Page 20 of The Model Debutante
She swept out, head held high before she saw whether she was receiving another curtsey or not. When she found herself on the pavement outside the shop she hesitated, unsure which way to turn along the crowded street, unable to think clearly about what she should be doing next.
Anger, sorrow and insecurity fought within her. Was it going to be this difficult with everyone she met in her new life?
‘Miss Grey, good afternoon.’ The cheerful voice at her elbow jerked her back to the present and an awareness that she was still standing on the pavement with passers-by flowing around her.
‘Lord Parry. I do beg your pardon, I was wool-gathering.’ Tallie pulled herself together with an effort and managed a smile. William was regarding her with unaffected delight and she was irresistibly reminded of a large retriever puppy. He seemed painfully young and she suspected at the stage when young ladies were proving a mysterious, but irresistible, source of interest.
‘May I escort you anywhere?’
‘Thank you, but I was just going to...to walk home.’ She supposed that would be the best thing to do. She hardly felt inclined to go window shopping in her present distracted frame of mind.
‘I say, that is rather a long walk, isn’t it? Let me call you a hackney carriage.’
‘I… No, thank you. I think I would like the fresh air.’
To her surprise, because in Tallie’s experience youths were often far too self-absorbed to take much notice of anyone else’semotional state, William shot her a sharp glance, tucked her hand firmly under his elbow and began to steer her towards the end of Berkley Street.
‘Are you feeling a little out of sorts, Miss Grey? Never mind, I know just the thing.’
‘What, Lord Parry?’ Half-amused despite her battered feelings, Tallie meekly allowed herself to be guided along the crowded pavement.
‘Ice cream. I will take you to Gunter’s and you can have a nice lemon ice and a wafer and a cup of chocolate and you’ll soon feel right as rain.’
Tallie suppressed a smile. Of course, food and the sweeter the better: the answer to distress for every very young person. ‘That is extremely kind of you, my lord.’
They had arrived at the fashionable tea rooms in a slight lull and found a choice of tables available. ‘Would you like to sit in the window?’ William suggested. ‘There is more to look at.’
And everyone can see us, Tallie thought, allowing herself to be seated although she hardly felt that her presence in her drab pelisse was adding much lustre to young Lord Parry’s carefully cultivated image. His clothing was immaculate, if a little on the exaggerated side when it came to cut, his hair was ruthlessly pomaded into elegant curls and his neck cloth, although lacking the exquisite folds achieved by a certain gentleman Tallie could think of, was highly creditable.
‘I see you are admiring my neck cloth,’ he confided, dropping his voice.
‘I beg your pardon,’ Tallie said hastily, ‘I had no intention of staring.’
‘Not at all.’ He fairly glowed with pride and Tallie concluded that if his lordshipwaseighteen years old his birthday must have been very recent indeed. ‘My cousin Nick showed me how to tie it. I was trying for a Waterfall and making a complete mullof it, so he taught me this.’
‘You are close to Lord Arndale?’ Tallie enquired, moving her napkin to allow a water ice and a cup of streaming chocolate to be set in front of her.
William became quiet, obviously unused to discussing his feelings. ‘He’s the best of fellows,’ he managed after some thought. ‘Like a brother, only he doesn’t lecture. Leastways, I don’t have a brother, but I hear what the other chaps say and older brothers sound like the very de… are very strict. Always lecturing.’
‘And Lord Arndale does not lecture you?’ Tallie enquired, surprised. It seemed unlikely from what she knew of him that Nick Stangate would tolerate the foolishness of youth.
‘No.’ William took a large spoonful of vanilla ice and paused with it halfway to his mouth. ‘Helookssometimes.’
‘Looks?’
‘Yes, justlooks. And then you feel uncomfortable and wonder if whatever you are doing is a good thing. You know?’
‘No, but I can imagine.’ Tallie took a reviving sip of chocolate.
‘You’ll see, once you come and live with us.’
‘Do you mind me moving in, Lord Parry?’ Tallie asked abruptly. This was an unlikely conversation to be having with a very young man who was virtually a stranger to her, but William, with his natural confiding friendliness, did not appear to find it so.
‘No, of course not. It’ll be like having a sister and Mama is having a wonderful time already. You will call me William, won’t you?’ He ate some more of his ice and demolished his wafer then, with the frankness that Tallie was beginning to associate with him – so unlike his cousin – said, ‘Are you feeling better now?’
‘Yes thank you.’
‘Good. What was wrong?’ Then he blushed scarlet. ‘Lord! I amsorry, it is just that it is so easy talking to you that I just didn’t think. Forget I asked.’
