The sisters all looked to Lynette, who huffed and said, “Dressing goes very much faster when somebody is not twisting and turning all the time.”
“Oh Rosalind, do be still for Lynette,” Viola said.
Lynette gave a grateful glance to Viola and finished the buttons. She gave Rosalind’s hair a few more adjustments and stepped back. “Done,” she said.
The sisters and Miss Mayton all left the room together and flew down the stairs.
After much waving and wishing good luck, the carriage set off.
Rosalind leaned back in the carriage and said, “Goodness, that was a rush.”
“Never mind it, my dear,” the earl said, satisfied that they were finally on their way. “Sandren knows London roads like the back of his own hand and will get us there in good time.”
“I wonder who else will attend the dinner,” Rosalind said. “Darden, is there not some lady you wish to see?”
“Me? No! Well, as you know, my time is so very taken up just now…”
Though the interior of the carriage was dim, Rosalind was certain her brother had gone all shades of red. Beatrice was convinced that Darden wished to put off marriage until the last possible moment and she was beginning to think her sister was right.
“Darden knows his duty,” the earl said. “He shan’t let us down. While we wait for the lady he will walk through life with, I will employ myself by imagining the delights of grandchildren all round.”
Darden did not answer, and Rosalind supposed he hoped that imagining grandchildren would be enough for his father for the time being.
“Perhaps there will be some fellow for you there, Rosalind,” Darden said in an obvious bid to get off the subject of what he had been doing, or not doing, regarding his future prospects. “Perhaps that fellow you saw on horseback and fell in love with that we keep waiting to find out about.”
“One never knows, of course,” the earl said, “though he is beginning to seem like a phantom. Perhaps that gentleman has been called out of Town.”
“Perhaps,” Rosalind said, glancing at Miss Mayton.
“Well, you shall not be entirely without entertainment,” the earl said. “I imagine the duke will attend and he does seem to amuse you.”
“Conbatten!” Rosalind said, a deal more enthusiastically than she meant to.
“Conbatten,” Darden said reverently.
“I would think so,” the earl said. “They are country neighbors and it would not be very neighborly to exclude him. Of course, I should not speak so precipitously. The duke likely has many engagements on his calendar and this invitation was rather last minute. He may had been invited, but that does not mean he will come.”
Rosalind shivered at the very idea of it. She had not for a moment thought there was a chance that Conbatten would be met with tonight.
Her aunt reached for her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed tightly back.
If only he did not have so many invitations! If the fates were on her side, this would be a night he did not have any plans and he had accepted Lord Cannerly’s gracious and neighborly invitation.
Goodness, she had been thinking of this dinner as only a duty to her father. Now she was feeling very kindly disposed toward Lord Cannerly, the dear old fellow.
Chapter Thirteen
Balthazar was delightedto find Lady Worthington in Lord Cannerly’s drawing room. He’d quite forgot that Cannerly had been a mentor of sorts to her late husband. Cannerly was such a good old fellow, of course he would wish to include Lady Worthington. He would not wish to think of a poor widow being forgotten about.
Of course, there was nothing particularly poor about the widowed Lady Worthington. She’d come through her mourning period and came out the other side her same gay and witty self.
Lord and Lady Mendover were also in attendance, and they were pleasant enough. They had brought along their daughter, Miss Jenson, who he considered a rather insipid specimen.
The young lady was pale in the extreme—pale skin, pale blue eyes with red rims, lashes so pale they could hardly be seen, and lifeless straw-colored hair. All of that could easily be overlooked, after all it was only a matter of taste, but her conversation seemed formed to match her looks and was equally pale.
She appeared especially pale standing nearby Lady Worthington, who was all vigor and life.
An old fellow named Lord Bentley from their neighborhood in Essex was there and Balthazar was surprised to see him as he did not realize the man was in Town.
