Page 23 of Leap of Faith
“Beauty!” Freddy said. “Obsessed with it. Used to make me uncomfortable with the way he stared. Never heard of him being in the petticoat line, though.”
“He is very well to pass, so he is not looking for a fortune,” Rotham interjected.
“He would not find it with them, anyway, though they have a respectable portion.” Dominic wondered if the spectacle of five beautiful ladies would have unforeseen consequences. “Help me to keep an eye on Sir Julian. I’ve never known him to cross the line besides in his dress, but if he is so preoccupied with beautiful things, who knows what five of them might do to his sensibilities!”
“My guess is he wants to place a bet on them,” Rotham prophesied.
“Perhaps that is all it is. It is bound to happen, regardless of who starts it.”
“Let us go before anyone else waylays you!” Montford insisted.
Soon they were at Jackson’s Saloon, perfecting their punishing rights, menacing left hooks, and swift one-twos. Before long, the thought of his wards and the sight of a pair of pretty blue eyes and an impudent countenance were forgotten.
CHAPTER6
They had seen neither hide nor hair of Lord Westwood in four days. Faith didn’t know whether to be glad or annoyed, but if her mood was anything to go by, it was the latter. They’d heard a great deal about him, however.
He was a Corinthian, all the go, Top-o’-the-Trees, a first-rate whip, and other names Faith did not fully understand, but all of this she had gleaned from servants who clearly thought much of their master’s prowess and popularity. It was clear all of them were besotted.
Faith had only been guessing when she had thrown accusations at him before based on Lady Halbury’s descriptions of a Town Buck. It made it even more perplexing why he wished to keep the five of them in Town! Then to completely abandon them to his mother? It was vexing in the extreme!
Several extraordinary gowns had arrived for each of them that morning, and her sisters were in raptures. Even Faith had to admit she’d never owned anything so fine. As a missionary child, she had learned to sew out of necessity. And while Lady Halbury had not been a miser, she had encouraged the girls to continue making their own gowns unless they were going to a special event. In her later years, they never went to special events.
It was something indeed to see her sisters outfitted in colours again. They looked like a veritable rainbow in pastels of soft primrose, peach, pale green, lilac, rose, and celestial blue. They were sitting on a sofa after breaking their fast, when Lord Westwood walked in.
“Perfection!” he exclaimed in an approving manner. “Pretty as a picture!”
They stood and made their curtsies.
“Have you come to take us somewhere?” Joy asked without preamble.
“Maybe I have, little imp,” he said, tweaking her cheek.
Faith watched with a little pang of jealousy, wishing she could be so open with a gentleman while also trying not to feel piqued that he had ignored them for several days.
“Where are we going?”
“Perhaps it should be a surprise,” he said with a devilish grin.
“I love surprises! Except I also want to know.” Joy frowned at her own fickleness.
“Then I shall keep mum. Our escorts should be here any moment.”
“Escorts?” Hope asked.
“As all of us do not fit into one vehicle, I asked my friends to come to our aid.”
Faith would never have admitted it, but she was a little bit excited to see some of the amusements in Town. When his friends arrived, there was a great deal of exclamation and adoration of the sisters. The gentlemen had yet to see them all together.
“Where are we taking them?”
“To the ’Change to see the animals first. After that, I thought they would enjoy Gunter’s.”
“If you are planning on taking them anywhere fashionable, you will need to bring smelling salts,” Rotham warned.
The girls laughed at the absurdity. They were shown outside to where four very smart vehicles were lined up with their tigers holding the horses’ heads.
“How very dashing!” Hope exclaimed.
