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“I say, my lord, have you seen my sister? I’ve just arrived and I was hoping to spend some time with her.”
Everleigh frowned at the question. “Why would you want to spend time with your sister? Most men run the other way, from my observations.”
Florent smiled. “I’ve done that far too much of late,” he said. “It’s time for a different tack.”
Everleigh harumphed. “Come along, the girl ought to be with everyone else right now, which is where we were heading anyway.”
“Have you been able to spend any time with the girl? Does she seem to be having a good time?”
Everleigh turned a fierce look upon him from under his scruffy eyebrows. Florent had to stifle the grin that wanted to spread across his face. He was certain that look would have terrified him as a boy, which was probably its intent.
“Do you really expect me to have any insights into a young woman’s thoughts, boy? We’ve known each other since you were a scrubby child. Surely you ought to know better than that.”
Florent finally did allow the grin to spread, but he also nodded at the earl’s words. “You are right, it was a foolish question. I’ll just ask her myself when we find her.”
“You do that,” Everleigh growled, but Florent suspected there was good humour behind the bristle. “And you’re probably right to keep an eye on her. Amelia seems to have turned her attention to match making but wasn’t as cautious as I’d like in her guest list.”
Florent frowned over the earl’s final statement. How odd. He would have expected Amelia to be very careful in her choosing. He was under the impression she was trying to find his sister a match, since his mother had failed to do so. He almost quickened his pace but checked himself with the earl at his side. He couldn’t very well drag the older gentleman along behind him.
They finally arrived at a large receiving room that at first glance appeared to be overflowing with well-dressed people. For a brief moment Florent actually checked at the door, wondering if he were sufficiently attired. Along with not having gone to Town in an age came not having kept up with fashion in the least. But Florent was certain his valet had done sufficiently so that he wouldn’t bring shame upon himself or his hosts. It was unlike him to suffer any qualms of insecurity like this. If he ever felt inadequate at Alcott, he ignored the sensation as it was unlikely to help him reach his goals for the place. This was probably no different.
Not that he really had any goals for this visit. To his mind, he was just being neighbourly. When one’s biggest neighbour invited you to their party, you really ought to accept. And when said party was the first one that was being thrown there in twenty years, you’d best believe you had to be there all the more so. Florent knew he’d be getting an earful from his mother about arriving late as it was. But what was he supposed to do about the horses?
“You leave it to the servants, you gudgeon,” his found mama insisted when he finally found her. “I’m embarrassed that you’ve only just strolled in at this late date.”
“Don’t be, Mother. I’m a grown man. My actions no longer reflect upon you. Besides, I wrote to Lady Adelaide keeping her updated on my situation.”
“Your actions will never cease to reflect upon me,” Lady Alcott insisted. “And you ought to have apprised me as well as our hostess. I’m your mother.”
Florent again found himself suppressing laughter. It was the most cheerful he had felt in probably years. It made him feel light and young. Was this what debutantes felt like?Probably not. He shook his head at the silly thought.
“What have you been spending your time with while you’ve been here thus far, Mother?”
“Worrying about you, for one thing.” If you wanted to complain about Lady Alcott, one of the things you could mention was that she didn’t easily let a matter drop, that was for certain, Florent thought as he tried very hard not to roll his eyes at her latest comment.
“And besides that?” he prompted when she didn’t continue.
“Renewing old friendships,” she finally said, relenting in her disapproving attitude. “Lord and Lady Bathurst are here with their sweet young daughter.” She paused and turned a speculative expression upon her son. “I say, now that you’re here, you should think about Lady Isabelle. She would make a fine wife for you.”
“I am here to relax, Mother, not get matchmade.”
“You could do both,” she insisted with a bit of a harumph which made Florent actually guffaw.
“I think they might be mutually exclusive for a gentleman, my lady, I’m sorry to say.”
His mother grumbled under her breath once more but didn’t bother to argue the matter further. She merely tucked her arm more firmly into his elbow and continued to stroll at his side.
“You mustn’t be cross with me, my dear son, but I haven’t been keeping a very close eye upon your sister this week. I couldn’t even begin to tell you what she has been up to except that I have seen her dancing in the evening and of course, at most meals.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Florent asked, his tone good-natured despite the tenor of his question. His mother laughed as was his intention.
“It would seem so, wouldn’t it? But I don’t think I have. I’m just tired of chaperoning, to be honest. And with her friends here, I figured she didn’t really need me to watch over her so closely as she would in Town. Since you’ve taken over everything else at Alcott, perhaps you ought to take over seeing after Daisy. She wears me out. And I’ve been having far too much amusement while catching up with Lady Bathurst.”
“Who is Lady Bathurst to you? Why would you be so in her pocket that you weren’t watching over Daisy?”
“Don’t scold me, Florent. You know how Daisy has become. Half the time she wants to be off exploring, the other half she acts as though she is already a matron. I’ve tried to tell her she needed to be a trifle less serious about it all, and she sent me away with a flea in my ear.”
Florent grinned over her use of the cant expression but he didn’t interject, hoping she would elaborate a bit more. His patience was rewarded.
