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‘No, my lord.’
Presumably, Yes, Your Royal Highness was the only expected response to whatever this was. It had to be from Prinny, of course, coming from Carlton House and not from the Palace. Giles broke the seal and read the contents. ‘Damn.’ An invitation from the Prince Regent was only to be expected, but this was for tomorrow evening and he had no idea whether Laurel had anything suitable to wear or even how she would feel about being plunged into one of Prinny’s ‘little’ receptions when she had not even got her bearings in London.
He got to his feet. The sooner he found out, the better, because if he had to make their excuses they had better be good ones. The Regent was prone to sulks if thwarted and, while the last thing Giles wanted was to be part of the Carlton House set, he did not want to offend the heir to the throne either.
When he scratched on the door to the Rose Suite Binham opened it immediately, then swung it wide when she saw who it was.
‘Your mistress is not resting?’
‘I am through here, Giles,’ Laurel called. She was in the bedchamber in front of the long pier glass, holding up a gown of yellow silk with an overskirt of pale green net. ‘This has just come from Madame Ranier—what do you think? It is very lovely, but I am not at all sure when I would wear something quite this splendid. It is not a ball gown, but it is certainly full evening dress. Perhaps I should wait until we have some suitable invitation before taking it.’
‘We have just the occasion.’ He held up the embossed card. ‘The Prince Regent invites Lord and Lady Revesby to a reception at Carlton House—tomorrow evening.’
Laurel stared at him, mouth slightly open, then gave herself a little shake. ‘The Prince Regent? Um... Very well. Then this will be perfect, I think.’ She laid it on the bed and began to count things off on her fingers. ‘Unless I have to wear feathers—but that’s only for the Queen’s Drawing Rooms, isn’t it? I do own a tiara... Shoes and stockings and gloves, of course, I will need to find those to match tomorrow, but there should be no problem.’
He had expected her to show more alarm, or apprehension at the very least, but Laurel was clearly not going to allow herself to be over-awed. ‘I will send round directly to Rundell, Bridge & Rundell and have the yellow-diamond parure brought out of storage and cleaned, that would be best with that gown. Are you sure you are not nervous about this? Carlton House and Prinny can be somewhat overwhelming.’
‘I have read all about both the Regent and his house. It sounds as though it is in the most appalling taste, but I have to confess to be agog to see it. Is he very top-lofty and difficult?’
‘Not at all in that sense, provided he receives due deference, of course. Once he sees he is getting it, then he relaxes and becomes positively convivial. But you must not be alone with him, not for a moment. His hands wander alarmingly, so they say.’ He hesitated, wondering how much to warn her. ‘In fact, one hears that the company may be a trifle warm at anything hosted by the Regent. I wouldn’t wander off into any quiet corners.’
‘I promise I will not allow myself to be lured into compromising situations, or shocked either.’ Laurel tilted her head to one side and studied him. ‘Are you concerned that I may not be up to this and might let you down?’
‘No, never that. But I do not want you feeling that I have tossed you into the deep water of London society and left you to sink or swim. Especially as you have no friends here to advise you.’
‘But I will have—not that I have had time to write to any of them yet. I know at least three married ladies who may be in town and I have several distant cousins, now I come to think about it. I haven’t seen them for some time, but they do have London addresses. And I will make friends soon enough.’
‘But not with the Carlton House set,’ Giles warned. He glanced around. Muffled sounds of drawers closing came from the dressing room where Binham was working with the door closed. ‘Laurel. Are you happy? Is everything all right?’ What was the matter with him? She looked and sounded perfectly content, so why was he feeling so insecure about his new wife’s feelings? It was almost as though he... No. It was only his wretched conscience again.
Being Laurel she did not laugh off his question, or become coy. ‘Yes. I am happy.’ She went a little pink and lowered her voice. ‘I very much enjoy...the bedroom with you. I love this house, the staff are very pleasant, I am thrilled to be in London and...’ she came close and lifted one hand to touch his cheek ‘...I am married to quite the most handsome Earl in England.’
* * *
I am petrified, Laurel confessed to herself.
But she was not going to admit it to Giles. She had her pride—besides, he was worried enough about her, what with the thought of Prinny’s roving eye and the shocking behaviour of his set and the fact that she had no experience of how to go on in London society.
But I look the part.
Her image in the mirror was reassuring. She was a countess with all the right trimmings of fashionable gown, gorgeous jewels and elegant accessories. Now all she needed was the correct attitude and that meant relaxing and being herself. It would be nerves that would betray her lack of experience, not naturalness.
‘Thank you, Binham, that will be all.’ The folds of the evening cloak swirled around her as she paused at the bedchamber door. ‘There is no need to wait up for me.’
‘But, my lady, that gown is impossible to remove by yourself. And your hair—’
‘His lordship will assist me,’ Laurel said without thinking. Binham blushed and she was afraid she had done so herself.
* * *
‘You look magnificent.’ Giles was waiting at the foot of the stairs as she came down.
‘Thank you.’ And so do you, she wanted to add, but did not say so. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep the way she felt about him out of her tone and she was uncertain that Giles would welcome the thought that she was becoming too emotionally attached. If he had shown any signs beyond liking and desiring her then perhaps she would have plucked up the courage. As it was, she was using all of her courage up pretending to be sophisticated about meeting royalty.
* * *
Carlton House was as close as St James’s Palace, simply a left turn as one left St James’s Square, rather than a right turn. But, of course they could not be seen to walk, the carriage had to come out and they must sit in splendour for half an hour in the slow-moving cavalcade to the gates.
‘Will you know anyone?’ she asked Giles. ‘You have been out of the country for so long it must be difficult to get to know people again.’
