Georgiana knew there would be a faint stain of pink on her cheeks, as there always must be when somebody thought to point out her most glaring fault.
“It is true,” Georgiana said, “I am often guilty of it. I must work harder to be…indirect?”
“I do not see why,” Lord Langley said.
“Nor I,” Lord Mendleton said. “I don’t like to talk in circles myself.”
Mr. Perry interrupted this very interesting conversation. “My lord and my lady, will you go through?” he said.
This, as far as Georgiana could gather, was the manner in which dinner was announced. A far cry from Manley Hall’s housekeeper, who only ever said, “It’s ready.”
The dinner hadprogressed very satisfactory to Georgiana’s mind. The house was grand enough to have two dining rooms—one for parties and one for the family. As they had been led into the smaller family room, the set up was quite cozy.
Lord Mendleton had been delighted to talk of horses through several courses and equally delighted that Georgiana knew enough to keep up her end of the conversation. There was a rousing discussion of the Byerly Turk and his sired line, the lord most enthusiastic as he’d recently purchased a young stallion sired by the Turk’s descendant, Selim.
Georgiana’s travels through her father’s library may not have ended in a well-rounded education, but as she had read every book on horses that he owned, she found she could keep up very well. Lord Langley was equally engaged, and it was only Lady Mendleton who had nothing to add.
As the last course came out, Lady Mendleton said, “That is quite enough of horses, if you please. We are not dining in a stable, after all.”
Lord Mendleton nodded, but did not appear too put out about it. Georgiana suspected that he often indulged in such talk, knowing that at some point his wife would put a stop to it.
Lord Langley said, “You are right, Mother. Especially since we have a guest. We should engage in more usual conversations.”
Lady Mendleton said, “Exactly what I would wish for.”
“I will ask Miss Wilcox about her journey,” Lord Langley said. “There cannot be a more commonplace topic.”
“It was most commonplace,” Georgiana said, “as the best journeys are.”
“Now we have abruptly come to the end ofthatconversation,” Lord Langley said. “Really, you must think of something, Miss Wilcox. Was there not a broken wheel or a moment when you were stuck in a muddy ditch or even a passing by of someone suspicious-looking that sent you the shivers?”
“I am afraid there was nothing at all,” Georgiana said. Of course, there had been something. A very great something, by way of encountering the poor king. However, she had told Jenny they ought not mention it to anybody and she thought she was right in it. It had been as if they had peeked around somebody’s curtains and viewed a private and embarrassing moment.
“Well, what now I wonder?” Lord Langley said. “I suppose we could move to the weather. It is always very reliable to predict rain.”
“I am certain Lord Langley has far more interesting things to talk about,” Georgiana said. “I understand you are a confidante of the queen, surely that must be fascinating.”
Lord Langley suddenly did not seem as jolly as he had been. “I would not be so bold as to raise myself to confidante, Miss Wilcox. I am only at Her Majesty’s service.”
“What is it you do for the lady?” Georgiana asked.
“Oh don’t bother inquiring into that, my dear,” Lady Mendleton said. “I have asked and asked and still know nothing.”
“It is of a confidential nature,” Lord Langley said. “Now,” he said in a more cheerful voice, “we’d best go back to horses, much to my mother’s chagrin. Father, what about this new stallion of yours?”
And so the subject was changed, and very deliberately, Georgiana thought. Whatdidhe do for the queen? What could it be that was so secretive?
She did not know, but she could not claim it in any way diminished him. In truth, it might make him even more dashing. He was handsome, and was engaged in something confidential for royalty, she supposed there could not be anything more interesting than that. She only wished she could have heard what it was.
The conversation never did drift back in that fascinating direction, though ithadlanded on which horse must be given over for Georgiana’s use. Lord Mendleton had suggested an older and very sedate mare named Biscuit that even Lady Mendleton was comfortable riding. Without thinking, Georgiana had claimed she would prefer something more lively and Lord Mendleton was not to think she could not keep her seat on even his most spirited horses. Minerva was quickly settled on, a young mare with an enthusiastic if sometimes unruly nature.
She wished she had not been so quick to speak! It was all well and good to manage her father’s horse while riding astride, but she had yet to be on a sidesaddle. As that was the case, she would have done better to have gone with the sedate Biscuit.
*
Ever since he’dworked for the queen to uncover the viper in the king’s midst, Jasper had made it his habit to have every newspaper in Town brought to his father’s library. There, first thing in the morning accompanied by coffee and rolls, he would scan each page, looking for news of the king.
All too often, there was some vague report somewhere. Usually, it was just speculation and that was not what he looked for. He sought descriptions of events that had actually occurred and would not be known unless somebody close to the king had told of it.
