Page 55 of When the Rogue Returns
“She’s a widow, so I can do that. And if it’s good enough, she’ll be so impressed that she’ll tell Miss Gordon, and I’ll look like quite the man about town. Mother always says that women like you better if they see that lots of other women like you.”
That sounded exactly like something Lady Lochlaw would say, because she didn’t want him fixing his attentions on Mrs. Franke. “Really, lad, I think you’re going about this all wr—” Victor broke off as something occurred to him. “You know what? You might have a point. You should give Mrs. Franke a truly spectacular gift. And make sure that you have it delivered to her house.”
Lochlaw blinked. “Why shouldn’t I just bring it to the shop?”
“Women are always more impressed by gifts that are delivered to their homes,” he said, feeling only a modicum of guilt over his little deception.
“They are?” Lochlaw said. “Why?”
“Who knows? But there’s a reason men are always having flowers sent over to women’s houses. Because women love that sort of thing.”
“That makes sense,” Lochlaw said. “So you thinkIshould get flowers?”
“Certainly.” Now he just had to make sure it didn’t occur to Lochlaw that while gifts between unmarried gentlemen and unmarried ladies were unacceptable, flowers were perfectly fine. It would do Victor no good if Lochlaw had flowers sent to Miss Gordon instead of Isa. “Let’s go order lots of flowers to be delivered to Mrs. Franke’s house. That will impress her greatly.”
“And it’ll impress Miss Gordon, too, when Mrs. Franke tells her of it?”
“Most assuredly.”
Then Victor wouldfinallyfind out where Isa lived.
13
ISA HAD SPENTher entire day working on the merchant’s ring when Mr. Gordon wandered back to the workshop.
“So,” he said, taking a seat across from her worktable, “his lordship has invited me and Mary Grace to attend his house party.”
“Yes, he told me.”
“I’m just wondering why.”
She concentrated on the setting she was working with. “I would imagine it’s because he finds you both interesting.”
He snorted. “It’s not a crotchety old man like me that he has his eye on. Anyway, I can’t leave the shop—not if you’re going.”
“I don’t have to go, either,” she said quickly. It would certainly simplify matters.
“You do if Mary Grace is to attend. She’ll need a chaperone.”
“Oh. Of course.”
And Mary Grace desperately wanted to go. Isa had learned that at lunch when she’d quizzed the young woman. It had never occurred to her that Mary Grace might have a tendre for Rupert, but apparently she did. Once Isa prodded her a bit—and hinted that Mr. Cale, not Rupert, was the man who’d snagged Isa’s interest—Mary Grace became positively voluble.
His lordship was so brilliant. His lordship was so handsome. His lordship was the finest man in all the world.
“Well, then,” Isa said, “I’m happy to play chaperone.” Especially if it solved the problem of Rupert finding a spouse who was nother.
Mr. Gordon gazed steadily at her. “But if I am to encourage the girl’s father to let her attend, I’ll need to know the extent of his lordship’s interest in her. If he has his eye on you and merely thinks to make you happy by inviting her—”
“I don’t think that’s it. I think she intrigues him.”
“He damned well intriguesher,” Mr. Gordon said dryly. “She couldn’t stop going on about him today.” He shook his head. “Though if his interest turns serious, it will send his mother into apoplexy.”
Isa chuckled. “It certainly will.” She sobered. “But it’s not as if Mary Grace came from the gutter. Her father is a well-admired coffee merchant and she has a substantial dowry.”
“All of that means nothing to a wealthy peer, and you know it. Her father is still in trade, as are the rest of her relations.”
“More money is more money, even to a peer. Besides, Rupert isn’t like other peers. He needs a special kind of woman as a wife, no matter what his mother thinks. MaryGrace might never be good enough forLadyLochlaw, but as long as Rupert is happy, it doesn’t matter.”
