Page 3 of Counting on Love

“Self-trained. My little sister is a hoyden. Rides to the hounds. Both my brothers and I have learned how to fix her back up before our mother sees her. It would kill her, you see, to be banned from the stables.”

“How very kind of you.”

His smile broadened. “Your voice has not changed. You speak to me as if you were lecturing the cats. Am I as disappointing?”

Disappointing? No. His charm was palpable.

“Well, no.” She pointed to her hair. “You are evidently teachable.”

“I suppose I could be. With the right instructor.” Then he winced. “I’m sorry. What an aggressively flirtatious thing to say.”

It was. But how was she to freeze him after his preemptive apology?

“Well.” He shrugged. “I’m just so…pleased to see how you’ve…” He waved his hand at her but didn’t finish the sentence. Yet she knew exactly what he hadn’t said. His mother had ordered him to go have a squint at the Duke of Hovington’s chit. And now he was delighted to discover his mother had been right. Lady Georgiana, all grown up, was a catch.

And so, too, was Lord Taverston. In fact, he must have been one of the most eligible bachelors of the ton. Which begged the question: why had they not become reacquainted last year?

They were such an obvious match that a courtship seemed superfluous. For a moment, she felt a sickening falling sensation, worse than mere dizziness. Vertigo.

To Georgiana’s relief, Alice and Lord Haslet returned just in time to rescue her from having to make some sort of response. The men greeted one another chummily. Georgiana introduced her cousin and Lord Taverston pronounced himself charmed.

“Will you ladies be at Lady Andini’s ball?” he asked. It was a safe question. Of course, they’d been invited and, of course, they would go.

“Yes. And will you, Lord Haslet?” Georgiana asked, hoping that he would secure the first dance with her before Lord Taverston could.

“I expect so. I really should.”

“Lady Georgiana, please say you will dance the opening set with me,” put in Lord Taverston, almost before Hazard had finished speaking.

Hazard gave him a wry look. He saw the obvious. And that was why Georgiana was reluctant to appear at the Season’s first ball dancing the first dance with Lord Jasper Taverston. Everyone would assume the obvious. They were going to be this Season’s Grand Match.

Hazard turned chivalrously to her cousin. “And I hope you will do me the same honor, Miss Fogbotham.”

“I will, thank you, my lord,” Alice said, blushing a little. “Though now, I suppose, you will feel obligated to attend.”

“No, now I will look forward to attending.”

“Lady Georgiana?” Lord Taverston pressed.

“Why, naturally, my lord.” If she refused, manners dictated she could not accept any other partner the entire evening. And she had nothing against Lord Taverston—so long as he did not persist in nicknaming her Red—if she didn’t think about the feeling of being hemmed in.

Then, he said what should not be said. Leaning close, he whispered loudly enough to include the others and make it into a joke: “Just imagine how happy it will make our mothers.”