A Lesson in Pride (16 page)

All three ladies laughed at that as they entered the carriage. It was an odd argument they often had, discussing potential suitors. Hope longed for adventure, while Charlotte desired someone steadfast and quiet. Knowing romance novels as she did, Ginny was certain that both girls would be surprised by the man they fell in love with. This made Charlotte's agriculturalist the perfect candidate.

“Pirates smell bad, Hope. They rarely bathe and are missing a large number of teeth.”

“How would you know such a thing, Ally? Have you met many pirates?”

Ginny could have regaled her stepdaughter with a tale or two, but said instead, “No, but it stands to reason. Any fresh water on a ship would be used to drink and cook, not bathe. And as for the teeth, I would imagine that dental hygiene is not on the top of their list. They would be too busy fighting off other pirates or the British navy.”

Heaving a martyred sigh, Hope said, “You are probably right. I shall have to settle for a spy. Someone who clandestinely works for the British government gathering our enemies' secrets.”

Charlotte looked to her stepmother, while Ginny smiled. Hope certainly did read a lot of romantic novels. Pirates and spies had to be far less interesting in reality than in fiction.

As silence fell over the carriage, Charlotte whispered, “I have a secret.”

Ginny's eyebrows rose once again. Charlotte was the steady one, not the one she expected to have secrets. Thinking it would end up being something silly, she asked, “Are you going to reveal your secret, Charlotte?”

“Oh, she had better,” Hope announced, intrigued by her sister's change in behavior.

Moving forward, she whispered, “The agriculturalist gave me some champagne to try.”

Hope's face dropped. “But that is unfair. I did not get to taste champagne.”

Ginny almost laughed. She could remember a time when she thought a pilfered sip of alcohol was the coolest thing ever. Instead, she asked, “How did he do such a thing?”

“He poured it into a punch cup. It was rather clever when you think about it.”

“Oh, I really must meet this gentleman. What was his name?”

At Hope's inquiry, Charlotte felt a stab of jealousy course through her veins. After a second, Charlotte calmed herself. Wasn't it she who suggested the introduction? Didn't she think her sister and Mr. Pierce would be better suited?

Working hard to sound unaffected, Charlotte stated, “Mr. Braydon Pierce. His current benefactor is Lord Westly.”

“He may be at the musicale tonight. You can introduce us there, but first, we are to meet Lord Grant's fiancée. It should be a most interesting evening.”

Ginny remained silent at Hope's statement. Interesting indeed. After making an utter fool of herself in front of the girl and her parents, she was now being forced to dine with them. And if that didn't kill her off from the sheer mortification, there was always the discussion she had to have with Grant at some point. That would surely finish the job. As always, Ginny had made a royal muck of everything.

The Savoy Hotel was one of the most posh in London. It was unheard of for ladies to enter unescorted, so Grant stood outside awaiting their arrival. Charlotte and Hope took the lead, taking the time to admire the ornate woodwork of the lobby. Ginny kept her eyes firmly on the polished marble floor.

Not to Ginny's surprise, Grant whispered, “Should I stop by tomorrow for tea?”

Ginny, after raising her head to look forward, whispered back, “I wish you wouldn't.”

Grant chuckled at her vehemence, but persisted. “Oh, my dear, sweet Alysanne, an army of thousands couldn't keep me away.”

Sighing audibly, she stated, “That is precisely what I thought you'd say. Come by at four. My stepdaughters will be out on a shopping excursion with their eldest sister.”

“I look forward to it.”

The four entered the dining room and were directed to a small alcove. There was a grand table already set and the Hortons already seated. When they entered, Mr. Horton rose and walked forward.

“Lord Montgomery, Lady Essex, thank you for coming. Lady Essex, would make the introductions?”

For a man who had grown up poor and made something of himself, Malcolm Horton sounded every bit the gentleman.

“Mr. and Mrs. Horton, Miss Horton, may I introduce my stepdaughters Miss Charlotte Drake and Miss Hope Drake.”

