Page 17 of Leap of Faith
“That would be pleasant, my lord,” the eldest answered.
“But is it proper? Lady Halbury always said a young lady may never be alone with a gentleman,” Grace recited.
“Indeed that is correct. You will meet your chaperone shortly, but as you are together and I am your guardian, I believe we can enjoy a quick tête-à-tête so I may know you a little.”
His chef had outdone himself. Dominic, never one to appreciate any pudding or sweet, was clearly unappreciative of his genius. And now to have three young ladies with which to create masterpieces for! Before them was an array of delicacies fit for the King and Queen to visit.
“Does everyone eat like this with their tea?” Joy asked with wide-eyed wonder.
“No. In fact, I have hardly experienced such glories myself,” he muttered.
“Can your chef make us these every day?”
Dominic smiled. “You will be staying with my mother. She has her own cook, who I am certain will be delighted to make such pastries for you.”
“Why did you bring us here, then, Lord Westwood?”
He thought it was Patience who asked.
“Because I wished to meet you first.”
She frowned prettily.
He had never explained himself before, but found he was doing so now. “I wished to meet you away from under the watchful eyes of your sister. She has a notion that she would like to return you all to Bath and set up house there. I rather think it would do no harm to present the four eldest of you and have my mother bring you out.”
The sisters glanced at each other with, no doubt, a full conversation communicated in those looks.
“If you all prefer to return to Bath and marry an aging military man or an infirmed widower, then far be it from me to go against all of your wishes!”
“Oh, no! We would like to stay in London!” Joy answered for all of them.
Dominic looked at the others with a raised brow.
“I would love to see London, my lord,” Grace answered.
“We would wish to have a Season above all things,” Patience answered.
“As I thought. Then you would do well to help me convince Miss Whitford.”
They all seem to recoil a bit from this. Were they terrified of her?
“Are you afraid to talk to your sister?” he felt compelled to ask after their unexpected reactions.
“It is not that,” Patience hesitated.
“Someone please enlighten me. I would prefer not to be at daggers drawn with her.”
“We owe everything to Faith. She found a way to keep us together when our parents died, and she has been taking care of us ever since—especially this past year.”
“I do find it odd that Lady Halbury did not wish me to be notified of her demise until mourning was ended. What would you have done if something had happened?”
“She did not wish for Sir Reginald to remove us from our home, I presume,” Patience remarked.
“So, you would rather I be the dictatorial dragon and force her?”
“Oh, would you, my lord?”
“But you would rather her not know your wishes? Surely if she knew you all wished for a stay in London…”
