An Escapade and an Engagement Read Online Free PDF Page B

leaped at the
possibility that Lord Ledbury was not going to have it all his own way after
all. In any confrontation between the hard-faced viscount and her stern duenna
regarding a breach of form she would lay odds on Lady Penrose emerging
victorious. Lady Penrose was such a stickler for etiquette. It was why her
grandfather had appointed this distant relative to oversee her Season.
    ‘She won’t stand any nonsense from you,’ he had warned her.
‘And she is astute enough to spot a fortune-hunter a mile off. Yes, Lady Penrose
will get you safely married before the Season’s out…’
    Lady Jayne felt the sting of his rejection afresh. He had been
so keen to get her off his hands. His attitude had made her even more determined
to take up with Harry when he had shown up. At least Harry liked her.
    ‘Although,’ mused Lady Penrose, ‘since he is exactly the sort
of man your grandfather would wish to encourage, I am inclined to permit the
outing to go ahead.’
    When Lady Jayne’s eyes widened in shock, her duenna explained,
‘I dare say he slid into bad habits during his years on active service. I have
seen this kind of thing before with younger sons who never expected to inherit.
It will take him a while to adjust to polite society, no doubt. We will have to
make allowances for him.’
    ‘Will we?’
    ‘Of course,’ said Lady Penrose, looking at her as though she
was an imbecile. ‘He is now a most eligible parti. It would be foolish beyond measure to make a to-do simply because he seems to
have forgotten the way things ought to be done. I shall rearrange your
engagements for today accordingly.’
    Lady Jayne practically gaped at Lady Penrose. Up till now she
had been scornful of just about all the young men who had attempted to fix their
interest with her. Not that she’d had any objection to Lady Penrose frostily
sending those men about their business. For she had no intention of marrying
anyone—not this Season! If her grandfather thought he could marry her off just
like that then he had another think coming.
    * * *
    She stayed angry for the rest of the day. By the time
Lord Ledbury arrived to take her for the drive he had coerced her into taking
with him she was almost ready to tell him to do his worst. Except for the fact
that he might know Harry’s commanding officer. It would only take one word in
the right quarters to ensure he paid dearly for last night’s foolishness. Which
reflection only made her crosser than ever. It was so unfair that he could get away with behaving as badly as he wished
and even a high stickler like Lady Penrose would forgive him because of his
rank.
    And then he had the gall to turn up at her front door in a barouche. If she had to be seen out and about
with him, could it not at least have been in something a bit more dashing—like a
phaeton? Did he not know that this was the very first time Lady Penrose had
permitted her to go out driving with a man in the park?
    No, she fumed, climbing in, he did not know. Or care. For he
was not really her suitor.
    At least there was some consolation in that. She twitched her
furs up to her chin and glared at the groom’s back as Lord Ledbury sat down next
to her. She felt him giving her a hard look, but he said nothing. And continued
to say nothing all the way to the park.
    As they bowled along the streets she conceded that she supposed
she could see why he had chosen such a stuffy, staid form of transport. With a
groom to drive there was nothing to distract him from the lecture he looked as
though he was itching to give her. He’d probably only held back last night
because of that single tear remorse had wrung from her. Yes—she would warrant
he’d feared she would cry in earnest if he shouted at her the way he’d shouted
at Harry. That pensive expression as he’d wiped that teardrop from her chin had
probably been due to him imagining how dreadful it would be to have to escort a
weeping female home through the darkened streets.
    It