Perhaps that was why she felt so content with him. Her family’s ploy of finding her a husband hadn’t worked when it came to him.
Drake politely offered their pardon as they strode past several couples until they stepped in line behind Peter, Alena, and Diana.
‘Taylor,’ Peter greeted, shaking Drake’s hand. ‘Thank you for escorting Meridith. We had to leave earlier than scheduled to pick up my other sister.’ He nodded towards Diana. ‘Lady Diana Everly, the Baroness Holdenstall. Her husband was delayed in returning home from their country estate.’
‘It was my pleasure,’ Drake said. He then nodded at Diana. ‘It’s good to see you again, Baroness.’
‘Please, call me Lady Diana. I’m so thankful you were able to escort Meridith. I simply couldn’t miss this ball, and Walter’s delay means he won’t be home until tomorrow.’
Meridith held a smile on her face, while feeling both sorrow and frustration at the way her sister so easily made excuses for Walter. He rarely escorted Diana anywhere. Was always called to the country or had other engagements that hadsupposedlybeen made prior to his wife’s plans.
‘Meridith, you look adorable,’ Diana said. ‘I’m so glad you chose that gown.’
Normally, Meridith would have simply agreed, but wanting Drake to know that she hadn’t lied to him, she said, ‘You chose it for me, remember?’
Diana’s eyes widened with shock, or perhaps irritation. ‘Oh, yes, well, that was because I knew it would look adorable on you.’
Adorable. That was what they always called her. Never lovely, or pretty—just adorable, as though she were one of her little nieces. ‘Just call me a rosebush,’ Meridith muttered under her breath.
‘What?’ Diana asked.
‘Nothing,’ Meridith answered, and pointed to the porch, where Peter and Alena were already climbing the stairs.
Diana spun around and joined the others, awaiting their turn to enter next, and Meridith shook her head. The fun she’d had in the coach, merely conversing with Drake, was indeed over. The next several hours would be dreadfully dull. The best she couldhope for would be to find a seat in a hidden corner or some secluded room, where she would sit in peace and privately count the minutes until it was time to leave. Lately, she’d found that much easier than being introduced to people, mostly marriage eligible men, all night.
‘I don’t believe I’ve ever met your sister’s husband,’ Drake said.
‘You probably won’t, not unless you visit their country estate,’ she replied. ‘Or Ascot.’
‘He enjoys the horse races, does he?’
Everyone knew the racetrack was the draw to Ascot. ‘He might live there for all I know,’ she said.
‘You do not sound impressed.’
Meridith shrugged.
‘You don’t like horse racing?’
‘I’ve never been to a race.’
‘Does Holdenstall raise horses?’
‘Yes, and he bets on them.’ She shouldn’t be sharing such family secrets, but Drake was already hiding her bustle in his coach, so she could trust him with one more confidence. Try as they might to make everything appear normal, she not only saw the way her family was trying to marry her off, but also that her sister’s own marriage wasn’t as wonderful as Diana wanted people to believe.
It was her and Drake’s turn to climb the steps and wait as her family was greeted by the hosts ahead of them.
‘I hauled two racehorses to America once,’ Drake said. ‘Spirited animals that needed exercise daily.’
Glad for the slight change of subject, to one that was far more interesting, she replied, ‘That had to have been difficult on the ship. What did you do?’
‘The most we could do was walk them around the hull of the ship several times a day. It’s that way with a lot of animals. Tameones. Or perhaps I should say, ones that can be trusted. Some horses and cattle, you simply can’t trust, so I wouldn’t classify them as tame. Lions have to stay in their crates no matter how domesticated they might appear. All large cats do. They can’t be trusted. Monkeys are shysters, they can’t be trusted, either. Same with alligators.’
‘Good heavens, how do you sleep at night when such dangerous animals are on board? Aren’t you afraid?’
‘Not afraid, just vigilant. Someone is always awake and at hand when we haul animals. Even those that can be trusted. They are in a strange place and a ship can toss about quite a bit when we hit rough water. That can startle them and cause them to act differently from normal.’
There was a shine on his face and in his eyes, and though she was happy for him, it caused her to feel a sense of longing. A longing to have something thatsheloved so much that just talking about it made her shine. ‘You love it, don’t you? Being a sea captain.’
