Page 14 of Her Sort of Scoundrel
“We talk all the time.”
She laughed, and Dash couldn’t help but smile. Her giggle always lightened up a room. Dash’s panic of a moment before eased into something like resolve on the girl’s behalf.
He sat and leaned forward in his chair. “You have everything you require to succeed in society, Aurelia. I realize it’s been a long time since you’ve been in the social whirl...”
“Pardon me, Lord Granford, but I haveneverbeen in the social whirl.” She drew in a sharp breath. “But Lady Fiona has been, and I hope she’ll be able to guide me.”
Bloody hell. He hadn’t told Aurelia about Fiona’s reluctance to have anything to do with preparing a young lady for the marriage mart, and it was cruel to send her over without giving the girl fair warning.
“Aurelia, there’s something you should know…” He scrubbed a hand across his jaw and debated how much to divulge.
She waited, her smooth brow furrowing. Good grief, he didn’t want to add to her anxiety.
“Lady Fiona is not keen to become involved in the Season again.”
“But she hosts parties all the time.”
“I believe it’s more the prospect of guiding a young lady toward marriage.” Explaining that Fiona loathed the very notion of re-entering the institution seemed a bit much, and Dash sure as hell didn’t want to talk about Fiona’s late husband.
Aurelia bit her lip. “Then you think she’ll refuse to help me?”
“I don’t know.” Dash swallowed hard at the bereft thread in the girl’s tone. It was his job to find her someone who’d be pleased to aid her. Perhaps Caro would have some advice in the letter he expected from her any day.
“Well, I still wish to meet her.” She stood from her chair and squared her shoulders, wearing the determined look that reminded Dash a great deal of the noblewoman she was about to meet.
Then the realization dawned that she meant now.
“Are you going over imminently?”
“Yes,” she smiled and glanced at the long case clock. “I knew you were going out today, so I asked Rose if she’d accompany me.”
“I see.” Dash’s family had hired Rose years ago as a housemaid, but she’d served as lady’s maid to Aurelia since her arrival. It was entirely proper for her to accompany his ward, but that wasn’t what bothered him.
He’d hoped to see Fiona.
Since their conversation two days past, he hadn’t heard from or caught a glimpse of her from his conservatory—and he hated admitting to himself how many times he’d looked.
He worried the thaw between them would somehow frost over again, and he damn well intended to prevent that.
“Why don’t I escort the two of you over before I depart?”
“Would you? Won’t it delay your departure?”
“The friend I’m meeting won’t mind waiting, and it seems right that I should.”
“Perfect.” Aurelia beamed and bounced on her toes. “I’ll go and tell Rose, and we’ll be down to meet you in but a moment.”
As promised, the two young women descended the stairs not ten minutes later, and Dash escorted them out their front door and the few steps down to Fiona’s.
He heard Aurelia mumbling under her breath and shot her a look.
“All’s well,” she told him brightly. “Just reminding myself of what you said.”
When he arched a brow, she smiled and said, “That I can do this.”
“Of course you can.”
“Quite right,” Rose murmured.
