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The man in the gig straightened.
“Excuse me, sir, but have we met?” Frederick’s eyes hardened, as he gave the stranger a frowning glance. “You appear a trifle familiar.”
“I do not believe so.”
“May I enquire as to your name?” Frederick, perhaps aware of the forthrightness of his comment, hurried on. “Only I am interested to learn if you are here on his behalf.”
The man tilted his head. “Of whom do you speak?”
“Captain Balfour,” Theo said, eyeing him thoughtfully.
He turned quickly at the name. Met her gaze in a look that seemed to transform from chagrin to conspiracy.
She blinked. Surely not.
“Well, sir? You did not answer my son’s question.” Lady Bellingham intruded again. “Are you here on the captain’s behalf?”
“You could say that—”
“Oh, by all that is wonderful! You cannot know just how excited we are to have such a great man visit our part of the world. They say he is very grand, andmostdivinely handsome, and has spoken with the King himself! I simply cannot wait to meet him. He will be invited to dine at all the best establishments and be the guest of honor at parties the likes we have never seen! I have great plans for a turtle dinner, and a ball,anda Venetian breakfast.”
Theo thought she detected a slight shudder from the man, which elicited the strangest surge of protectiveness and hastened her to say, “Such things sound quite spectacular, Lady Bellingham, but I do not think we need to regale strangers with every plan for local entertainments.” She glanced at him. “Such things might be better left as a surprise.”
His slate-colored eyes held a twinkle that caused the oddest disturbance within her heart. She glanced resolutely back to the squire’s wife as Lady Bellingham spoke again.
“Perhaps you are right, dear Theodosia. In that case, sir, I hope you will pass on to him the wonderful offices dear Miss Stapleton here has performed for poor Miss Mannering. So good she has been, so kind.”
Conscious of the heat filling her cheeks, Theo nodded to Lady Bellingham. “Forgive me, Lady Bellingham, but I must return home.”
“I could offer you a ride, if you wish,” Frederick said eagerly.
“Thank you, but I am quite used to walking by myself.”
“Now, now, Miss Stapleton. That might be so, but we all know young ladies should not walk unescorted,” admonished Lady Bellingham.
“Especially with strangers about,” added Frederick, with another hard look at the man.
“Thank you, but I have been assured that not all strangers can be considered strange. And I am attended already. Captain Balfour—”
“—is sure to attend to his niece soon,” the man in the gig interrupted.
Theo shot him a quick look, then turned to Lady Bellingham. “And won’t that be wonderful? I know poor Rebecca is longing for her family. She misses her poor mama so. And while it will be good to have the captain in our neighborhood, I cannot think how keen he would be for turtle dinners and the like, not when he must be grieving the loss of his sister.”
“Oh, yes. I keep forgetting. I suppose we should wait a while before we can issue such invitations.” Lady Bellingham’s brow puckered. “Do you think waiting a week would suffice?”
“That I cannot say. Forgive me. I am needed back home and must return.”
Frederick cleared his throat. “May I call on you tomorrow, Theodosia?”
“Thank you, but no. I suspect I will be fully engaged with matters concerning Miss Mannering tomorrow.”
“You do, do you?” murmured the thin man.
“Yes.” She said in a louder voice to the pair still peering from the chaise. “I will keep an eye out for the captain. Being a hero, he will likely be very easy to spot. Such a hero is sure to be over six feet tall—”
“Quite the giant,” the man agreed.
“And likely has a great, booming voice.”
