Page 11 of The Undaunted
The lady paused with another idea. “Though, perhaps I am mistaken about how high you can shoot, you are very pretty, after all, and many a gentleman has thrown sensibility to the four winds on account of a pretty face. A rich fellow need not even consider the size of the dowry. Perhaps youwillmake your own brilliant match. I should quite like that.”
*
Caroline nodded asLady Easton prattled on. She’d had no idea that bringing up Lord Bertridge would result in him being the topic of conversation for the rest of the journey. Whenever they hit upon something else, it somehow circled back to her nephew. It might have been very interesting if she’d been told of his real nature, but that was not to be. She had heard of the Earl of Clayton’s daughter three times, even though all that was known of her was that she was pretty and demure.
Demure. It was a trap, she had always thought. It was meant to be a high compliment, but in order for a lady to garner such an accolade, she must forgo having opinions on anything. She must just sit in a corner with eyelashes fluttering and pretend to know nothing. It seemed a rather high price to pay for such a flimsy reward.
In any case, did anybodyreallylike demure? She could not think so. Especially not the mysterious Lord Bertridge. She was certain he was not as proper as he seemed, nobody could be. Therefore, he had put on a mask. Nobody who hid their real nature, which was bound to be very wild if it needed hiding, could ever be satisfied with demure.
She suspected poor Lady Easton was fooling herself. It would not be the first time a matron was set on ill-conceived matchmaking. Lady Marie was often in the habit of it, making various pronouncements about who ought to marry who. She had never been right, but that did not seem to put her off it.
Perhaps it was only a matronly sport, and the fun was in the planning, not the result.
“Now,” Lady Easton said, “here we come to the hotel. We stay atThe George. My nephew is well-known there.”
“Oh, lovely,” Caroline said, “it is one of my favorite places.”
“You have been here?” Lady Easton asked, her brows furrowing together.
As Caroline nodded, Lady Easton said softly, “I had forgot. With your father, I suppose.”
The carriage pulled into the yard and Caroline opened the window and peered out. Lord Bertridge was already off his horse and handing it over to a groom. There were faces everywhere that she recognized.
“Hello, Jimmy,” she called to the groom leading Lord Bertridge’s horse toward the stables.
“Miss Upton!” the groom said, tipping his cap. “Do we see the baron coming through, nobody told me.”
“He is at home, celebrating his recent wins,” Caroline called.
“I heard! We all heard!”
Lady Easton laid a hand on Caroline’s arm and pulled her back from the window.
“My dear, it is not…to be shouting out a window to a groom…”
The lady did not have opportunity to say more as her door was opened and she was helped down. Caroline handed a hatbox out ahead of her and got down herself.
Caroline supposed Lady Easton took exception to her friendliness with the groom. She generally was on speaking terms with everybody atThe George, as she had been often there and her father did not like to stand on ceremony.
She smiled at the fellow handing her down, though she did not recognize him and she presumed he must be new. He was a very tall and thin fellow and he led them to Lord Bertridge, who stood at the doors.
As they went inside, the proprietor hurried toward them.
“My lord, my lady, miss…oh, it’s you, Caroline!”
“Hello, Harry,” Caroline said. “How are you?”
“Very well, very well indeed. Of course, we’ve all heard of your father’s success, we are thrilled for him. May I know your friends?”
“Mr. Johnson, may I present Lady Easton, and her nephew, Lord Bertridge.”
“Ah, Lord Bertridge, yes, of course, welcome back to the hotel. And Lady Easton, it is a pleasure! I have your reservations in hand, only I did not realize you traveled with our dear Caroline.”
Lady Easton, looking rather icy, said, “Mr. Johnson. May we be taken to a private dining room for refreshment and then to our rooms?”
Caroline watched with interest as poor Harry began to take Lady Easton’s measure. As the proprietor of a hotel that often saw the high and the mighty coming through the doors, he was no fool. Baron Dunn might not like to stand on ceremony, but Lady Easton liked to stand on the highest rung of it.
“Of course, Lady Easton. Lord Bertridge, just this way.”
