“Lord Tramondeley,” she fairly shrieked. “Could anybody be as naughty?” She punctuated that scolding with a further scolding from her fan, which she whipped around rather menacingly.
The lord flinched away from her as her fan landed on his arm.
“Lord Tramondeley,” Lady Monroe said, “we presume it was a mere oversight that you did not alert us to your arrival in Town. We were bowled over when he heard of it, I can tell you. I said to Lady Ludwig, ‘Tramondeley is in Town? He will ache to see us.’”
“Lady Monroe,” Lord Tramondeley said, “I had no notion I was meant to alert anybody to my arrival. I do not even know Lady Ludwig and have contacted nobody about my arrival.”
“Do you hear him?” Lady Letitia cried. “He had no notion to alertus? Such very good friends and we were not to be informed? You are outrageous, Tramondeley.”
“We really only recently arrived,” Lord Ledderbey said in a conciliatory tone.
“Well, we will forgive you, as friends do,” Lady Letitia said, once more smacking Lord Tramondeley. “Now, what do we have here?”
“Ah, Lady Monroe, Lady Letitia,” Lord Ledderbey said, “allow me to present Lady Thorpe, Lady Valor Nicolet, and Mrs. Right.”
“Ah,” Lady Monroe said, “Lady Valor is the Duke of Pelham’s daughter, I think? And Lady Thorpe too, recently wed to the marquess.”
Both Valor and Serenity nodded.
“And Mrs. Right?”
“I’m the housekeeper,” Mrs. Right said.
“I see!” Lady Letitia said. “Tramondeley, you are very modern to have your housekeeper comingling with your guests.”
“I’m the Duke of Pelham’s housekeeper,” Mrs. Right said in a tone that brought both ladies up short. Not for long, though.
“I understand, yes I see, you act as a duenna,” Lady Monroe said. “Of course, I would not send Lady Letitia out with my housekeeper. Her father, the duke, would expect more from me than that! Lady Letitia stays with me for the season, you understand, her duke being rather poorly. But then, people do things differently, one never really knows.”
“Yes, I suspect wearedifferent,” Mrs. Right said, staring the lady down.
Lady Monroe could not hold up against the determined look of the housekeeper and turned to Lord Tramondeley. “Might I inquire what the activity is that you are currently engaged in?” she asked, looking round the ballroom, her eyes settling on Thomas.
“Lady Valor has very kindly agreed to give me dance instruction,”Lord Tramondeley said. “I have never got around to learning the steps.”
“It was my fault,” Lord Ledderbey said, sadly shaking his head.
“Dancing!” Lady Letitia shrieked, as if it were the first time she’d ever heard of the activity. “Lady Monroe, can you believe Tramondeley did not come straight to us? Heavens, we might have taught him when we visited last year!” Before Lady Monroe could weigh in with equal shock, Lady Letitia said, “Never mind, we are here now. How far have we got?”
And so went the next hour. Lady Letitia took complete control, called out the steps, and insisted on partnering with Lord Tramondeley. Valor partnered with Lord Ledderbey, who appeared apologetic for every minute of it. The old lord also did not last long at the activity, as he clearly became tired and Valor insisted he stop. As there were not chairs in the ballroom, she walked him to one of the low and wide windowsills, and he watched from there.
Finally, Serenity could take no more. Though Valor’s sister was generally the sort of person who would go along with anything, she apparently did have her limits. She very pleasantly said, “I wonder if that is not enough for one day?”
“Yes!” Lord Tramondeley almost shouted. His tone was filled with the desperation of one who was waiting for a life ring to be thrown after falling overboard in high seas. “We cannot impose on Lady Valor and Lady Thorpe any further.”
“Now, that does not mean we need to stop,” Lady Letitia said. “I am well able to carry on.”
“Very kind,” Lord Tramondeley said, “but I am engaged to escort the ladies across the square. Allow me to see you to your carriage.”
Lady Letitia appeared to be mulling in her mind some way round that idea. Fortunately for Lord Tramondeley, she did not find one. Instead, she said, “Very well, I suppose we will see you at Almack’s, Lord Tramondeley.” She held up her hand and cried, “You need noteven ask,of courseyou must put yourself down on my card.”
They were finally able to get to the street, though Lady Letitia poked her head in all the rooms along the corridor and made comment on them. They were to know that she would change the carpet in the drawing room and order new drapes for the library.
Lady Monroe’s carriage was duly loaded with its passengers, though Lady Letitia took the opportunity to open the window and shout, “Almack’s! Don’t forget, it’s on Wednesday.”
Lord Tramondeley nodded at this directive, though he did not seem overjoyed. The ladies’ carriage jerked forward with Lady Letitia waving her handkerchief out the window as if she were setting off on a long sea voyage.
“I will escort you home, Lady Valor.”
