Chapter Eleven
Henry noticed LadyVerity’s younger sisters’ expressions upon being apprised that they’d not come out victorious at the scavenger hunt. He could not say they were particularly full of grace.
“What?” Lady Valor asked in an accusatory tone, as if it were he, himself, who had provided this affront.
“That’s what I say,” Lady Winsome said. “What?”
“I am afraid it is the case,” Lord Wembly said.
“Well, it is only a bit of amusement, is it not?” Lady Lilith said. “I suppose it hardly matters who won.”
Lady Valor and Lady Winsome glared at her. Henry did not suppose Lady Lilith had quite the same competitive spirit as the Nicolets. She did not seem to understand them at all.
“We must face it with good grace,” Lady Verity said, particularly staring at Lady Valor. “No matter how disappointed one might feel. Valor, Sir Galahad would be let down if he were to know you were defeated by it. He will expect more from you, I am sure.”
This seemed to give Lady Valor pause. “He does depend on me to be strong. Whenever we hear a noise in the night, he hides his face in my pillow, and I have to pretend I’m not frightened so he won’t worry about us getting murdered.”
“Quite right,” Lady Verity said. “We will make our way back and congratulate the winners for their cleverness.”
They did make their way back, despite the various groans from Lady Valor and Lady Winsome. Sir Jonathan stood on a table to address the returning crowds. “Ladies, gentlemen, I am so grateful that you have seen fit to support my little charity by running hither and thither, deciphering my clues. The Sewing Circle will do much good work with your generosity. This will afford the admission of twenty-seven new girls into the program. I am happy for that and I am happy to announce the winners of this little amusement—Lord and Lady Blendwhistle.”
Everyone raised an applause for the victorious couple, though Henry could not miss that Lady Valor’s clap was exceedingly slow and halfhearted. Even a bit contemptuous, if he was not mistaken.
“May I present Lady Blendwhistle with a looking glass from Rundell & Bridge, which I hope is deemed charming,” Sir Jonathan said. He held up a very small looking glass in a round case bejeweled in topaz and small pearls—the sort of thing that might be carried in a lady’s reticule.
“Ugh,” Lady Winsome said, “it’s lovely.”
“It really is so beautiful,” Lady Valor said. “I’m devastated that we did not win it.”
Lady Verity laughed. “It is just as well. You and Winny would have fought over it like cats.”
“That’s true,” Lady Valor admitted. “I would have hidden it and sworn I didn’t know where it was and then felt bad for lying.”
“Not so bad that you would have admitted to lying about it, though,” Lady Winsome said.
Lady Valor snorted over the accusation. “No, not as bad as that.”
The duke approached and said jocularly, “Could not get my girls over the finish line, eh, Wembly?”
“We did our best, Your Grace,” Lord Wembly said. “We were moments behind the victors.”
“But we lost,” Valor said, kicking at the grass.
“Yes, yes, it’s only a game after all. Lady Lilith, what brings you into our party?”
Lady Lilith appeared flustered to be asked. “Oh, Your Grace, as to that, my father decided to stay in our carriage, declining the exercise.”
“Hah! So he sent you out with your maid, eh? A bit of trying work for a maid, running back and forth.”
Lady Lilith did not seem to have an answer for that, though her maid curtsied and smiled. She might have even winked, if Henry had not imagined it.
“Well now, I was not particularly expecting to return home victorious,” the duke said.
“Papa!” Lady Winsome said. “You expected us to lose?”
“No, I just did not expect you to win, odds of it, you know. Now, as I did not expect a win, I did arrange for a tea with Cook’s special apple cakes to soothe your battered pride. Wembly? You’ll come along.”
“Apple cakes?” Lady Lilith said. “Goodness, that sounds lovely.”
