“Well, he mentioned a dissection of a monkey,” Verity said, glancing at Winsome, “but he was able to assure Serenity it had not actually happened. It was, well, he said it was only predictive research.”
“Yes,” Winsome said, nodding, “it was only speculation about what would have happened. If there had been a dissection. Which there was not.”
“What is a dissection anyway?” Valor asked.
Verity stared at her father. The duke said, “It’s when you scold an animal very severely for something.”
“Oh, yes, Serenitywouldcry about that,” Valor said. “I wouldn’t cry if someone scolded Sir Galahad. I’d ask Thomas to wallop them in the face.Thenwho would be crying?”
Of all of them, only young Miles and the duke seemed to see the hilarity of the idea.
There was the clatter of horses’ hooves out of doors, coming to a stop. Verity turned on her chair, which was by the window, and shifted the curtains.
“Who is it?” the duke asked. “If it’s Lady Misery come to ruin our Sunday, tell the footmen to bar the door!”
“It is not,” Verity said. She did not really know who, or what, it could be. It was a fine carriage, but on either side of the coachman it sported odd flags in royal purple with yellow lions, whipping in the breeze. The coachman himself, and the groomtoo, were dressed rather ludicrously in brocade frockcoats embroidered with gold and silver thread.
The drawing room doors were flung open. Mr. Klonsume strode in carrying his traveling case.
“Your Grace, I know you do not like change, but change it must be.”
“Going somewhere, Klondike?” the duke asked.
This seemed to strike Mr. Klonsume as a great joke. “Ah, yes, now that we are to be on more equal footing, we can jest with one another. Good form! Jesting aside, I take this new step up in life very seriously. England shall be proud to name me among their titled society. I will avoid bad form as if my very life depends on it. It is as if the great traditions of our two lands have come together in my person. Adieu, my fellow noble men and women.”
With that, Mr. Klonsume bowed deeply, turned, and strode out the door.
Incredibly, the oddly-styled groom opened the carriage door, which seemed to be empty of anyone else, and admitted Mr. Klonsume. The coachman smartly snapped the reins and they were off. Whose carriage it was and why they sent it for Mr. Klonsume was a complete mystery.
The duke snorted. “I expect what we have just witnessed is the conclusion of a cracking good story. Mrs. Right will tell us all about it when she’s ready. Goodbye, Mr. Klondike!”
*
Henry had madearrangements with the duke that he would ride his horse to Grosvenor Square since it was so close to the park, and then they would proceed on together. He had not expected to find a line of carriages and horses outside the duke’s door.
When he was admitted to the drawing room, he found it rather filled. With both gentlemen and flowers. What were they all doing there?
Of course, as soon as he asked the question, he knew the answer. He’d suspected Lady Verity would be the diamond of the season and here was the proof. The proof made him uncomfortable.
The lady herself was nowhere to be seen. Lady Valor seemed to be holding court with a stout lady beside her. He approached the pair. “Lady Valor, good to see you again.”
“Again? What ho?” Mr. Rusherton exclaimed, pushing in.
“Lord Wembly came to dinner,” Lady Valor said. “I didn’t invite him,” she added for further clarification.
“Trying to get a leg up, eh, Wembly?” Lord Froggerdon asked.
Lady Valor wrinkled her brow. “Maybe he won’t,” she said. “Verity doesn’t have to get married if she doesn’t want to.” She leveled her gaze at Henry and said, “These gentlemen have come only because they want to know about Verity’s studies. Something about fishes’ eyes. That’s all. You could keep your attention on things like that.”
“Lady Verity and Lady Winsome have gone abovestairs to don their riding habits,” the matron beside her said.
Henry did not know what to make of it. How would any of these people know anything about the fish eyesight story?
He paused. He had mentioned the thing to Lord Westerby in passing. But only out of curiosity over whether any research of the sort had been done. Why would he tell anybody?
His Aunt Pegatha was certain Lady Verity had invented the whole thing because she was put on the spot. His aunt rather regretted putting the lady in such a position. She said that if she’d known the girl would come up with such a preposterous story, she would not have urged her to it.
Now, somehow, the word had spread. What were these fellows really doing here? It could be they were interested in becoming more acquainted with the lady, or it could be they wanted to hear about fish eyesight and gather an amusing anecdote for their clubs. It could be both. It was impossible to know.
