In a moment, Beatrice saw a very finely dressed lady bearing down upon them. “Darden, Lord Westmont, how very good to see you. I should scold you, Lord Westmont, for staying away from Town for so long.”
“Ah, but Lady Jersey appears just as she did when last I met her,” the earl said. “Has it been years, or only a moment?”
Lady Jersey shook her fan at him. “Still the master of his words, I see.” She turned her attention to Beatrice.
“My lady,” the earl said, “allow me to introduce my eldest daughter, Lady Beatrice Bennington, and Miss Mayton, my cousin.”
Beatrice curtsied deeply.Verydeeply, as she presumed Lady Jersey would be quite used to such obeisance.
“Charming,” Lady Jersey said to Beatrice. “Miss Mayton.Miss, you did say?”
“Sadly, Lady Jersey,” Miss Mayton said. “I have been unlucky in love.”
Lady Jersey regarded Miss Mayton quizzically.
To her right, Beatrice felt a presence coming beside her. She rose from her curtsy. It was Van Doren.
His carriage had left Portland Place at the same time as their own, but they had left him behind when he got caught at the back of a slow-moving farmer’s cart.
Of course, he would not have had that problem had he been on his horse, but Beatrice suspected he was a deal too sore to ride after insisting on riding all the way from Taunton.
Darden said, “Lady Jersey, this is Lord Van Doren, the gentleman I told you about.”
“So this is the remarkable Van Doren,” Lady Jersey said.
Chapter Seven
Van Doren bowedto Lady Jersey, though he seemed rather surprised to be described as remarkable. As well he should be, Beatrice thought.
“Lady Jersey,” he said, “I thank you for the kind invitation.”
Lady Jersey looked well pleased. Why did Van Doren seem so different here? He was not at all like himself. Here, he seemed very genial.
“Well, Lady Beatrice, as you are at Almack’s for your first ball,” Lady Jersey said, “I will decide who may take a dance with you. Lord Van Doren, I give you leave to put yourself down for the lady’s first. I think an old family friend will suit for the first dance out of the gate. Any further gentlemen requesting to enter their name on your card have been sanctioned by me, they all know the rules.”
Beatrice could not be certain whether Lady Jersey thought she deserved thanks for the arrangement, though she did not feel particularly thankful.
The earl had nodded, and said, “Very thoughtful, my lady.”
Lady Jersey nodded graciously and moved on.
“Do not think you will take all my firsts this season, Van Doren,” Beatrice said, now that Lady Jersey was out of earshot.
“I did not have a say in the matter,” Van Doren said, “as you well know.”
Beatrice found herself unaccountably stung by that. She supposed Van Doren would not have asked her at all, had he not been forced into it. There was something insulting in it.
“Lady Jersey pays you a compliment, Van Doren,” Darden said. “She must have liked the look of you or she would have passed you over for Beatrice’s card.”
Why should Lady Jersey like the look of Van Doren?
Beatrice paused. Though she knew herself to have the unique ability to shape her thoughts in ways that were pleasing to her, even if the circumstances did not quite support them, she could not deny that Van Doren looked particularly well in dress clothes.
“Darden,” the earl said, “I leave Beatrice in your hands. Miss Mayton and I will repair to the card room. She’s promised me she will partner me in whist, and you know how skilled she is at distracting the other players with her interesting conversations. We shall trounce anybody coming near us.”
Miss Mayton did not appear entirely enthusiastic to be going off to the card room and Beatrice supposed she would not have minded staying in the ballroom. Nevertheless, she graciously nodded, patted Beatrice’s arm, and was led away by the earl.
A gentleman approached and, had Beatrice been impressed with the elegance of the attire found round the room, it was all rather put in the shade by the magnificence before her.
