They had turned into a large music room that was full of lit candles but rather empty of people. The various instruments housed there had almost a ghostly look in the dim light.
“I sneezed,” Felicity said coldly. “And as for my father, pray, what can Lord Denderby accuse him of?”
Mr. Stratton looked at her with some surprise. “Well, I suppose he noticed the duke pulling an ostrich feather from Lady Marchfield’s hair and smacking her in the face with it. For a start.”
Felicity’s temper was rolling through her like a kettle on the boil. “He was making a point to my aunt, about sneezing.”
“Come now,” Mr. Stratton said, “you cannot deny that your father is one die short of a dice set.”
Felicity certainly could deny it. Yes, it was true that her father did not go through the world as perhaps other people did. But one die short of a set would hint at the duke being not very clever. The truth was, he was exceedingly clever. Why should Mr. Stratton be comparing him to a set of dice?
Her temper entirely boiled over and she said, “Perhaps, Mr. Stratton, you ought to look to your own family first. It seems to me that a gentleman claiming to have seen a pineapple that never existed might be one die short.”
“Oh that? That’s just my father.”
“It is not in here?”
The voice behind them was unmistakable. Lord Rustmont.
Felicity whipped around. “I am afraid not.”
“Very well,” Lord Rustmont said, “I’ll go and have a look round the other rooms.”
Felicity did not at all wish for him to hurry off when she’d just found him again. “Lord Rustmont, I’ve had an idea as to where it might have gone.”
“Have you?” Mr. Stratton asked, looking very amused. As well he would, as they both knew there was no pineapple to begin.
“Indeed, I have,” Felicity said. “It is my understanding that pineapples are often rented for a particular party by the hostess. Perhaps the person who rented it out had to come to collect it for another party. Perhaps it was only rented for a certain number of hours.”
Lord Rustmont rubbed his chin. “You could be right. If that is the case, I would not wish to mention it to Lady Jellerbey and cause her embarrassment. Everybody knows pineapples arealmost always rented, but everybody pretends they do not know it.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Felicity said.
“Excellent,” Lord Rustmont said. “That will free me to seek out Lady Mary and her mother—I said I would at my earliest opportunity and have been shockingly remiss.”
The lord bowed, turned on his heel, and strode from the room before Felicity could think up something to stop him.
“Who is Lady Mary?” she asked, noting the tone of outrage in her voice. She had not expected to hear it, but there it was.
“Lady Mary Kettleton, daughter of the Earl of Gentian.”
“Why should Lord Rustmont be running round looking for her when he is supposed to be envious of the attentions you have paid me?”
“How should I know?” Mr. Stratton said. “It is only our first go at it. I had thought you were a rather stalwart sort of lady, but if you are willing to give up so easily, well…”
“I am perfectly stalwart, Mr. Stratton. Now, let us go and have a look at Lady Mary. I would like to know what we’re up against.”
The search for the nonexistent pineapple was given up and they traveled from room to room until they tracked down this Lady Mary that Lord Rustmont thought he must go and see.
They found Lord Rustmont attentively waiting on what Felicity supposed was a pretty lady. She was tall and lithe and had a pile of elegant blond curls. Her complexion was very much an English rose and her eyes were very blue. Lord Rustmont was not the only gentleman there either. She was all but surrounded.
“What am I seeing?” Felicity asked.
“A diamond of the first water,” Mr. Stratton said. “Every year, one comes along and men fly to her side like bees to honey. It becomes a competition of sorts, as to where she will bestow her attentions.”
“I see,” Felicity said curtly. “Just one comes along each year?”
“Seems that way.”
