Lady Pegatha nodded, though Lady Lilith was looking irate about it. Verity was glad, though. She would not be able to discover what was in Lord Wembly’s mind if there were other people in the conversation.
His aunt had nodded at Lord Wembly. Rather knowingly, Verity thought—as if they had a secret between them. Lady Pegatha had taken Lady Lilith’s arm and steered her in the opposite direction.
“Lady Verity—”
Before Lord Wembly could get further than saying her name, Lord Westerby had him by the arm. Verity did not know him, but she knewofhim. Her father claimed the elderly gentleman would corner a person and lecture them about some arcane subject for hours at a time.
“Wembly, do not tell me you plan on missing Brande’s lecture on the morrow regarding his observations on the effects of magnesia in preventing an increased formation of uric acid?”
“Why should I?” Lord Wembly asked.
Lord Westerby looked pointedly at Verity. “I only say, the world can be peopled by those who do not take an interest in advancing science.”
Verity stared at the gentleman. What a thing to say.
“Thank you, Lord Westerby,” Lord Wembly said, “but I believe you have been enough help to me over the past weeks to last me a lifetime.”
They moved on, though Verity heard Lord Westerby call behind them: “Does that mean you’ll come, then?”
“Now, Lady Verity—”
They were again interrupted. This time by Lord Froggerton, one of the gentlemen who had come in droves the day Verity was to ride in the park with Lord Wembly.
“Eh, Wembly?” he said in a jocular tone. “Had to face the queen, eh? All those prints—she don’t like that sort of thing.”
“Are you an intimate of Queen Charlotte’s, then? Are you privy to her private thoughts on a wide variety of subjects?” Lord Wembly said, his tone all irritation.
“Well, no, but I’ve heard…”
Lord Wembly gave Lord Froggerton a withering stare and that gentleman turned and walked away.
“As I was saying, Lady Verity—”
“Pants on fire!” a gentleman said, stopping them in their tracks.
“Thornton,” Lord Wembly said with a heavy sigh, “did you need something?”
“Need? Who needs a laugh after all those prints going round—I’ve got a whole collection of them.”
Lord Wembly turned to Verity and said, “The doors to the balcony are right there—will you consent to step out?”
She nodded. Lord Thornton said, “A bit of fresh air? I do not suppose it would do me any harm.”
“Notyou,” Lord Wembly said. He was really looking out of patience and Verity could not tell if he were in a hurry to scold her and denounce her for bringing him so much trouble…or something else.
He pulled Verity through the doors and shut them in Lord Thornton’s face. The balcony was quiet, the doors closing on the babble of guests in the ballroom. The cool air fanned her cheeks and smelled fresh in comparison to the heat and perfume of the indoors.
“Lady Verity, first, I would reiterate that I have not been on fire or slumping or prone on a fainting couch. Though,I do wish I’d known the queen was the author of that last one. Nevertheless, if I have been anything at all, I have been aggravated by all this unnecessary nonsense.”
Verity felt her heart slowly squeezing inside her chest. He had got her alone to communicate his ire, and she’d been so hopeful it was something else.
“I should never have said that ridiculous thing about the fish eyes,” she mumbled.
“It was not true, was it? You were not really looking into it?”
“No.”
“Why did you say it, then?”
