Page 44 of The Bachelor
“But you just got here,” she said.
“And I’m already bored to tears.” When she lifted a brow at him, he said, “Come now, Sis, you know I’m not the marriage mart sort. Besides, didn’t I do my duty once today by squiring you through your presentation?”
She softened. “Yes, you did. And I thank you.” It dawned on her that perhaps now was the time to beg him for money, while he felt marginally guilty for leaving and while Joshua was halfway across the room talking to Beatrice. “By the way, Mama and I are going shopping tomorrow, and I need a hundred pounds.”
“Forwhat?” He frowned. “I have a line of credit with every bloody merchant in Bond Street. Just use that. And it’s dangerous for you to be walking around with that much blunt anyway.”
“Isn’t that what Joshua is for? In any case, Mama’s birthday is next week. It’s been a difficult year for her, what with Papa dying and her worries about the estate and her not being able to attend my debut activities. So I wish to buy her a very nice gift to cheer her up. But she’s shopping with me, so I’ll have to be sneaky about it. Which means slipping the merchant some pound notes rather than waiting for him to record the purchase, etcetera, etcetera.”
A look of horror crossed Thorn’s face. “Oh, God, Mother’s birthday. I completely forgot about it.”
“Yes, but it’s all right. I have it handled. I’ll purchase something and say it’s from both of us.” And she’d use credit for it, so she could give the hundred pounds to Lionel. By the time Thorn learned of it, Lionel would be out of her life for good.
Or that was her plan anyway.
“Thank you, Sis! I’ll send the money over first thing tomorrow.”
“You’re a dear,” she said, stretching up to kiss his cheek. When he eyed her suspiciously, she realized she’d done it up a bit brown. “Now go on to whatever house of debauchery you frequent, before I start introducing you to all the young, unattached ladies here.”
He didn’t wait to see if she really would. He fled.
As soon as he had vanished from her side, a gentleman approached to ask for the first dance. The ball had clearly officially begun. And now that she had the money arranged for Lionel—and an idea for how to escape Joshua tomorrow was forming in her mind—she might as well enjoy herself. Where better to have fun than at a ball in her honor?
But after hours of dancing with scarcely a chance to breathe, she had changed her opinion. She did love the dancing, but themen. . . Well, she’d had quite enough of their empty compliments about her eyes being stars and her cheeks peaches. Honestly, did any of these fellows have a single genuine thought in their heads?
What made it worse was, they weren’t remotely sincere. She could tell that by how they quizzed her about her family connections and why she’d waited so long to marry. They merely wanted her fortune. She’d expected that, but it still hurt. Not to mention that it made it harder for her to put up with the arses.
A pity she couldn’t take her brothers as partners, but that wasn’t allowed. Besides, thiswas, after all, her debut. She was expected to dance with eligible gentlemen. But surely she’d met her quota by now.
Good Lord, but she would never marry a one of them, even if shecould. After a while, she fled to the refreshments room to avoid them.
In there, a footman offered her a glass of champagne, which she took readily, then sipped as she surveyed the fare. In addition to the champagne, there was fruit punch and tea and negus to drink. All manner of delicious hors d’oeuvres were spread across one table: scotch eggs, brawn, white soup, sliced cold meats and cheeses, and sandwiches, among others. And if sweets were more to one’s liking, another table was filled with apricot cakes, lavender shortbread, lemon tarts, Naples biscuits, and such. There were even pyramids of grapes, peaches, and other spring fruits. And this was all to stave off hunger before everyone went in to supper! Grey did nothing by halves.
Still, she wasn’t about to eat a peach and risk ruining her debut ball gown, which she’d changed into the second she’d arrived home from the Palace. And where was her bodyguard? She went to stand in the doorway to look. Had she managed to evade Joshua by coming in here? Apparently not, for as soon as the question had entered her mind it was answered by the sight of him leaving his post across the ballroom and making his way through the crowd toward her.
Lord, but he was handsome in his uniform. From his gold epaulettes to his sparkling white trousers and his shining Hessian boots, he was a fine picture of a man. Gold braid lavishly adorned his red coat and a white cross belt showed him to be an officer, along with the gold officer’s gorget that hung about his neck. But as usual he wore a grim expression. The man simply did not know how to enjoy himself properly.
Feeling mischievous, she grabbed another glass of champagne and met him at the door.
“Something bubbly to drink, Joshua?” she asked as she offered him the glass. “Or are you not allowed to imbibe?”
“I don’t know why I wouldn’t be.” He took the glass from her and drank deeply of it. “I mayhaveto drink just to endure this night of horrors.”
“How wonderful to see Major Grumbler make his debut atmydebut,” she said with a laugh. “Just out of curiosity, what makes it a night of horrors?”
He eyed her askance. “There are too many people of too little intelligence, for one. I daresay none of them has read a book in the past month.”
“Iread a book in the past month,” she said teasingly.
“What kind? Wait, don’t tell me. A novel. Or some compilation of sentimental poetry about love.”
“I’ll have you know it was neither. I readEssays on Gothic Architecture.”
“Something sensible, then.” He sipped more champagne. “I’m astonished.”
“Are you?” She ignored the insult to her reading choices. “What book didyouread in the past month?”
“I read fifteen. Shall I list the titles?”
