Page 76 of How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days

‘Very dramatic,’ Ashford said. ‘And highly foolish – I do not think—’

But Lydia did think – nothing this exciting had ever happened to her before and she rather thought she wished to see the end of it.

‘The air feels very thin,’ Lydia called through the door. If one was to be cast in the role of damsel in distress, then one might as well do it properly.

‘Say no more!’ Prett said. ‘Come Dacre, with me – stand away, Miss Hanworth!’

‘This is ridiculous,’ Ashford began, but then there was the sound of running footsteps, and cracking wood, as the combined force of Prett and Dacre hit the door and it burst open with a resounding crash.

18

‘Do you need another cushion, Miss Hanworth?’ Prett asked solicitously.

‘If it is no trouble?’ Lydia asked, in a voice she hoped was attractively feeble – though across the room, Ashford’s raised eyebrows told her she was overshooting it.

She did not care. She was seated next to Prett – Prett! – upon a low sofa, being supplied with calming tea and biscuits to soothe her frazzled nerves. To think, only a few hours earlier she had feared the day a failure! Further, though she had arrived to the drawing room later than she had promised Pip – who was, at this very moment, performing a search of the bedchambers – the whole company was thankfully present. Disaster had been averted on all counts.

‘Truly, I cannot thank you enough.’ Lydia blinked guilelessly up at the captain.

‘Oh, it was nothing,’ Prett said, with a careless wave of his hand.

‘You were magnificent,’ Lady Morton told him throatily.

The only issue of the whole affair was the effect Prett’s heroism had had upon all the other ladies, too, for Lady Morton and Miss Hesse were almost beside themselves with admiration, and even Lady Hesse had deigned to express praise for his actions.

‘You are too kind,’ he said, brushing hands down his waistcoat, though there was no dust to remove.

‘You ought to have fetched me, Phoebe,’ Sir Waldo said, rather peevishly, as he accepted a refill of Madeira from Reeves. ‘As host, I would have taken on such a task myself.’

‘You were in your study,’ Lady Phoebe said, ‘and not to be disturbed, you said! Besides, the captain and Dacre handled it marvellously.

‘I don’t know what I would have done without you,’ Lydia said, not to be outdone on the compliments.

‘Solved the matter in a calm, less destructive fashion, perhaps?’ Ashford suggested sourly.

He would get his comeuppance soon enough, though it was nearing the hour for dinner and still he had not taken any snuff. Ordinarily, he would have done so once, if not twice, by such an hour, but this evening, he appeared too distracted, and Lydia was beginning to worry she would miss the moment.

‘Perhaps we were a little excessive,’ Dacre said, as Reeves refilled his glass. ‘I hope we did not cause too much mess, Reeves?’

‘Not in the least, my lord,’ Reeves said. ‘I myself thought it admirable.’

Dacre pinked.

‘I would never have suspected you of such mettle,’ Sir Waldo said. ‘Father used to say the day you were born was your first and final act of boldness.’

Dacre’s smile became rather fixed. ‘Yes, ah, his favourite little jest.’

‘Tonight was very bold,’ Prett encouraged. ‘I would have you in the 95th regiment in a moment, my lord.’

‘The 95th?’ Dacre repeated.

‘That was your regiment, Reeves, wasn’t it?’ Lady Phoebe exclaimed in delight, looking towards Reeves.

‘Yes, my lady,’ Reeves said without inflection.

Sir Waldo hooted. ‘By God! Do you know each other?’

Von Prett looked a little unnerved. ‘It was a large regiment …’