Mr. Horton stepped forward and bowed his head. “It is a pleasure to meet such lovely young ladies. Please allow me to seat you.”

As Mr. Horton seated the girls, Grant pulled out a chair for her. He seated her next to himself, with Miss Horton on his right. As though the evening weren't uncomfortable enough, Grant sought to punish her for her earlier mishap.

After Mr. Horton sat back down, the waiters began the service. Wine was poured and the first course was laid out. Ginny picked at her food, not trusting her stomach to handle too much. Mr. Horton noticed immediately.

“My lady, are you not hungry this evening? I find myself famished.”

Ginny smiled at the man's gregarious nature. It wasn't often that someone even remotely tied to the aristocracy would be so open and honest. Finding herself like the man, it caused Ginny a pang of doubt. She was, in likelihood, about to steal his daughter's fiancé away.

“You will need to learn, Mr. Horton, that ladies are expected to pick at their food and go hungry all night for the sake of decorum.”

“Having gone without food, it seems a strange custom to me.”

Not only was there sadness in his voice, but Malcolm Horton showed his immense pride at the same time. He might have been born poor, but those days were long gone and not to be repeated.

“I couldn't agree more, Mr. Horton,” Ginny said as she took a large bite from her plate.

The Hortons laughed, but Ginny noticed that Grant remained quiet. She thought he might have bristled slightly, but Ginny hoped that wasn't the case. Even being the son of a duke did not give him the right to be such a snob. If his father had taught him anything, it was how not to treat other people.

Hope and Charlotte were enjoying the meal, mostly because it reminded them of home. When they all lived in the country together, the dinner table was a time to laugh and tell stories from their day, not to sit in insufferable silence. To the Drake girls, the Hortons were a loving family, full of mirth and pride.

“Mr. Horton, where exactly do you hail from?” Ginny asked as she sipped the soup of the second course.

“Liverpool, my lady. And please call me Malcolm. I never much cared for the formality.”

“Then you must call me Alysanne. I don't wish to be rude, but you don't seem to have much of a Liverpool accent.”

There was a moment of silence, making Ginny think that she couldn't have asked a more inappropriate question. Then Malcolm burst into belly-rolling laughter. His wife joined in, and even Persephone covered her mouth with her napkin to hide her smile.

“Oh, my, you are quite refreshing, Alysanne. I have worked very hard over the years to lose my accent. It returns on occasion, especially if I am yelling at my workers, but mostly I can keep it under control.”

Ginny heard a hissed, “Alysanne,” come from Grant. Apparently, he didn't want to be reminded that he was marrying into a family so beneath his own. Well, Ginny had no issue with letting him know all about his future wife's family.

“Persephone, you have such a lovely name. Mrs. Horton, how did you decide on such a mythical name?”

Georgina Horton regaled the table with the story of how she'd decided on her daughter's name. She was both funny and as jovial as her husband. Ginny saw the love they had for one another. Most of the night was spent listening to stories of how Malcolm became successful, giving almost all the credit to the woman by his side. If there was ever a love story to be heard, it was from Malcolm and Georgina. They had lived through bad times, but ended up on top. To think that the ton would only turn their hooked noses on such a couple.

The meal was soon over and Ginny was happy she'd come. It should have been awkward, considering Ginny would be marrying Grant and not Persephone, but it hadn't been. Instead, Ginny found a lovely couple who knew how to laugh at themselves and a girl who was kind and delightful. The only regret she had was knowing that Persephone Horton, as gentle and sweet as she was, would be torn apart by the very institution she was trying to enter. The ton would be grotesquely unkind. It made Ginny wonder if the girl would survive it.

Grant had been suspiciously quiet during the entire meal. He would nod when appropriate, he would speak if necessary, but otherwise, he remained stoically reserved. When the rest of the table roared in laughter over some silly story, Ginny could feel Grant stiffen uncomfortably. His upbringing was vastly different from his fiancée's and it had Ginny wondering if the poor girl would survive disdain from her own husband.

Not that it would be a problem, since Grant would be marrying her. It was a romance novel, with her cast as the heroine. Even with Alysanne not drumming her agenda in Ginny's head 24/7, it was still painfully clear how things would work out. Now, instead of worrying over saving Grant from marrying a girl he could never love, Ginny needed to save Persephone from any heartache his desertion might cause.

The girls left the Savoy with a promise of attending a dinner party at the Hortons' home soon. As their carriage made its way along the cobblestones, Ginny was overwhelmed by a sense of peace. She had never felt this complete with a story not nearly finished. Could her outlook be so promising that her consciousness was so free? If her romance novel times taught her anything, it was not to put the cart before the horse. Something was coming. Good or bad, it was coming. And she would do well to prepare herself for anything.

Chapter 22

They were late for the musicale, but made it by the intermission. After speaking to a few people she knew, Ginny was relieved to find out that the beginning part was mostly amateur talent and not worth listening to. As they waited for the next set, several young men came by to offer to get them beverages. It wasn't until one man in particular came by that Ginny realized that Charlotte might have found her happily ever after.

Braydon Pierce walked with a quiet self-assurance that was very sexy. The fact that he was tall, good-looking, and capable of conversing on topics other than himself made him even more appealing. The look on Charlotte's face told Ginny that her stepdaughter was just a little smitten.

“Good evening, ladies. I had hoped we would bump into each other this evening.”

“Mr. Pierce, it is nice to see you again. How are you?” Charlotte asked, dipping into a small curtsy of greeting.

Bowing in response, Braydon said, “I am well, thank you. Lady Essex, you look well this evening.”

Ginny raised her eyebrow. Well? She looked spectacular, mostly because if she didn't she would humiliate herself in front of Grant's temporary fiancée. Not that she was being vain.

“Thank you,” Ginny smiled and turned slightly. “May I introduce you to my other stepdaughter. Miss Hope Drake, please meet Mr. Braydon Pierce.”

Hope gave him a cursory glance over, but Ginny could tell she was otherwise not moved. No, this one was definitely for Charlotte, even if the silly girl didn't know it yet.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Pierce,” Hope said with a small smile on her face. Soon Hope's attention was directed elsewhere, as she searched the room for someone else.

Braydon turned his attention back to Charlotte. When he saw Lady Essex turn her head to speak to Hope, he whispered, “My benefactor is leaving town tomorrow for a house party. I am free for the next week. I was wondering if you would be interested in driving with me tomorrow afternoon.”

“Oh, uh,” Charlotte struggled to think of an excuse that wouldn't hurt the man's feelings. It wasn't that she didn't want to go for a ride with him, but she didn't want to lead him on. Their relationship would amount to nothing but a small flirtation anyway.

“I suspect it will be fine weather. I have my own curricle that is well sprung. I promise it will be a fine time.”

“That sounds lovely,” Charlotte finally uttered, having not thought of a single way to get out of the engagement.

“May I pick you up at five o'clock?”

Charlotte stared into his earnest brown eyes. They were the color of melted chocolate. She wondered if he'd be nearly as sweet. Before she could make a fool of herself any further, a footman announced that the second half of the concert would begin shortly.

“Five o'clock is fine, Mr. Pierce. I should join my sister and stepmother now.”

“May I join you?”

How was she to listen to the concert when he was sitting next to her? The man was a distraction, a luxury she couldn't afford. Still, there would be no harm in enjoying his attentions for a little while. As long as she made it clear that any relationship would be simply friendship, there would be no harm done. Taking his proffered arm, the pair followed behind Hope and Alysanne.

They found seats near the back of the large, high-ceilinged room. As they took their seats, Braydon asked, “Can I fetch anything for you before the music starts? I see a footman with a tray of drinks.”