Lady Alice had now turned a very alarming shade of purple. Her pale skin seemed to have no ability to mask the blood rushing to her cheeks. She almost looked feverish.
“Lady Patience,” she said, “I cannot be so bold as to claim that anybody would suit me. Why should you say so?”
“Well, a lady must decide for herself who she likes and Lord Stanford has been described as serious and people do say you are serious,” Patience said.
“I see?”
Patience nodded. “So of course I must wonder if you would prefer a gentleman very like. Serious, that is.”
“I most certainly would not,” Lady Alice said.
“Would not?”
Lady Alice shook her head rather violently. She sipped her tea and set it down. She picked up a biscuit, looked at it, and dropped it on the tray. She checked on the level of the cream. She tapped her spoon on her saucer.
“Do tell me what you are thinking,” Patience said. “I am afraid I have upset you in some way, which I absolutely did not mean to do. It’s just, I was raised very remote in the Dales and sometimes London habits escape me.”
Lady Alice suddenly laughed, which was the last thing Patience expected. “Goodness, you are amusing. No, Lady Patience, you have not upset me in the least. You are right, I am rather serious, but that is precisely why I do not wish for an over-serious gentleman.”
“Oh. Why not?”
“Because I would end in a rather grim household. You see, in my early years, my mother and father thought I had not a drop of humor in me. My father used to tease me and call me Gloomy Alice. But then, when I was eight years old, a cousin of my father’s came to stay. Lord Gumfrey—he is a roaringly funny individual and persisted in attempting to make me laugh, which he finally did. That’s when we discovered that while I am dismal at making jokes, I am rather gifted with appreciating other people’s wit. Therefore, I must wed a man who can make me laugh.”
“Ah, you look for balance, rather than same.”
“Just so.”
“You will come to dinner, though? I suspect Lord Radler made himself out to be far more serious than he actually is. And then, Lord Kendrickson, he will not be at the dinner, but he is a great friend of Lord Radler and Lord Stanford and he is very jolly. You might find out more about him through his friends.”
“Lord Kendrickson is the one everyone talks about as a dowry hunter,” Lady Alice said pensively.
Patience shook her head. “Do not hold that against him, though. You ought to speak to him about it, as I did.”
“Did you?”
“Indeed I did. He does not hide it and he told me the reasons for it. His father was an inveterate gambler and put the estate in a tight spot. But just think, he is very against gambling and that must be a comfort—he will never allow himself to get into trouble as his father did. As well, I did get the sense that he admired you. I very much approve of him.”
Lady Alice was pensive. “Naturally, I would not hold Lord Kendrickson responsible for what his father has done. I danced with him at Almack’s and found him very pleasant. Handsome too, if I must admit to it. You got the sense he admired me, you said?”
“Absolutely,” Patience said. “Clear as day.”
“Perhaps he does not mind that I am not lively with quips and jokes, then.”
“I imagine he’d be delighted to entertain you and make you laugh. People who are amusing do like an audience.”
“Yes, that is very true,” Lady Alice said. “I have noticed that.”
“I understand Lord Kendrickson stays on this very square. Have you not encountered him by chance?”
“No, indeed I have not,” Lady Alice said.
“You ought to go on strolls round the square. I am sure you would encounter him. Of course, you might also encounter my aunt, Lady Marchfield, as she lives just across the way, but she is not half so fun. Just think, if you were to encounter Lord Kendrickson, you might have a conversation.”
“Goodness, Lady Patience, you seem so savvy to the ways of the world.”
“I do?” Patience said laughing. “I cannot think that can be the case.”
“I am glad you came to see me today,” Lady Alice said. “Ever since I have arrived in Town, I have felt rather a lone bird looking for its flock. You are my friend, I think?”
