Page 12 of Twice Shy
‘I do not ride for appearances’ sake.’
68‘No, Elizabeth, but your appearance is important.’
‘I …’ She shook her head, giving in. ‘As you wish.’ It would not gain her suitors, which was her aunt’s aim. At the same time the idea of a new habit, combined with that hat, was secretly rather exciting.
Once returned to Mount Street, Lady Chalford retired to restore her strength for the evening’s entertainment by resting for an hour or so upon her chaise longue with a book of sermons, and her eyes shut. The young ladies were not so inclined, but fortified themselves with tea and little biscuits, and Elizabeth set about discovering her cousin’s true thoughts upon the person of Lord Nuneaton. This proved more difficult than she imagined, but not for the reasons that she had expected.
Amelia had taken the easiest course and thrown all thoughts of her most illustrious admirer into a dark recess of her brain. She was therefore able to concentrate upon the far nicer prospect of the other debutantes with whom she was establishing giggling friendships, contemplating presentation at Court, and, by no means least, the rivalry of her younger potential suitors, although as yet she saw them simply as fun and friendly.
‘Mr Southram is so droll. He said he would have to call Lord Carbrooke out if he persisted in coming first with me, but hoped, as a friend and a good shot, Lord Carbrooke would have the grace to choose neither swords nor pistols, but something a little less damaging, such as walking canes.’ She giggled. ‘He then realised that this might seem as though he were not prepared to face great peril on my69behalf, and spent several minutes describing how nasty being prodded with a walking cane might be. He nearly had me in whoops.’
‘And what was Lord Carbrooke’s response to this?’
‘Oh, he was determined not to be outdone, and lookedterribly serious, and began enumerating the advantages and disadvantages of different woods. And his eyes twinkled so. I declare it was the best twenty minutes I have spent all month, and Julia Wingate said that several of the less generous young ladies present were very put out at me having two gentlemen “paying court”, as she put it, all that time.’
Miss Wingate was Amelia’s bosom companion among the debutantes. Having had two older sisters make their come-out before her, she was a little more confident than Amelia, and a keen watcher of all that went on about her. Since one of her married sisters, the other being near her confinement, was also enjoying the Season, she also heard rather more of theon ditsthan the sheltered Amelia. Elizabeth judged that in years to come she would become a formidable fount of gossip, but she was without malice.
‘And what about Lord Nuneaton?’
‘I do not for one moment imagine anyone would be jealous of me having to spend time listening to him.’ Amelia sounded sulky. ‘Why, he is quite old, perhaps nearly as old as Papa, and says things that put one to the blush. I am not sure Mama would have approved of half of them, and you can be sure I did not repeat any of them to her. I would think I must have been the object of pity had any of the other girls seen me.’ She paused, frowning. ‘I do hope Mama does not expect me to dance with him. He looked as70if he would be a very clumsy dancer.’ Then she brightened. ‘But then Papa has not danced since the New Year’s party at home, and it was unusual for him to do so. I think he had taken a little too much rum punch.’ A giggle escaped her. ‘But not as much as Harry Festing.’
‘Mmm, that is not an episode I particularly wish to recall.’ Elizabeth tried to look severe.
‘He did not mean to fall asleep on your bed, I am sure.’
‘No doubt. He simply wandered upstairs and opened the door that approximated to where he would find his bedchamber at home, and collapsed happily upon my bed. The fact that he had also applied far too much hair oil in achieving the look that he thought fashionable, and that itruined my lace-edged pillow, was the final straw.’
‘Even James could not shake him awake.’
‘Given the chance, I would have shaken him harder, but I was banished from my own bedchamber.’
‘He was very contrite next morning.’ Amelia grinned.
‘He was very hungover.’
‘And you do not normally eat such a full breakfast, Cousin. He did look decidedly unwell at the sight of your plate.’
‘He did, did he not.’ Elizabeth’s eyes glittered.
Both young ladies then collapsed laughing, and Elizabeth only regained her composure when Amelia returned to the subject of the previous evening.
‘So, do tell me, Elizabeth, what Mr Escott said to you that put you in such a temper. I overheard Lord Templecombe say you looked so fierce that he did not dare approach you.’
‘Then some good at least came of the encounter. Lord71Templecombe is such a bore, and thinks himself highly amusing.’
‘But Mr Escott?’
‘Oh Amelia, he really did call me “goddess”, to my face.’
‘He didn’t!’
‘He did, I promise you. And he speaks with the most weird emphases in his speech, as if trying out each phrase for use in a stanza. Fortunately, at the point where I might have had to “accidentally” throw a glass of wine over him, he suddenly had inspiration for a poem and walked away, without so much as a bow or word of valediction.’
‘How rude of him.’
‘I was just glad he went. He had me all on edge, and then—’
‘Then what?’ Amelia’s curiosity made her interrupt again.
