“Are you?” He caught her outstretched hand and squeezed. “Even so, you’ll always be Piccola to me.”
Emily drew out her sigh as if thoroughly exasperated. “Now, tell me why you’ve invited us out this morning. You never ride during the fashionable hour.”
“Aren’t you glad to see me?”
“Of course. Naturally, however, I am suspicious.”
Her furtive glance Caroline suggested she’d heard something inappropriate.
“Was that the Duke of Harbury I saw you riding with just now?” she asked, her expression sly.
“Yes. as a matter of fact. And he has agreed to join us on our outing to the Royal Academy. That is, if you approve, Caroline.”
He glanced over at Caroline, who didn’t appear to be listening.
He followed her gaze. With a start, he recognized the man who’d been at his table the prior night—the one who had a habit of being underfoot.
He was not in the flow of horses and carriages but walking along the grassy path beside the road. He appeared to be lost in thought as he passed. Caroline continued to stare after him.
“Caroline?” Adrian prompted.
Her head snapped back. “Pardon?” She blushed. “Did you ask me something?”
“No, but, as a matter of fact, there is something I’d like to ask. I invited Harbury to bring the Misses Wainwright on our trip to the Royal Academy. The eldest have come out this year and, I believe, there are three younger sisters, too. One is of age with Emily. Do you have an objection?”
“Please, Mama?” Emily asked. “I would like to become acquainted with other girls closer to my own age.”
Redver exchanged a bemused glance with Caroline.
Neither were more than ten years Emily’s senior. Then again, at Emily’s age, a difference of ten years might as well equal a lifetime. And Caroline had been “Mama” to Emily since Emily was in leading strings.
“Harburyandthe Misses Wainwright?”
He nodded. Clearly, she’d heard gossip, too.
“If you’ve no objection, I won’t offer one either,” she answered finally. “Only I’ve not been introduced to the Misses Wainwright.”
“Nor have I,” Redver said. “Easily and quickly remedied, however. Harbury has just gone over to speak with them. Shall we join them?”
By intent, Adrian led Caroline and Emily toward the opposite side of Lady Asquith’s carriage than the one Harbury occupied.
Adrian assumed the young lady sitting directly opposite the dowager was the one Harbury must court, in part because Harbury was looking down at her with an expression of consternation, and in part because Harbury had described her as meek.
The other sister, the one who’d given Harbury a very deliberate cut, well, there was nothing meek about that one. Though some of her expression was concealed by the bonnet,her lips were puckered in a way he interpreted as scorn for the condescension of her peers.
He’d felt the same often enough.
An odd, protective sense of affinity warmed him, strangely like what he’d felt for the Blackbird. He understood what it was to be adjacent to scandal and yet suffer under suspicion. Still, if this young lady didn’t soon learn to hide her less acceptable emotions, thetonwas going to eat her alive.
Perhaps they really could help one another.
He exchanged the necessary greeting with Lady Asquith. In turn, albeit reluctantly, Lady Asquith presented him to her wards. The bravest, as expected, turned out to be the eldest Miss Wainwright.
Adrian attempted to catch and hold her eye, but, after the too-brief introduction, she kept her gaze fixed on her hands. Why? She’d been bold enough to cut Harbury earlier.
By contrast Emily was the picture of effervescence. She immediately drew the Miss Cassandra into conversation, discovering in short order that the three younger Misses Wainwright were in search of a dance master.
“Oh, Mama! Might the Misses Wainwright join my lessons? It would be ever so much more fun with four of us!”
