Page 37 of The Undaunted
Richard stood and bowed to the ladies and prepared to take his leave.
“Do stay, Richard,” his aunt said. “I am certain Cecilia and Anne come to me to assist in the dinner arrangements. We will want your opinion, too. Everyone we have asked has accepted and we will wish it to be perfect.”
Lady Featherstone shook her head emphatically and whispered, “It’s not about the dinner. It’s about the talk. The talk about Miss Upton.”
Richard paused his stride and stood stock still. He wished to be at once away and staying. What had the girl done this time? What could she have done that caused gossip? Were people already talking about Alvanley’s party and the fact that Mrs. Jordan had attended?
Lady Easton sank into her seat. Softly, she said, “Do stay, Richard. Whatever it is, I shall require your strength.”
Bramley brought the tea in, which they had been waiting for anyway so that Richard might fortify himself after the boxing practice. Bramley had only to gather more cups and saucers and plates and, Richard thought, recover from the sight of Lady Featherstone’s disheveled headgear.
“Do give your bonnet to Bramley, Anne,” Lady Easton said. “It is decidedly off-kilter.”
Lady Featherstone reached for her headdress and felt around it. “Goodness, I quite forgot I had it on,” she said, untying the ribbons.
“It does look very charming when it’s on straight, though,” Lady Redfield said kindly.
Bramley left the room carrying the hat as if it were a live viper.
As the door closed, Lady Featherstone said, “When Cecilia came to me with it, I said, Cecelia, we must race to Clara’s side this instant.”
“With what, though?” Richard asked. “Is this about Alvanley’s dinner?”
Both ladies nodded vigorously, and Lady Redfield looked particularly relieved that he’d deduced the thing so quickly.
There was a long sigh coming from the direction of his aunt and Richard noticed her wringing her hands, which she only did on the direst of occasions.
“I knew it!” she said. “I told Easton he’d made a grave error and he just laughed me off. The man has gone over the cliffs of insanity.”
Whether his uncle had gone over any cliffs might be up for debate, but Richard was not particularly interested in debating it at the moment. Instead, he said, “What, precisely, is being said?”
“Oh well, you know,” Lady Redfield said, staring at the door as if she might make a run for it, “my son mentioned the dancing.”
“What is wrong with dancing?” Richard asked.
“Nothing, nothing at all,” Lady Featherstone said. “Unless it is on a table with ankles showing?”
A stunned silence settled over the room. It was not possible.
“And then the other thing you heard, Cecilia,” Lady Featherstone said encouragingly.
“Oh, the other thing. It seems there was some sort of game?” Lady Redfield said, “A scavenger hunt? Of people? In the dark?”
Lady Easton tapped her fan in sharp and fast raps on the arm of her chair. Richard felt his temper pounding on the sides of his box.
Miss Upton had all but ruined herself and embarrassed them all. How could she be so foolhardy? How could his uncle be so foolhardy?
Lady Easton practically jumped from her chair. “Easton!” she bellowed, louder than any hawker on the street.
Chapter Ten
Bramley threw openthe door to the drawing room at Lady Easton’s shout.
“Bramley,” Lady Easton said in a fury, “find my husband and bring him here. I do not care where he is, I do not care if he must be fetched from Bombay. He must be found and brought to me this instant!”
“He is above stairs, my lady,” Bramley said rather breathlessly.
“Get him,” Lady Easton said coldly.
