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“My lord,” Lady Gregory said, “I must thank you for your attentiveness. I can’t recall when I have been looked after so conscientiously.”
“It’s my pleasure, my lady.”
“I had the delight of meeting your sister, Lady Lily, at the opening ball. And of course I’m acquainted with your parents. Frederic always said that Ashford had a unique head for estate matters. It’s no secret that his is one of the most influential earldoms in England. I would love to know more about your family. Your dear mother, for instance. Where is she from?”
“My mother comes from London. She’s the daughter of the Baron White.”
“Really? How fascinating. How did she meet your father?”
“I’m not exactly sure, my lady. I’ve never asked.”
“I bet it’s a romantic story, my lord.”
“Perhaps it is. My parents have always had an abundance of affection for each other.”
“How nice. A love match, was it?”
“Whether it was at first, I don’t know. It certainly is now.” Thomas was beginning to find this conversation tedious, so he took a sip of wine, and then turned to Rose and Xavier.
“Oh, my goodness,” Lady Gregory exclaimed. “My lovely new dinner gown, ruined!”
Thomas turned back to see that Lady Gregory had spilled her glass of red wine down the front of her dress.
“May I be of service, my lady?” the gentleman on her other side asked.
“Oh, no, I couldn’t impose.” Lady Gregory turned to Thomas. “My lord, I do hate to burden you, but it seems that I must excuse myself. Could I trouble you to escort me to my chamber?”
Thomas sighed. What could he do? “Of course, my lady.” He rose, offered her his arm, and together they strode from the ornate dining room. Rose was engrossed in her conversation with Xavier, but both Lily and Emma saw him leave with Lady Gregory. Neither looked pleased.
* * *
Later that evening Lily sat on the terrace with Rose, Alexandra, and Sophie.
“Have any of you seen Emma?”
“She took a walk with Thomas,” Rose said. “Her mother went with them to chaperone.”
“I need to talk to her when they return,” Lily said.
“What about?” Sophie asked.
“I want to find out if that disgusting Lord Ludley tried anything uncouth during dinner. The poor thing was stuck between him and Wentworth this evening.”
“Horrors!” Alexandra cried. “At least Wentworth couldn’t stick his tongue into her mouth at the dinner table. He might have been able to reach her ear without anyone noticing, though.”
“Goodness, Ally,” Sophie said. “Where do you come up with such outlandish ideas?”
“It’s not so outlandish. In a novel I read, the hero—”
Sophie clasped her hands over her ears. “I don’t want to hear it! The thought of a tongue in my ear—how ghastly.”
Lily smiled. Ghastly wasn’t the term she would have chosen for that particular pleasure. “Wentworth and his tongue are the least of Emma’s problems. His uncle is a complete lech. Rose and I have been dodging him for years.”
“She’s right, I’m afraid,” Rose said. “He seems to know every trick in the book for stealing, shall we say, an impression of a woman’s charms.”
Sophie’s hand flew to her mouth. “How horrid!”
“Yes, it is,” Lily said. “I must talk to Emma. If he tried anything inappropriate, the duke will ask him to leave the estate. He told me so.”
