Elodie exchanged a look with Melody before speaking again. “How kind of him.”
“Indeed,” Edwina agreed.
Lady Dallington spoke up. “I think that is enough talk about the Season. We should discuss the particulars of the soiree this evening.”
“Why did you truly have to plan a soiree?” Elodie asked.
“To honor our esteemed guest, of course,” Lady Dallington replied.
Elodie lifted her brow. “And who is our esteemed guest, again?” she inquired with a teasing lilt to her voice.
Miles chuckled. “I must agree with Lady Elodie. I do not feel very esteemed.”
“You are a war hero, and the gentry will be eager to speak to you,” Lady Dallington pointed out.
He sobered. “No, I simply fought in the war. I am no hero, nor would I pretend to be such,” he argued, his voice much harsher than he had intended.
Edwina’s smile was weak, but genuine. “Regardless, it is not every day that our village is honored to meet someone who fought valiantly in the war.”
“I do not wish to give the illusion that I am something that I am not,” Miles said.
“Nor should you. But I do not believe you are giving yourself enough credit, my lord,” Edwina remarked as she held his gaze.
Miles let out a resigned sigh. “Very well. Then I will not turn away anyone who wishes to discuss the war with me.”
“Wonderful,” Lady Dallington said, clasping her hands together. “Lionel and I will be starting the dancing and Miles and Edwina will join in shortly thereafter.”
At that moment, Bennett stepped into the dining room. “Thank heavens, I lost the bet. That sounds truly dreadful.”
Edwina playfully narrowed her eyes at her cousin. “Are you in some way implying that dancing with me is dreadful?”
“Heavens, no, but dancing the first set when all eyes are upon you? It does sound quite terrible,” Bennett replied.
Elodie chimed in, “What bet did you lose?”
Taking a seat next to his sisters, Bennett explained with a smirk, “The winner of our pall-mall game had the honor of dancing with Edwina for the first set.”
“I consider it a privilege to dance with Lady Edwina,” Miles said.
Bennett’s smirk only grew wider as he replied, “Of course you do.”
With a glance at Edwina’s plate, Miles noticed that she had finished her breakfast. He stood and offered his hand to assist her in rising. “Shall we depart for the village?”
“Yes, please,” Edwina replied.
As he moved Edwina’s hand into the crook of his arm, Winston walked into the dining room and asked, “Where, pray tell, are you two going?”
“To the village,” Edwina informed him.
A skeptical expression came to Winston’s face as he asked, “Without a chaperone?”
“We shall be taking the open drawn carriage,” Edwina said. “It is perfectly acceptable for us to venture to the village alone.”
Winston turned to his mother for confirmation. “Are you allowing this?”
“I am,” Lady Dallington confirmed. “The rules of polite Society are more relaxed in the countryside.”
Winston didn’t look convinced. “Perhaps I should accompany them.”
