Page 18 of Under the Seductive Ladys Charm
Charlotte took a sip of her tea and grimaced because it had grown cold while they spoke. “There is no way I can get out of this, is there?”
“Not a chance.” Amanda stood up and plopped the last of the grapes back on the tray. “I shall go and make arrangements for us to go to the shops. Do you think that my dearest brother will count you as a chaperone for shopping?”
Charlotte chuckled. “He might.”
“That would be even better. That dreadful old great aunt of mine is driving me crazy. She interrupts me. Can you imagine?” Amanda gave her a look of disgust at the very notion of such a thing.
Charlotte made a noncommittal noise that Amanda took for sympathy. When Amanda was out of the room, she whispered, “So it does run in the family then.”
*
The ball at the Tennison estate was well under way by the time Graham arrived. He had left his sister in the capable hands of their great aunt, who thrived on such things. Lady Henderson was nothing if not studious in her duties to her family. Being that the woman had no children of her own, she enjoyed chaperoning far more than Graham did on the occasions when he had to accompany his sister by himself.
Amanda liked crowds and vivid stories that kept a court of eager suitors surrounding her. Graham spotted Amanda’s knot of admirers as soon as he entered the great hall, despite the large number of attendees at the event. The masquerade balls brought out even those who usually did not attend seasonal affairs.
Graham had to admit that it was fun, even if he could tell who everyone was – well mostly. He nodded towards a group of young ladies and their chaperones, some of whom he was acquainted with, and felt an obligation to acknowledge them. He had taken no more than two steps before he was accosted by Lord Tennison himself.
“Graham,” Lord Tennison called out in his rusty and gravel-strewn voice that Graham thought was probably due to all his yelling in his naval captain days.
Graham mustered a smile for his old friend. “George, I cannot believe that Margaret finally talked you into holding a fancy-dress party. Good on you.”
“I thought I should allow her a little fun. She has been under the weather and has only now just begun to feel herself again.” Lord Tennison slapped Graham on the back altogether too hard, but Graham chuckled and shook his head. “Never understood these things. Quite obvious who everyone is, is it not?”
Graham nodded and looked around. He spotted a figure sitting among the spinsters that drew his eye. Was that Miss Browne?
“What is it? Find someone who catches your eye?” Lord Tennison craned to look in the direction of Graham’s gaze.
With a wave of his hand, Graham dismissed Lord Tennison’s words. “Not at all. I simply thought I recognised someone.”
“Ah, the intrigue of these events. You shall just have to see if your guess was correct.” Lord Tennison gave Graham a wink before he lifted his hand to flag down another guest. “Pardon me, Graham.”
“Have fun, George,” Graham said with a salute, which made Lord Tennison laugh merrily as he went to find his next conversation.
Graham looked back towards the spinsters. The lady in question was sipping a drink that a servant brought her and Graham watched the way she held the glass. He was all but certain it was indeed Miss Browne, but what on Earth would she be doing here?
His gaze swept back to his sister. He was sure this was one of Amanda’s whims. Graham set his mind to have a word with his sister about it, but his thoughts were interrupted by yet another acquaintance.
“Lord Easterly,” Baron Beasley bellowed. His wife gave a nod to Graham as she clung to her husband’s arm. No doubt to keep him from running off to the card table.
Graham gave the couple a polite bow. “No need for such formalities among old soldiers.”
“Indeed,” Baron Beasley declared. “You are looking well. I am glad to see that not all the returning war heroes have encapsulated themselves in these new dress trends.”
Graham chuckled and replied, “I do not think ruffles suit me very well.”
“I think they can be the most fun,” Lady Beasley said with a smile at her husband.
Clearly, the two of them seemed to have some sort of amusing debate going about the new dandies of London and Graham shook his head as Baron Beasley disputed his wife’s words hotly. “I take it you two are of differing points of view.”
Baron Beasley assured Graham, “We are on most things, but is that not what makes life interesting?”
“He says that until he gets the worst of a discussion,” Lady Beasley said with a light, teasing tone.
Baron Beasley lifted his wife’s hand off his arm and gave it a kiss. “That is probably true as well.”
Graham smiled. “Forgive me for slipping away so soon, but I must go and pay my respects to someone. Do you mind?”
“Not at all,” Baron Beasley assured him. “Go on with you.”
