Page 31 of An Icy Christmas Engagement
She accepted them with a grateful smile. “They are lovely, my lord. I shall have them put by my bed.”
Caroline set them on an end table nearby, feeling a little guilty about the lie. She would have them in her room at least. There was no reason the flowers had to suffer because she did not return Lord Sotheby’s interest.
“Good morning, Miss Tilbury,” Lord Sotheby said with a polite bow. “I hope I am not disturbing your breakfast.”
“Not at all, my lord,” Louisa said. “If anything, I think your presence has made it much more interesting.”
Caroline tried not to roll her eyes. She knew exactly what Louisa was insinuating.
But Lord Sotheby still kept that bland and polite smile. “Then it is with apologies that I must ask Lady Winterbourne to accompany me on a walk through Hyde Park.”
“If you must apologise for it, my lord, then is it a suggestion worth making?”
Lord Sotheby blinked, clearly taken aback by Louisa’s pointed question. Caroline nearly grinned. It would make her job that much easier if Louisa was the one who chased him away, and not her.
“I only jest, my lord,” Louisa said with a laugh. “I think it is a splendid idea. But it is an idea you should say to Caroline and not I.”
“Ah, that is correct.” Lord Sotheby looked grateful to turn his attention back to Caroline. “My lady, would you do me the honours of accompanying me on a morning stroll?”
“I would love to, my lord,” Caroline told him, hesitantly. “But it is not quite the fashionable hour for a walk, is it?”
“All the better, my lady. We will be free from the eyes of the ton, for the most part.”
She couldn’t deny that. So she tried another route. “It is quite chilly at this time of the day.”
“Then it would be best to dress warmly.”
Honestly, she didn’t know why she thought that would work.
Caroline looked at Louisa for help. But her friend only smiled at her, nodding encouragingly. She even said, “I shall let Lady York know where you are once she arrives for breakfast.”
Caroline couldn’t think of a single way out of it. Looking at Lord Sotheby’s hopeful face made it difficult to deny him outright.
With underlying reluctance, she nodded and said, “Pray, allow me a moment to retrieve my coat and boots.”
“Of course, my lady.”
Caroline felt a twinge of guilt at the look of happiness on his face, shooting Louisa a scathing glare as she headed out of the room. She trudged up to her room and donned her coat, gloves, and boots, knowing that the extra layer of warmth would help make this outing a little less miserable for her.
It felt like she was dragging herself back down to the drawing room where she found Louisa pestering Lord Sotheby with mundane questions like what weather he preferred and if he enjoyed drinking warm milk. One look at the discomfort on his face told Caroline all she needed to know about her friend’s motivations. And one look at Louisa’s tiny mirthful smile confirmed her suspicions.
“Shall we, my lady?” Lord Sotheby asked the moment he saw Caroline, shooting to his feet. He offered his arm far too eagerly than he needed to.
Behind him, Louisa laughed. “You enjoy yourselves,” she sang as they left the room.
Caroline could have throttled her. She made a mental note to do that the moment she returned. But for now, she would have to maneuver this outing without hurting Lord Sotheby’s feelings.
They said nothing as they climbed into his carriage and set off down the street. Caroline was grateful for the quiet. She stared out the window, observing the lovely townhouses as they went by.A maid had come along as a chaperone and that was a comfort for Caroline.
“Is Lady York well, my lady?”
Caroline looked at him, surprised. “Why do you ask?”
“I did not see her,” he said. “And Miss Tilbury made mention of the fact that she had not yet come down for breakfast. So I had only wondered.”
“Oh, you needn’t worry, my lord. My mother is well. She simply takes great pleasure in indulging in a leisurely slumber.”
“Oh, I see.”
