Page 76 of Earl, Enemy, Husband?

‘Good,’ Lady Blackdown said. ‘Then it is settled.’ She glanced up at the clock. ‘I will be off to the shops. Since you will not attend me, would you be good enough to give me the loan of one of your footmen?’

‘Of course I will,’ Florence said, feeling a little as though she had just been run over by a runaway coach. Did she really want to go driving with Redfern? Well, it was too late to withdraw now. He would see it as an insult.

She saw her mother-in-law and the footman out and went upstairs to change. By the time she was ready, the carriage and Mr Redfern were waiting outside.

He smiled and bowed when he saw her. ‘My goodness, you were indeed quick. I expected to wait another half an hour at least.’

‘I hope you are not disappointed.’

He blinked. Oh dear; clearly he did not understand she was joking. She smiled.

A grin broke out on his face. ‘Ah, a jest. Let me hand you up.’

She climbed into the driver’s seat and he climbed up beside her. She gestured to the groom to let them go, and he jumped up behind as she set the horses in motion. She moved out into the traffic exactly as Graydon had showed her and the horses fell in behind a coach.

‘I see Gray is right, Lady Blackdown,’ Redfern said. ‘You are a fine whip.’

‘I am sure it takes more than thirty seconds to asses my driving skill, Mr Redfern.’

‘My dear Lady Blackdown, not one second more. You are incomparable.’

How could a rational person believe such nonsense? ‘You are too kind, Mr Redfern.’ She focussed on the road and on her horses at the corner of Park Lane and deftly turned in through the gate to Hyde Park. ‘Now I can relax a little.’

Mr Redfern looked around him. ‘Not too many people about, this time of day.’

As far as Florence was concerned, the park was quite busy enough, with pedestrians strolling at a snail’s pace and the odd carriage manoeuvring around them. She concentrated on watching all her points. The last thing she wanted was to run into someone.

‘I say, who is that?’ Redfern said.

Florence looked away from the road. ‘Where?’

‘There—the young lady and what I assume is her maid; she waved.’

As Florence saw who he meant, a demurely dressed young woman in a pale-blue Spencer over a sprigged muslin frock gave another shy little wave. ‘Oh, it is Lady Deirdre, the Duke of Hart’s oldest daughter.’ She carefully drew up beside her.

She leaned over the side of the carriage. ‘Lady Deirdre, how are you today?’

‘Very well, thank you, Lady Blackdown. I see you are also an early riser, despite not being home until the small hours of the morning.’

She laughed. ‘In the country, two in the afternoon would hardly be called early.’ She glanced at Redfern who was staring oddly at the young woman. ‘Do you know Mr George Redfern, my husband’s friend?’

Lady Deirdre dipped a curtsey. ‘No. We have not met before. Mr Redfern.’

‘Lady Deirdre, my pleasure.’

Was he blushing? Good heavens.

‘Perhaps Lady Deirdre would care to take my place,’ he said gently, smiling at her with the look of an adoring puppy, which fit rather oddly on his unlovely face. ‘Much better than talking and getting a crick in your neck. I am happy to walk alongside.’

Lady Deirdre lowered her gaze and blushed very becomingly. ‘If you are sure you do not mind.’

‘Mind? No. It would be my greatest pleasure.’

He glanced around. ‘If you pull up over there, Lady Blackdown…’ His eyes widened with shock.

‘Is something wrong?’

‘No. Nothing. I, er, I have just recalled something. Move a little to the side and Lady Deirdre can take my place.’ He jumped down before she had the horses still.