Beatrice smiled. “Only if I am provoked, Duke.”
“I will be careful not to provoke, then. Assuming I am allowed onto your card.”
Beatrice nodded. The duke bowed and spurred on his horse.
“Did you see, father?” Darden asked. “Did you see what he is like?”
“I saw a tall man atop a horse,” the earl said.
“My lord, he is more than tall!” Mr. Cahill cried, maneuvering his horse back toward their window.
“Indeed, my lord,” Lord Jericho put in behind him. “So much more than tall.”
Beatrice was rather amused by their awe of the gentleman. She suspected they had none of them ever spent a deal of time talking to Conbatten. He had a certain reserve to him, but beyond that he was genial enough, as far as she could see.
As she mused, Beatrice saw Van Doren come into view. She could not imagine where he’d been, he ought to have arrived directly behind them.
She could not deny her father’s charge that he looked very well as a soldier.
Mr. Cahill and Lord Jericho acknowledged him but could not stop their reverence of Conbatten.
“What I find so striking,” Mr. Cahill said, “is the way he wears only a domino and even that seems particularly well cut.”
“I wonder if he had it tailored?” Lord Jericho asked.
“Van Doren,” Darden said, “you have just missed Conbatten. He was very determined to stop and inquire if he would be permitted onto Beatrice’s card.”
“I would not say Imissedhim,” Van Doren said.
“No, Lord Van Doren, but you did. He was just here,” Lord Jericho said.
Beatrice bit her lip. She was so well-used to Van Doren’s way of speaking that she knew precisely what he meant—he was not downcast over having come too late for the encounter.
“Lady Beatrice, Earl, Miss Mayton,” Van Doren said. “You all look very well.”
“I am a widow, Lord Van Doren,” Miss Mayton said.
“Naturally,” Van Doren said drily.
“What held you up?” the earl asked. “We thought you were just behind us.”
Van Doren looked decidedly uncomfortable. “Lady Clara wished a word,” he mumbled.
“Ah, the ladies are so clever about things like that!” Mr. Cahill said.
“Of course,” Lord Jericho said, “Lady Beatrice has no need for such arts. We made are way over to her carriage quite of our own accord. We were determined to be certain we should be permitted onto Lady Beatrice’s card. After all, Conbatten cannot takeallthe dances.”
Beatrice had no idea why Lord Jericho was going on in such a fashion. Did he imagine her tortured gentleman was somewhere nearby and listening in on their conversation?
From the carriage just ahead, Beatrice heard a rather loud female voice say, “Ah, Lord Van Doren, I see you have spotted us!”
Van Doren’s horse sidestepped, and he looked toward the voice in some surprise as he had certainly not spotted anybody.
It was Lady Mary, on the hunt already.
“She seems very keen,” Darden said.
Beatrice could not make out what Van Doren thought of being hailed so. He only said, “Well, I will see you inside.”
