“Let’s see,” Darden said, laughing, “you’ve picked up a tiger along the way too, and he’s just now below stairs devouring the servants.”
“Do not be ridiculous, Darden,” Cordelia said. “If we’d found a tiger, we’d have built a proper cage and informed Lady Castlereagh of it. She is the only one who has one, as far as I know. I should not like to think how worried she would be if he wandered off.”
“You mean, how worried we’dallbe if he wandered off,” Darden said.
“I knew you would not guess. While we were at The Angel,” Juliet said, “we dined with Mr. Lawrence. The famous one who paints portraits.”
“He was positively stunned when Viola showed him her latest painting,” Cordelia said.
“Practically speechless,” Juliet said.
“I bet he was,” Darden said, rubbing his chin.
The earl came in, escorting Miss Mayton. “There you are, my boy,” he said jovially. “I could hear the doors crashing from above stairs.”
“Father, Miss Mayton, how good it is to see you again.”
Miss Mayton blushed, as she always did have a soft spot for Darden.
Tattleton came to the drawing room doors. “You may go through whenever you wish, my lord.”
“Well, we should not tarry, then,” the earl said. He walked with his son toward the dining room and Viola overheard him say, “I suppose you met Chester. Calls me a bad man on a regular basis.”
Darden put his arm around his father’s shoulders. “He doesn’t like me either,” he said, laughing.
They had settled themselves round the table and Viola was struck by how empty it seemed now that both Beatrice and Rosalind were married and were gone from the house.
“Darden,” Juliet said, “you will be so pleased to understand that Viola already knows who her particular gentleman is.”
“Again?” Darden asked. “Last season, Rosalind said she was in love with an unknown gentleman on horseback. Then we all found out it was the duke.”
“Oh, we knew it was the duke all along,” Cordelia said.
“Did you?” the earl asked.
“Of course we did, Papa,” Viola said. “When Rosalind went to Almack’s he was there and she discovered who he was. You do not suppose she would have kept it from us?”
“She managed to keep it from me and your brother,” the earl said.
“Well, now,” Miss Mayton said, in a bid to stop the earl from wondering why he’d not been informed of last season’s goings-on, “I am pleased to tell you that this circumstance is no mystery to anybody.”
“So?” Darden said. “Who is the fellow?”
“Lord Baderston,” Viola said. “I wonder if you know him.”
“Baderston?” Darden asked. “Yes, of course I know him. He’s a member of my club, just recently admitted through his friendship with Harveston.”
“A member of the YBC?” Viola said, very encouraged to hear it. Darden only had the best gentlemen in his club.
“Well, Darden?” the earl asked. “Is he suitable in every respect?”
“Suitable? Yes, he’s very suitable—he’s an earl from an old family, the Trewellians.”
The earl nodded, satisfied.
“But,” Darden said slowly, “there has been talk about Baderston. There has been talk of a match between him and Lady Clara. I understand Lady Clara and her parents were even there for a house party over the summer. I know nothing firsthand, but heard it mentioned at the club.”
“A house party!” Viola cried. Who was this Lady Clara and what was she doing at a house party athishouse?
