Trust her mother to sound peevish when the man hadn’t actually promised to be here at such a time. “Mama, I only said he might come.” Did he look tired? There was a heaviness about his eyes that suggested such a thing, but his expression smoothed out before she could say definitively one way or another.
“Your thinking was correct,” Lord Sayres said smoothly. “I had intended to be here well before time, truth be told, but I was detained.”
Her mother arched her brows and said nothing. It was her silent way of putting a man in his place, letting him know without words that he was out of her good graces.
“If it helps, I come bearing an on-dit.”
It did help. Mother adored anything resembling gossip, and so she dipped her chin as regally as any queen. “If you—”
“Never mind that,” Gwen interrupted. “I wanted you specifically to meet Lilah. She’s upstairs right now, but I thought we could all take a walk together and talk about…” Her voice trailed away as her mother shot daggers at her.
Oh dear. She’d skipped ahead when she wasn’t supposed to do that. It was just that she often saw the pattern of what was to happen and grew impatient with the slowness of it all.
“I do beg your pardon,” she said, doing her best to curb her impatience. “Lord Sayres, please relay the on-dit. Then mother can be happy while I get Lilah, and we shall all take a walk together. Is that acceptable?” She frowned. “Unless you really want tea. I suppose I could wait—”
“Gwendolyn!” her mother snapped. “You told me Lord Sayres was here specifically to see you.” She leaned forward to pour the last of the tea, though it was likely tepid at best. “Cream, my lord?”
“Yes, thank you.”
He took the tea as well as a selection of small sandwiches, eating them during pauses in his on-dit. It was a silly story about some poor girl who had made a cake of herself during a party. To Gwen’s way of thinking, it was the same as every other on-dit that was ever spoken in London. Someone did something silly and everyone else had to laugh about it. Except, to her surprise, Lord Sayres took a different approach.
“I do think it was awful of the hostess to make such a commotion over spilled wine. She will forever be known as the hostess who was cruel to a girl so nervous she fumbled her drink. Haven’t we all been awkward at some point?” he asked.
And what was Mother to say but, of course, everyone got nervous, especially girls straight out of the schoolroom.
“I declare that Mrs. Saunderson will have to work especially hard for me to visit her again,” he continued. “She was unkind, and I cannot abide meanness. Isn’t that right Lady Gwen?”
“What? Me?” She shook her head. It wasn’t that she disagreed. In fact, she heartily agreed that Mrs. Saund-whomever had been cruel, but wasn’t thattonall the time? And why was she abruptly tongue-tied?
“Gwen agrees. Of course she does. But it wouldn’t do to offend Mrs. Saunderson,” her mother inserted. “But of course you know that, my lord. You excel at sailing the seas of society.”
He arched his brows at her mother, but his gaze remained on her. “I suppose I do,” he said slowly. “And I have an idea I should like to discuss with your daughter. One that needs her cooperation.” He tilted his head at her and smiled in a way that was ever so handsome. “What say you, Lady Gwen? Shall we take an afternoon stroll?”
Finally! “I shall just get Lilah—”
“Lilah!” her mother gasped. “But there’s no need. She’s busy doing the menu for this week.”
Gwen frowned. “I thought she finished those this morning.”
“Certainly not. I need to teach her something about her choices.” She rolled her eyes at Lord Sayres. “Truly, it’s a never-ending process teaching my girls. