“No,” Percy lied. He did not see any benefit to being truthful, nor informing his father that he could expect further insults on account of the eccentricity of naming a cat Blueberry.
“If he ever calls me that again, well, he will answer for it!”
“I doubt he will answer for it. Did you not tell me right in the beginning that he was engaged to a duel twenty years ago and couldn’t be bothered to get up and go to it?”
“True, true, you can’t even box that fellow in with the idea of honor. He is shameless.”
Percy had finally been able to escape the house when his mother took over jousting with the viscount. Though it was getting late in the afternoon, he suspected he would not have missed Lady Felicity—all of her sisters were going and getting that many people out of the house at the same time was bound to take most of the day.
Finsbury Square was its usually bustling place, with the bookshop, or the Temple of the Muses as it was called by literary types, dominating the southeast part of the square.
He’d been very surprised to find Mr. Lackington himself milling round the front doors. The proprietor greeted him and then went back to staring intently out the windows.
“I perceive you must have a very elevated visitor set to arrive,” Percy said. “I’d say it must be the prince, but forgive me, I doubt he reads very much.”
“Gracious no, I do not suppose the prince is aware of my existence,” Mr. Lackington said. “I have been informed that the Duke of Pelham’s seven daughters will pay a visit.Seven? Can you imagine?”
“I can, rather. I dined with them last evening.”
Mr. Lackington turned to him. “Did you? I was not informed whether the duke accompanies his daughters, but I have been told… well, I can hardly explain it.”
“That the duke is very original, shall we call it.”
“Yes, original. Very diplomatic word for it.”
“I doubt you will see the duke,” Percy said. “Though, you might see the housekeeper.”
“The housekeeper? That’s all right then.”
“Is it?”
“Isn’t it?” Mr. Lackington asked, his tone gone an octave higher.
“I cannot be certain,” Percy said.
“Gad, what a situation. The note from the duke said his daughters are all exceedingly unpleasant, but that I was to afford them every courtesy. What am I to do with seven unpleasant ladies?”
Percy laughed. “They are not at all unpleasant,” he said. “That is just the duke’s originality on display.”
Mr. Lackington rubbed his chin. “That’s something, I suppose. But thereareseven, that’s really quite a lot.”
Percy thought for a moment. He could understand Mr. Lackington’s concern. In truth, the fellow probably ought to be more concerned than he was. He’d already seen Lady Grace throw a roll, who was to say she did not throw books too?
“You have that charming room upstairs, the one that overlooks the square,” he said. “You could put them all in there and then just bring them books on the subjects they express an interest in.”
“Yes, yes,” Mr. Lackington said, rubbing his hands together. “Keep them all in one place, contained as it were, excellent idea.”
“Do not tell them you have encountered me, if you please,” Percy said. “I would rather come upon them by happenstance.”
“I understand you, Mr. Stratton. I must have a half-dozen gentlemen every day, lurking the aisles and coming upon a lady by happenstance. The vicars of this town ought to be paying me for helping things on their way to a church.”
This caught Percy entirely by surprise, as he had no notion of hinting at such a radical step. He hurried away and left Mr. Lackington fretting at the front doors.
He climbed the staircase to the first floor and took a place by the windows to watch for Lady Felicity’s arrival.
He’d not had to wait long, nor could he have possibly missed it, as it took two of the duke’s carriages to transport such a crowd. Out they came, one by one. He’d been right in thinking that the duke would not attend them. The housekeeper was herding them like sheep gone toward the wrong field.
The last out of the carriages was Lady Felicity, in a charming, printed muslin dress and a sarsnet pelisse in a sunny yellow, with a jaunty straw bonnet with a matching ribbon topping the whole thing off.
