He’d since sent a note to Lady Hightower to thank her for her assistance in the park and she’d responded with an invitation to dine. He was more than happy to pass up Mrs. Jenson’s rout in favor of the peace of Lady Hightower’s dining room.
She’d fed him an excellent dinner and, as was her habit, they’d spent their time at table discussing literature.
Balthazar was always amused at how bored Bellforce looked over it. He imagined the butler thought other butlers listened to scandalous gossip at table and all he got was information on the latest Royal Society paper.
Now though, the drawing room door was closed and brandy poured for both of them. This was always the moment when Lady Hightower got to business and he expected nothing less now. It was too coincidental that she wished to spend an evening with him just after the events in the park.
“Conbatten,” she said, “I usually find my eyes very reliable. I see what I see. But there are occasions when I am not altogether certain of what I saw. First, I imagine I’ve seen one thing, and then I begin to think perhaps I have seen another.”
Balthazar nodded, perfectly understanding her meaning. “You wonder precisely what it was that took place in the park this afternoon.”
“Doyouwonder about it?”
He nodded. “I do.”
“I saw the whole thing you know. I had my eye on that scoundrel who made off with Lady Rosalind’s handkerchief as he was quite obviously scanning the crowd. Then he raced to her when there were other potential victims far closer. I thought, why her? Later, I began to wonder about her tugging the brim of her bonnet and her sisters’ seeming lack of surprise.”
“You wondered if the tugs had been a signal,” Balthazar said. “She was tugging like mad—I thought maybe a hairpin was digging into her head.”
“But if it was not a hairpin, if somehow that farce was planned…”
“Lady Rosalind has made it abundantly clear that she expects any gentleman in her sphere to be ready to prove his bravery at a moment’s notice,” he said. “I believe she has now taken to engineering opportunities for such a display.”
Lady Hightower’s expression could not be read. Very suddenly, she roared with laughter.
“Oh goodness, that is too funny,” she said, gasping for air.
“I was rather amused myself,” Balthazar said with a smile.
She pointed to a vase of flowers. “Lady Rosalind sent them.” She reached for a small card on the table and handed it to him. “The note.”
He opened it.
Dearest Lady Hightower,
I and my entire family thank you for assisting me at my darkest hour.
Rosalind Bennington
“Her darkest hour,” Lady Hightower said with a snort of amusement. “A person has not been on the earth very long ifthatwas the darkest hour.”
“She is rather dramatic, only rivaling my valet when he got a look at my clothes,” Balthazar said.
“Poor Henri, did he threaten to throw himself into the Arno again?”
“And the Thames.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“Do about Henri?”
“Do about Lady Rosalind. This display, this playacting in the park, was set up foryoureyes.”
“I hadn’t planned to do anything about it. I imagine Lady Rosalind will be subjecting other gentlemen to the same treatment. I do not believe I have been singled out.”
“Oh you don’t believe it? What were her parting words to you? Something highly ridiculous along the lines of,Adieu, my brave rescuer.”
Balthazar laughed despite himself. “I did think that was a particularly inspired bit of nonsense.”
