“When you decide to wed, I suggest you warn the lady you choose.”
His lips were suddenly too close to her ear and a shiver ran down her neck. “If she can frighten a lady, then that lady is not meant for me.”
Theo shook off the feeling. “I suppose you are correct. She will, after all, be a duchess.”
“The first thing she has to be is a strong woman who is true to herself.”
Theo’s jaw almost dropped. She had never thought to hear such a sentiment from him. Yet, there was no time to respond. They had just reached Lady Thornhill, and Grace was waiting.
“My lady.” Grace motioned Theo forward. “Please meet my sister, Lady Theo Vivers.”
Lady Thornhill was a tall, slender woman dressed in a long red robe covered with flower embroidery. Her silver hair was apparently held up with sticks. She looked very much like some of the paintings Theo had seen on Chinese vases. “I am delighted, my dear. You looked very much like your sister Rothwell.”
“Thank you, my lady.” Theo was happy to be able to give a genuine smile. “I am looking forward to seeing your artifacts.”
Lady Thornhill laughed lightly. “I must admit some of them are quite old, other things are what we thought interesting without regard to age.” She glanced at Chandos. “You must be the Duke of Chandos. Your mother said you were escorting Lady Theo.”
Smiling, he bowed and took her ladyship’s hand. “It is my privilege to be allowed to escort her, my lady. I am also delighted to meet you.”
Pink colored Lady Thornhill’s cheeks. “You, sir, are making me blush.”
Lord Thornhill, who had been silent until now, chuckled, and put his hand on his wife’s arm. “No flirting with my lady. You save that for the young, unmarried ones.”
She tapped his arm with her fan. “Reginald.” Before Theo and Chandos left, Lady Thornhill leaned over to Theo and whispered, “Keep that one.”
If they had had time, Theo would have assured her ladyship that she had no designs on him, but Grace was motioning for them to move along.
Leo had caught what Lady Thornhill said to Theo. And he’d seen her expression of surprise. She really did not know he intended to make her his wife. He’d suspected it, but that look of surprise impressed it upon him as nothing else had been able to. His mother, who was speaking with a matron who was accompanied by a young lady, attempted to get his attention. He’d told her he wasn’t interested in meeting other women, and, it appeared, she had decided to ignore him. He inclined his head to acknowledge her, and moved on, staying close to Theo and Lady Worthington.
Footmen carried around various drinks and foods. He secured Theo a lemonade and himself a glass of claret. Shrimps that had been coated with some kind of batter and held together by sticks were offered and they both accepted. He glanced around. The large hall reminded him of a medieval castle with rooms and corridors off of it. Each room was decorated differently. “Where shall we begin?”
Theo chewed and swallowed. “These shrimps are excellent. I wonder what the batter is. It is very light.”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I suppose we could ask. Does one parlor speak to you over another?”
A footman arrived, and she deposited the stick on his tray. “Let us start at the first room and visit them in order.”
That was his Theo. Ever organized. “The blue room it is.” As they walked in, he was immediately transported to Greece. “I can’t believe this.”
“What?” Her lapis eyes gazed up at him.
“The mural on the wall looks exactly like some of the villages I visited in Greece.” He strolled around, amazed that the inside of a house had been brought to life. “The pots and textiles, the floor and wall tiles. They are all authentic.”
Theo’s eyes widened as she scanned the room. “They really made a room that replicates a Greek house?”
He nodded. “The furniture. Everything.”
The expression of amazement on her beautiful face made him want to hold her in his arms. “I would love to see this in Greece.”
“You should have the opportunity.” Leo had, of course, heard about her nieces’ plans for a Grand Tour. He now wished she’d had the opportunity. “Shall we visit another country?”
“Yes.” Her face was bright with excitement. “Let us.”
It was as if they were moving around the Mediterranean countries. Then they left Europe and moved to Egypt, India, and Asia. From what he could see, the most complete parlors were of Japan and China. When did the Thornhills do all that traveling?
Leo and Theo were in India when Kenilworth and his wife found them.
“We have been searching for you,” Lady Kenilworth said.
