Page 33 of Kiss Me Lady One More Time
“In part,” he said with a laugh. “But it is more than that. This is a ritual of community. The people here are recognizing each other.You and I are the same.It’s the message they are telling each other, and it serves to strengthen the bonds between them.”
Blinking, she watched avidly as they moved into the crowd. “Goodness. I am looking at this experience in an entirely new way.”
“Don’t get too excited. This is rather a tame example.”
“Well, it’s got nothing on rolling a giant cheese.”
He laughed. “Even that is tame, compared to some.”
She turned to look at him. “What was the first?” she demanded. “Which ritual lured you in and began your fascination?”
“Hot pennies,” he answered promptly.
“Excuse me?”
“Hot pennies. In Honiton, a town not far from one of my father’s estates, they celebrate Hot Pennies Day. It is a tradition that started hundreds of years ago, when the wealthy residents of the town stood on the balcony of the Assembly rooms, looking down on the peasants below. They thought it would be great fun to heat their pennies up on the stove and toss them hot to the horde below, and to laugh while the poor sods burned their fingers as they fought to get them.”
“No,” she said.
“Yes.”
“And they still do this?”
“Well, the pennies are merely warm, these days, not scalding. The ceremony kicks off the village fair.”
“Good heavens.”
“Yes. Fascinating, isn’t it? This odd, cruel behavior has become something else over the years, and has become part of how the townspeople identify themselves and each other.”
“Sterne? Sterne!”
The call distracted them both. Penelope saw a lady ahead craning her neck to get a look back at them. She said something to the woman beside her, then left her to approach the gig. “Good day to you, sir!” The girl was smiling widely as she came. “I’d heard you’d gone to north to stay at Greystone. Are you back so soon?”
“I am, and the earl and countess with me.”
The lady lit up. “Hope is in Town? Oh, I must stop in to visit her! How glad I am, then, that Mama and I accompanied my father to Town this week. We nearly stayed home. How heartbroken I would have been to miss the chance to visit with you all.”
“I know Lady Tensford will be glad to see you, Miss Nichols. And may I introduce you to Miss Munroe? She is a neighborhood friend of the earl and countess and is staying with them.”
Pleasantries were exchanged and Hope found she quite liked the friendly girl. She didn’t keep them long, but asked them to send her best to Hope and promised to visit soon.
They’d just started forward again when Sterne was obliged to pull the horses to a halt once more. Another woman had stepped into their path. “I heard your name being called, Sterne, though I could hardly countenance it. But itisyou. I thought you’d gone north to the wilds of Gloucestershire.”
“I did, ma’am, although, to be honest, Greystone is not nearly so wild now as it must have been when you were there, madam.” He extended a hand toward Penelope. “May I present Miss Munroe? Miss Munroe, this is Lady Lowell.”
“We’ve actually met, but you were still Miss McNamara, at that time. I must congratulate you on your nuptials.” Just as she had silently congratulated Tensford for escaping this woman’s net, months ago.
The woman ran an appraising gaze over her. “Munroe? Oh, yes. The squire’s daughter.”
Sterne blinked. “Oh, I had forgotten that you must have met, of course, when Miss McNamara and her family rented the estate.”
“We did.” Lady. Lowell’s mouth twisted. “I should hope that Lady Tensford’s fortune has gone a long way toward restoring the old pile.”
“It has indeed, but not nearly so much as her gracious presence has,” he replied. “But I am surprised to find you in London, ma’am. I should have thought you would be summering at your husband’s country estate.”
“We were. Unfortunately, his is another ancient estate in desperate need of being brought up to date. I had so many renovations in progress, that Lord Lowell swore he would endure the heat and stench of Town in summer, rather than listen to another day of the constant noise of construction.” She cast an amused glance at Penelope. “My husband’s family crossed over with the Conqueror, and I swear, some of the rooms of the place hadn’t been done over, since.” She glanced between them. “But tell me, surely the two of you did not come to London alone? Is Tensford here?”
Sterne nodded. “And the countess as well.”
