For now, he must just be certain Miss Dell knew he was in earnest.
Chapter Nine
Kitty had foundher thoughts going this way and that over Penny’s warnings. At one moment she was convinced that she’d been taken in by an expert scoundrel, and then the next minute questioning if it could be true that she was that gullible. Or that Lord Grayson could be that scheming.
By the afternoon, she had determined that she must know the truth. Penny had claimed that Lord Grayson quoted Shakespeare as a method, a means to impress. If that were so, he could not be intimately acquainted with all of the texts. He would only have collected a few phrases he might throw into a conversation.
She’d gone to her father’s library, found a selection of volumes, and taken them to her room. If Lord Grayson was a fraud, he would not know the origin of the quotes she unearthed and planned to throw at him the next they met.
She felt hurried, as she thought she might meet him again this evening, though she could not be certain of it. She might have an equal chance of meeting Sir John. A dinner was to be hosted by Lord Milton. Kitty knew him to be a member of the society, but then she also knew him to be a member of the Jockey Club, having encountered him at Newmarket. Both Sir John and Lord Grayson may have been invited, or neither of them.
If Lord Grayson were to attend, she would discover the truth.
She had laid the volumes across the desk in her sitting room and took upMeasure for Measure.She could not recall ever reading it and was certain it had not been done recently on the stage.
After flipping through the pages, she was more than certain. The plot was almost obscene and she certainly could not bring it up in a conversation. What an idea!
She moved on toTimon of Athens, Pericles, andTroilus and Cressida. If Lord Grayson were such an avid reader of Shakespeare, he would know them. If he’d merely written down some phrasings he found pleasing, he would not.
Kitty began readingTroilus and Cressidaand promptly laid the book down. There on the page—Things won are done, joy’s soul lies in the doing.Lord Grayson had said that precise thing to Sir John. It might very well be a coincidence that she happened upon a phrase he had put in his pocket.
She would focus her attention onTimon of AthensandPericles.
Some hours later,having listened to Lady Penderton’s advice on dining at Lord Milton’s table, Kitty and Frederick were in the carriage. According to Lady Penderton, Lord Milton’s footmen were over-attentive and would fill a person’s wine glass before it was half empty. Lord Milton thought it made for a jolly gathering. Lady Penderton said that was no doubt true, but she did not care to hear of any of her offspring havingtoojolly a time.
“Dalton will be there,” Frederick said, as the carriage rumbled over cobblestones, “and so I assume that means Grayson, too. I have heard those two are keen to attend any dinner that will have them as they don’t have a guinea between them.”
Kitty felt a little shiver at the mention of Lord Grayson. She scolded herself over it. She was not gullible and she had thoroughly prepared herself. If Lord Grayson’s spouting of Shakespeare had been a ploy, she would find it out. She had practically memorizedTimon of Athens, tedious as it had been. And, if she unmasked Lord Grayson as a rogue, she would make sure he understood he’d been found out.
“And what of Sir John?” Kitty asked. “Will he attend?”
“Possibly,” Frederick said, “Milton finds him particularly intelligent.”
Kitty only nodded and peered out the carriage window, pretending an interest in the people on sidewalks as she passed them by. Penny’s words came back to her over and over—the wonder of marrying a man well-suited. Penny said it was everything, absolutely everything. Sir Johnwaswell-suited to her. He had everything to recommend him. She must keep that idea in her thoughts. It would be foolish to dismiss a man out of hand, only because he did not make her heart beat faster.
“Is it down to them, then?” Frederick asked. “Dandified Grayson or dry as toast Sir John?”
“Nothing is down to anything!” Kitty said, turning away from the window. “Why should you say so?”
Frederick shrugged. “Those seem to be your admirers. At least, the ones you’ve appeared to take an interest in. Why not Jost, though?”
Kitty could not help but laugh. “Frederick, Mr. Jost has only been introduced to me and barely said a word. He has not even bothered to secure me for a dance.”
“He is…reticent, is all. With ladies. He’s a fine fellow, though!”
“I am sure he is,” Kitty said, smiling. “Though I would not know.”
“All I say is, there are plenty of gentlemen you might consider.”
“I am not considering anyone at this moment,” Kitty said, not entirely sure that was true.
Blessedly, Frederick’s inquiries came to an end, as they had arrived at Lord Milton’s house. His pressing questions had discomposed Kitty. Surely she was not seen as preferring anyone? That could not be. She did not know her own mind, why should anybody else presume to know it?
She comforted herself with the idea that Frederick had launched the conversation to introduce the idea of Mr. Jost. He was Frederick’s oldest friend and according to her brother, a very amusing fellow. Kitty thought he must be one of those gentlemen who was comfortably loquacious in the company of his own sex, but mute in the vicinity of a female. Poor Mr. Jost had so far had absolutely nothing to say to her and she very much doubted he ever would.
*
Much to Dalton’ssurprise, Giles had been ready to leave the house early rather than late. Though he would not tell Dalton for the world, he was intent on having a moment with Lady Milton to make any necessary adjustments to the seating arrangements at her table.
