Page 38 of A Hint of Scandal

That shut them both up. For a few seconds.

Araminta found her voice first. “Serafina! We do not mention such a condition in the presence of a gentleman. Have you no decorum?”

This was too much. “You broached the subject by suggesting I might be.”

Araminta’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times but no words came out.

Ogden took advantage of his wife’s shock to interrupt. “Enough. I have heard quite enough for one night. Go to your room, Serafina, and leave us to discuss your possible engagement alone.”

“My engagement,” Serafina said, emboldened by her previous bravery. “Nothing ‘possible’ about it. I am engaged.”

“Go,” shrieked Araminta. “Go now, impudent girl. Now.”

Serafina, her breathing coming fast as though she’d been running, and already repenting on having allowed herself to get so uncharacteristically carried away, lifted her chin, turned on the spot and stalked out of the room without even a ‘goodnight’. That would have rather ruined her exit.

Letty was sitting up in bed wearing her nightgown and a fetching lacy nightcap, and sipping a cup of chamomile tea when Serafina arrived.

Serafina closed the door and leaned against it, struggling to control her breathing after her headlong flight up the stairs. She’d been rather hoping to find Letty asleep.

Letty set down her cup and stuck out her lower lip in a sulky fashion. “I must say, I never thought you would try to upstage me, Fina. That’s a little unfair of you.” Then her face slipped and she giggled, for she was not, at heart, a spiteful girl. At least not unless she was crossed. “But I must say it’s worth being upstaged to have seen the expression on Mama’s face when Captain Aubrey announced that you two were engaged. If only there were some way to preserve that image for me to take out every now and again to laugh at. She looked as though she’d just bitten into a large and very bitter sloe in mistake for a sweet plum. So funny.”

Serafina managed a rueful smile. “I suppose perhaps you are right.”

“Right? Of course I am. And Papa’s face was nearly as bad. I must say, I was glad to be sent to bed because I was having such a hard time preventing myself from laughing out loud.” She stuck her lower lip out again. “Although I do think you might have waited to make your announcement until I had formed an attachment of my own. Until Mr. Talbot has offered for me.”

“Do you think he will?” Anything to distract Letty from discussing the engagement.

Letty’s face brightened, her favorite subject being herself. “I do think so. He seems most taken with me and was very annoyed that I had no dances left on my card when he came to ask me.” She tittered. “I had to tell him that I’m finding myself very much in demand and that if he wants to dance with me in future then he must arrive earlier. And with that he invited me to come out driving with him in the park tomorrow. I haven’t told Mama yet. She’s been too taken up with your news.” She frowned. “When she should in all truth be concentrating on me. Unfair of you to dominate her attention like this.”

This was something Serafina could deal with, and agreeing with Letty would keep her on track. “She should indeed be focusing on you. I am of no importance whatsoever. My future is settled. We must all concentrate on you.” She abandoned the support of the door and came to sit on the edge of Letty’s bed. “Driving in the park, you say? You’ll enjoy that.”

Letty frowned again. “A drive in the park seemed to convince Captain Aubrey he wished for your hand, so perhaps Mr. Talbot will feel the same about me when we are driving together. Apparently he has the most dashing horses to draw his curricle.” A smile lit her face. “And everyone who is anyone will be there in the afternoon and all the other gentlemen who’ve been paying me court will see me out with Mr. Talbot in his curricle and be jealous. That will be most satisfying.”

Why Letty wanted to create jealousy between her suitors escaped Serafina, but she nodded in agreement. “And you will have the most wonderful time. I saw this evening how Mr. Talbot, despite not dancing with you, kept in constant attendance, fetching you lemonade and fanning you when you grew hot from dancing. I think he must indeed be going to offer for you soon.”

Letty pulled a cross face. “I wish he’d make up his mind, or I might change mine. Sir Arthur Dawlish asked me to dance tonight and he is as handsome as… as a Greek god.”

The fact that the unstudious Letty had any idea of what a Greek god might look like took Serafina by surprise, but she glossed over that. Sir Arthur Dawlish, she already knew, had a reputation as a bit of a rake. If he were plying his suit with Letty it might very well not be with marriage in mind. “I’d stay clear of him if I were you.”

Letty giggled. “But I rather like him. He’s a bit more… fun than Mr. Talbot. And a lot younger.”

Serafina sighed and got up off the bed. “Fun is probably not what one wants in a husband. If you remember, we had a list of attributes we were looking for in a suitor for you, and fun didn’t figure in that list.”

“Not being boring did though.”

“Mr. Talbot isn’t boring, is he? I thought he seemed very pleasant.”

“He’s boring compared with Sir Arthur Dawlish.”

Serafina, who by necessity was adept at getting herself out of gowns and petticoats unaided, began to undress. “Don’t compare Mr. Talbot with a rake. How do you think rakes get to be so popular and gain that reputation? Because they are fun to be with and ladies like that. But fun does not mean reliability and we want a reliable indulgent husband for you. Like Mr. Talbot. I’m sure he will dote on you. I doubt very much that Sir Arthur Dawlish is on the hunt for a wife.”

Letty snuggled down into her bedclothes. “I suppose you are right.” She paused. “Is Captain Aubrey reliable, do you think?”

That was a question. Serafina hung up her evening gown to give herself time to think. Was he? He’d asked her to marry him just to inherit a fortune. Was that the action of a reliable man? A fortune he’d had plenty of time to acquire in the past by marriage but had neglected to accomplish until just a few months before the deadline. Did both those actions not make him impulsive rather than reliable? Still… “He’s the most reliable man I know.” Not a lie, as she only really knew him and Ogden.

She wriggled into her nightgown and jumped into bed. Hooray. Two hot bricks wrapped snugly in cloth down at the foot of the bed to keep her feet warm overnight. Leaning over, she blew out their one candle. “And now I’m very tired so I’m going to sleep. Goodnight, Letty.”