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"We havea dinner party, a suest list is not overly large, fifty or so, but selective

There will be plenty of gentlemen for you to meet"

"She has not yet been presented," Aunt Eleanor reminded

"That will not matter for such a small affair She will be presented at the end of the month with Portia You both shall reside here, I trust That would be much more convenient"

Meredith looked desperately to her aunt The idea of being under the dowager’s roof, where she would suffer her constant attentions, filled her with no small amount of dread At least at the Brookshire townhouse she would have privacy "We’ve already settled our things at the Brookshire townhouse in Grosvenor"

"It will be easy enough to send a servant to fetch your things"

Meredith tried to lodge another protest "But--"

"That is very considerate of you, Your Grace Thank you," Aunt Eleanor accepted

Meredith glared at her aunt

Aunt Eleanor looked at her in ed with seeing you wed, Lady Brookshire I shall put as randdaughter"

"Pity you" Portia mumbled under her breath

Meredith offered up a wobbly srateful, but she was convinced that every er was clearly asort Much like herself And she was of the fir types could not coexist peaceably in the same house

Perhaps she would take the first offer that caer’s roof

Chapter 15

"When did this come?" Nick barked the question at Feebler, all the while fairly certain who sent the anonymous note

"Late yesterday, sir" The old sailor’s hands shook froe and years of toofor coin in the streets Out of pity, he had hired hih to create a job that would demand very little He used Feebler for ses Nick gazed down at the day old missive crumpled in his hands Apparently even the pro for hi it?"

"I left it here on the table for you, sir," Feebler sputtered "It was late, and I did not wish to bother you below…"

Nick did not hear the rest of his words No time to waste, he took off for the stables behind the Lucky Lady, where he quickly saddled his own horse A short while later he rapped on Lady Derring’s door Finch opened the door, his expression as grave as ever

"Yes, sir? What can I do for you?"

Nick wondered how the ed to look down his nose at him when he was a full head taller "You can stand aside and let me pass And no, I still don’t have a bloody card, but you knoho I am and you will let me inside if you have no wish to end up tossed in the street"

Finch stepped aside and gestured to the drawing roo tea, my lord

Would you care to announce yourself?"

Nick was too bent on his present course to take offense at the butler’s sarcas with the contents of that letter The double doors stood open, and he halted in the threshold, his gaze sweeping the rooht of Meredith a looked up in astonishment at his unceremonious arrival Miss Eleanor looked only relieved, further convincing hi him the missive

Lady Portia set her teacup down and relaxed back on the chaise as if settling in for a good performance

"Lord Brookshire, this is an unexpected visit" Lady Derring ht amount of disapproval in her voice "A little early in thefor a social call We did not expect to see you until next week’s dinner party I assuh you failed to reply to the invitation? Very bad for Meredith’s hair?" he de her question He had received the invitation and had vacillated on whether or not to attend, despite his agreereement with himself never to join the ranks of the pompous elite whose very code of superiority destroyed lives…blinked and looked to each of her companions suspiciously "How did you find--"

"That is unih the air ian, "but Henriette is working on Meredith as we speak--"

"I’ll have noon her without my approval Fro a change to her appearance," he ordered, glaring at the dowager "Dyeing her hair? What were you thinking, woer stiffened in affront, "Have a care how you speak toher wed, and that red hair of hers is totally unsuitable"

"So you would dye her hair like a coe offended her "Take me to her so that I can put a stop to this rin on her ga for her reply, he followed her out of the drawing roo out his irritation with each step He could feel hi with such a thing anyway? Wouldn’t the daughter of a vicar be more conventional? Portia breezed into one of the upstairs bedroo Nick followed fast on her heels

"Oh, excuse us, Meredith" Portia’s cheery voice lacked true apology as she strode dauntlessly into the middle of the room "I should have knocked I did not realize you were in dishabille I’ve brought Lord Brookshire with me, but then you’re practically family No harm, I’m sure"