me?" She turned in her seat the better to observe his expression.
William came out of his abstraction. "My apologies, Mama. I did not realize you were speaking. What was it you wished to know?"
"Not realize that I was speaking! How can you say such a thing, William, when I have been informing you of my opinions this past quarter hour! I have been wondering what you thought of her!"
"Of the lady?" he said in a distant tone. His face revealed no earthly clue as to his sentiments.
"Of course, I am asking about the lady, if it pleases you to speak in such terms! Tell me instantly what you thought of her!"
William commented absently, "I confess that my interest is piqued. I thought her charming— and rather clever."
"Well!" Lady Westbury settled herself back into her seat with an air of satisfaction. She had known William would come to his senses and see the advantages of the match, but she had not cherished any hopes that he would be smitten with the girl. After all, Lady Pamela was hardly what one would call beautiful. If William found her interesting, however, she would say nothing to disabuse him of the idea for she knew gentlemen were peculiar in their tastes. And to call Lady Pamela clever. . .
"William— " she scooted forward again— "I hope you did not misunderstand anything Lady Pamela said to you. I can assure you that she is not a bluestocking. Far from it!"
Her son gave a mischievous grin. The sight of it was vaguely disquieting.
"Oh, no," he said. "I do not fear that. Lady Pamela does not concern me at all."
Chapter Three
As soon as Lord Westbury and his mama had driven out the front gate, Her Grace of Upavon, Mattie, gathered up the skirts of her flimsy gown and ran up the stairs to find Nanny Phillips. As she did so, she noticed the wilted flowers in her hand and, uttering an expression of dismay, flung them over the balustrade. Then, remembering that her footman was getting too old to stoop, she ran back down to collect them and disposed of them herself.
She found Nanny alone, dozing quietly in a chair in her private sitting room. Mattie crept up to her on tiptoes.
"Oh, Nanny darling," Mattie whispered. "I'm so sorry, but do you have to nap just now? Oh, please wake up, dearest!"
Nanny came awake with a jerk, clearly thinking that one of her former charges had screamed during the night with teething pains. Mattie gave a guilty hiss and applied herself to the task of calming her old nurse. After a few moments of this tender treatment, Nanny came fully to her senses, saw where she was, and invited Mattie to take a chair. But the duchess, suddenly aware of the dirt on her gown and gloves, knelt at Nanny Phillips's feet instead.
"What did that horrible man say to Pamela, Nanny? You must tell me everything. I've been dying to know!"
"There, there," said Nanny, pushing her spectacles back onto the bridge of her nose before patting the duchess's hand. "He didn't say anything you need get in a pet over. He just talked about his horses and the like."
Mattie gasped. "But nothing could be worse! Then what about Pammy? Did she seem to— to take to his lordship?" She searched for reassurance in Nanny's pale, old eyes.
Nanny shook her head, bewilderment clouding her features. "Well . . ." She pondered for a moment. "Pammy liked all that talk about driving his team, I could see that."
Mattie bit her underlip.
"She went on a bit rough at first— " Nanny nodded indulgently— "but you know what she is— not much one for gab, unless it's about something she do care about." Nanny's face brightened. "But I'll say one thing for his lordship— he tumbled onto our Pammy's likings right away and told her all about his nice pair of greys. Just the right sort of chatter for our Pammy!"
Mattie uttered a little sound of distress and rose to her feet. She stood there indecisively for a moment, nibbling one fingertip of her glove.
"What is it, pet? What's got you all a-dither?"
Mattie started. "Oh, it's
William came out of his abstraction. "My apologies, Mama. I did not realize you were speaking. What was it you wished to know?"
"Not realize that I was speaking! How can you say such a thing, William, when I have been informing you of my opinions this past quarter hour! I have been wondering what you thought of her!"
"Of the lady?" he said in a distant tone. His face revealed no earthly clue as to his sentiments.
"Of course, I am asking about the lady, if it pleases you to speak in such terms! Tell me instantly what you thought of her!"
William commented absently, "I confess that my interest is piqued. I thought her charming— and rather clever."
"Well!" Lady Westbury settled herself back into her seat with an air of satisfaction. She had known William would come to his senses and see the advantages of the match, but she had not cherished any hopes that he would be smitten with the girl. After all, Lady Pamela was hardly what one would call beautiful. If William found her interesting, however, she would say nothing to disabuse him of the idea for she knew gentlemen were peculiar in their tastes. And to call Lady Pamela clever. . .
"William— " she scooted forward again— "I hope you did not misunderstand anything Lady Pamela said to you. I can assure you that she is not a bluestocking. Far from it!"
Her son gave a mischievous grin. The sight of it was vaguely disquieting.
"Oh, no," he said. "I do not fear that. Lady Pamela does not concern me at all."
Chapter Three
As soon as Lord Westbury and his mama had driven out the front gate, Her Grace of Upavon, Mattie, gathered up the skirts of her flimsy gown and ran up the stairs to find Nanny Phillips. As she did so, she noticed the wilted flowers in her hand and, uttering an expression of dismay, flung them over the balustrade. Then, remembering that her footman was getting too old to stoop, she ran back down to collect them and disposed of them herself.
She found Nanny alone, dozing quietly in a chair in her private sitting room. Mattie crept up to her on tiptoes.
"Oh, Nanny darling," Mattie whispered. "I'm so sorry, but do you have to nap just now? Oh, please wake up, dearest!"
Nanny came awake with a jerk, clearly thinking that one of her former charges had screamed during the night with teething pains. Mattie gave a guilty hiss and applied herself to the task of calming her old nurse. After a few moments of this tender treatment, Nanny came fully to her senses, saw where she was, and invited Mattie to take a chair. But the duchess, suddenly aware of the dirt on her gown and gloves, knelt at Nanny Phillips's feet instead.
"What did that horrible man say to Pamela, Nanny? You must tell me everything. I've been dying to know!"
"There, there," said Nanny, pushing her spectacles back onto the bridge of her nose before patting the duchess's hand. "He didn't say anything you need get in a pet over. He just talked about his horses and the like."
Mattie gasped. "But nothing could be worse! Then what about Pammy? Did she seem to— to take to his lordship?" She searched for reassurance in Nanny's pale, old eyes.
Nanny shook her head, bewilderment clouding her features. "Well . . ." She pondered for a moment. "Pammy liked all that talk about driving his team, I could see that."
Mattie bit her underlip.
"She went on a bit rough at first— " Nanny nodded indulgently— "but you know what she is— not much one for gab, unless it's about something she do care about." Nanny's face brightened. "But I'll say one thing for his lordship— he tumbled onto our Pammy's likings right away and told her all about his nice pair of greys. Just the right sort of chatter for our Pammy!"
Mattie uttered a little sound of distress and rose to her feet. She stood there indecisively for a moment, nibbling one fingertip of her glove.
"What is it, pet? What's got you all a-dither?"
Mattie started. "Oh, it's
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