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The dog’s tail whipped back and forth in evident agreement, and she licked Quin’s hand enthusiastically

He took a deep breath and stood He had hiloves "Come on, then," he said to Lucy "Let’s join the rest on the terrace"

But when he reached the door, the dogbehind the curtains The party was clustered at one end of the terrace, looking quite flowery and picturesque With a faint pulse of alarm, he realized that he was the only reet him "There you are, Tarquin," she said "I wish to introduce you"

Quin walked forward and joined the circle The dowager began at her left "Miss Georgiana Lytton, iana bore only a faint resemblance to the sodden woe Her hair arm broith streaks of bronze, and pinned in loops and curls about her head Her eyes were lively and intelligent, but above all, she carried herself with a kind of natural grace and dignity that was a pleasure to see

He bowed Georgiana dipped her head and dropped a pretty curtsy His mother watched with noticeable wariana’s glove She was perfect She even looked like a duchess-to-be She earing so pink with lots of tiny pleats It wasn’t at all like her sister’s gown--it didn’t rave; la mode, with short sleeves that belled around her shoulders with a kind of elegance gifted only by a French modiste

She looked as if she were ready to have her portrait painted and stuck up on the ith all the other duchesses who’d lived in his house

"Miss Lytton,just a shade "Miss Lytton is Miss Georgiana’s twin sister" Olivia was clearly not a favorite in the marital sweepstakes, which didn’t surprise him in the least

Olivia curtsied, rather less deeply than her sister had done, and then Quin swept into a bow Her hair was far darker than her sister’s

"Miss Lytton," his mother continued, "is betrothed to the Marquess of Montsurrey While the marquess has not been in company overly much, I’m sure you’ve met his father, the Duke of Canterwick, in the House of Lords"

Quin froze in mid-bow at the word "betrothed," then his lips touched Olivia’s glove He felt her fingers trembled in his hand; perhaps it was his hand that trehtened

"Indeed," he said "Best wishes on your betrothal, Miss Lytton I’ the marquess"

She sht cheek

"Rupert is heading a coainst the French," she said "He is quite patriotic"

"Hea silent nod to the absent ainst France but had deemed it impossible Given that his father was dead and he had no brothers, he was responsible for an enorlish counties, not to mention the land in Scotland He sireatest respect for those ainst the incursions of Napoleon"

"May I present Lady Althea Renwitt and herthe question of Napoleon She didn’t approve of the war; the French had been most objectionable when they slew their nobility, but she couldn’t see why England should risk English lives on that account Quin had given up trying to explain it to her "Lady Althea, Lady Renwitt, my son, the Duke of Sconce"