the way the girls held their own under that gaze. Most of the young ladies would have started weeping.”
“More than one of them did have tears in their eyes. One was weeping.” Alice glanced at her twin. “What was her name?
“Melissa,” Eleanor said.
“Yes, that was it. Then another one, she and her friend want to marry gentlemen who live close to each other so that they will not have to be apart, was dabbing away tears as well.”
Grace took a breath and let it out. “Either Miss Tice or Miss Martindale. Their older sisters wanted the same thing.”
That was interesting. “Were they successful?”
“As it happens, yes they were,” Grace said. “You should ask Henrietta about them. One set of Martindale-Tices came out when she did.”
It would be nice if they could ask her.“We haven’t seen her since last summer.”
“Dotty has invited us to Easter dinner.” Grace said. “You will see her then.”
