Why would Lady Isabel give pointers to Lymington?
What a stupid thing to ask himself. He perfectly well knew why. She attempted to make him into something she could tolerate. Which meant she was considering him very seriously.
“Do you court the lady, then?” Harry asked.
“Court? Like marriage?” Lymington asked, his face screwing up in great concentration.
“Yes, like that,” Harry said.
“Court. I hadn’t thought…it’s a rather good idea, though. You have done me a service, old fellow!”
Blast. The fool had not thought of it until he put the idea into his head. Lymington was not the only fool then, he had himself just done something extraordinarily idiotic.
“My mother goes on and on about marriage,” Lymington said. “Every time I go home, my father and I are having a comfortable conversation about the stables and in she comes withwell, is there anybody?I say no, she says what are you waiting for, I say I don’t know, she says do something, I say do what, she says court a lady, I say which one, she says I no longer care, I say neither do I, she says I feel like hitting you over the head, I say you always say that, she says I just might do it, I say use a pillow, she says I wish your brother was the heir, I say me too, she says…well you get the idea.”
“I believe I do,” Harry said drily.
“Butif I court Lady Isabel, the conversation would go entirely different!” Lord Lymington said. “She’ll saywell,is there anybody? I’ll say yes there is,she’llfall on the sofa in a dead faint, I’ll throw water on her, she’ll wake up and say are you serious, I’ll say yes, she’ll say who did you talk into it, I’ll say Lady Isabel Beauford, she’ll say what’s the dowry, I’ll say I don’t know, she’ll say oh who cares, I’ll say not me, she’ll say…well, you get the idea.
Harry stared at Lymington. He’d like to throw a bucket of water onhimat this moment.
“Now, I just have to look into this whole courting business. I’ve never tried it, you know.”
Harry looked him in the eye and said, “I would continue to talk about the dolphins, it seemed of particular interest to the lady.”
“The dolphins, of course! Great tip.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Harry answered. “You might also send a posey, though only if you understand her favorites. Otherwise, it will cause offence.”
“I don’t know anything about them! What a dunce I am, I should have asked, but I was too busy thinking up a question about the weather.”
“I happen to know she favors columbine, lavender, and marigold.”
Lymington counted out on his fingers. “Columbine, lavender and marigold. Excellent!”
“And if you mean to show her that you’re serious, you’d better write a poem.”
“Gad, that’s tricky,” Lymington said. “I’ve never even read poetry.”
“I have,” Harry said. “If you like, I’ll help you write one.”
“Good man!”
Harry smiled. Let Lymington talk about dolphins and send a bouquet that claimed his feelings were folly, distrust, and sorrow, and deliver a poem that was the most wretched and hopefully offensive ode ever written. For himself, he would send primroses to communicate his consistency.
Lymington was a fool to think him a good man. He was not a good man, he was a man determined to knock him out of the way.
He was certain the duchess would not like his primroses. She might even throw them out. But the message would have been delivered, nonetheless.
When a woman like Lady Isabel Beauford hung in the balance, it was an all-out war and he had no intention of taking prisoners. Lymington had better watch out for himself.
*
The following day,Isabel watched Carlson enter the drawing room carrying an exceedingly odd arrangement of flowers in a porcelain container. The columbine and lavender were of similar color and almost paired in some sensible fashion, but then the yellow marigolds seemed to have been placed in the wrong arrangement.
As well, if one were to consider their meanings, it was a rather disturbing collection.
“This just arrived, Your Grace,” Carlson said, holding the container out with straight arms as if it would suddenly make a grab at him.
