page9 (1/2)
And just , she would gain Rob’s love and a secure place to belong
CHAPTER FOUR
THREE WEEKS LATER, Will sat at Lady Domcaster’s dinner table, a saze to the head of the table, trying to catch his cousin Lucilla’s eye while giving no lady seated beside him
“I declare, Lord Tavener,” Miss Benton-Wythe exclaioverness opened her door and the chicken Harry had hidden flew out, flapping and squawking, she shrieked so loud ere like to die laughing!” Apparently envisioning that occasion, she went off into a fit of giggles
Wincing, Will turned to his other side to address the honoree of the evening, Miss Cecelia Rysdale, daughter of Lucilla’s friend Lydia “Miss Rysdale, do you recall any si events from childhood?”
Color ca lady’s cheeks as she hastily dropped her eyes to her plate, ible syllable Will took to be “no” ’Twas about the extent of the response he’d been able to eke fro the course of this interminable dinner
Having no idea what one talked about with young ladies, he’d first ress of the peace accords in Vienna, then asked about the current offerings of the Philharmonic Society, then attempted to elicit opinions on the performance of Hamlet now at Covent Garden After these conversational overtures evoked puzzled silence, a rather desperate co ladies’ bonnets finally drew a response from Miss Benton-Wythe
Though not even the ed to entice Miss Rysdale into speech, her companion more than made up for her silence Miss Benton-Wythe launched into a detailed description of the design and construction of her headgear, and having begun, needed no encourage
Will calculated that over the course of this dinner, Miss Benton-Wythe had produced enough words to fill three conversations, all delivered in a penetrating voice and punctuated by high-pitched giggles that were giving hiue about diplomacy
Finally catching Lucilla’s attention, he cast her a beseeching look Though she returned hilance, the corner of herit was time for the ladies to leave the table
Will leapt to his feet “Ladies, irls as he bowed
“La, iving hi look
Hard-pressed to suppress his relief, Will watched Lucilla lead the women from the room Thank heavens all the attendees at this dinner were proceeding to other engagears with the uests, mostly fathers of Miss Rysdale and her friends and mostly unknown to him He understood nohy Domcaster, despite his obvious affection for his wife, had chosen to return to the country
Even as Will nodded and sentlemen started to follow the ladies out When the last one exited, Will sat back down and took a long, fortifying pull on his wineglass It appeared this business of finding a rich ould be even more distasteful than he’d envisioned
He had just finished the hen Lucilla returned “Bless you, cousin,” he said “Two more minutes and I would have cast myself facedown into the syllabub”
Though Lucilla clucked in disapproval, her eyes danced “I’ll allow that Miss Benton-Wythe’s voice is a trifle…grating”
“I should have enjoyed hearing more of Miss Rysdale’s But after I delivered a very ht I meant to ravish her upon the spot and spent the rest of thewith the china”
Lucilla sighed “Someone must have carried tales to her about your wicked reputation She is rather timid”