Page 77 of The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins

Lord Markeley sat between Millicent and me. Millicent spoke to him, asking him a question, as Mr. Merritt asked me, “Will you walk to church on Sunday?”

“Yes, I believe so. Mrs. Drake and I went last week. It is a short walk.”

“May I escort you this Sunday?” Mr. Merritt asked.

As I couldn’t think of a reason to say no, I said, “Yes, I thank you.”

When I looked up, Lord Markeley was looking at me. “I am sorry I didn’t dance with you at the assembly. Every time I tried to ask you, someone else got to you before I could.”

He grinned as if it were an amusing story. I wanted to tell him to smile at Millicent, not me. I only hoped the reason he was calling was simply to tell me that he’d meant no offense in not asking me to dance. But when he kept talking to me, asking me about my walking and shopping habits, where I liked to go and when . . .

Oh dear. Lord Markeley was supposed to pay his attentions to Millicent, or at least not to anyone else. This was worse than getting two marriage proposals in one week from men with whom I wasn’t in love.

I wanted to rush out of the room, make some excuse, and when I noticed Millicent looked as if she might cry, I said, “Oh my, I’m not feeling well. I shall run up to my room and fetch my smelling salts.”

“Oh!” Hattie cried, jumping up. “I’ll get them for you.”

“No, no, I’ll just get some air as well and return shortly.” The gentlemen had all stood and were obviously about to offer their assistance, but I was already hurrying out the door. I practically ran up the stairs.

I didn’t even own smelling salts, but I did throw open the window in my room and breathe deeply of the damp, smoky London air.

I rubbed my forehead. The tension—and the very real fear of what Millicent would feel if Lord Markeley continued to pay attention to me—was giving me a headache.Go away,Lord Markeley,please.

And now I’d already sent the invitation to dinner for tomorrow night. Did he think I was singling him out? But he’d see that I’d also invited Mr. Merritt, Mr. Allen, and Lord Brookhaven. Surely that would let him know that I had no real interest in him.

And then there were the sad puppy looks Mr. Merritt was giving me. Oh, what should I do?

Since I was afraid at any moment someone would come looking for me in my room, I hurried to go visit Joshua and Sarah and their guests, Samuel and Annabelle.

They were having their tea and biscuits. I hugged all four children, then sat and had a second tea with them.

It was terribly rude of me to leave my guests, but it seemed the lesser of two evils, and it cheered me to see Joshua and Sarah looking clean and happy and well-fed. Their eyes were bright and lively, so different from when I’d first met them. I didn’t like to think where they’d be if I hadn’t brought them home—if Lord Brookhaven hadn’t helped me bring them home. And Samuel and Annabelle also looked happy, more relaxed somehow. When Annabelle met my eye, I winked, and she laughed.

I was in the middle of playing a game of checkers when Hattie came in the room.

“Here you are,” she said. “Mrs. Drake sent me to look for you. Are you all right?”

“Oh yes, I’m well. Just visiting with the children.”

“Go on back to your gentlemen callers,” Gretchen said, shooing me away. “The children are well.”

I said goodbye to the children and stopped Hattie outside in the hall.

“Have they gone yet?” I whispered.

“Lord Markeley left just before Mrs. Drake sent me to find you, but Mr. Merritt was still there.”

I sighed. “Once I would have thought having more than one gentleman calling on me and making me offers of marriage was a wonderful occurrence, but it’s not wonderful at all.”

“Never mind. You always told me you wouldn’t marry unless you were in love,” Hattie said. “You needn’t say yes to anyone you don’t love.”

“You are right.” I smiled and hugged my friend. “Of course. But ... won’t Millicent be angry with me if she thinks Lord Markeley wants to marry me?”

“I think...” Hattie’s face contorted. “I don’t know. I only hope he doesn’t pay you so much attention at the dinner party.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

By that evening, all four gentlemen had accepted my invitation to dinner. In the words of the poet Walter Scott,Oh,what a tangledweb we weave when first we practice to deceive...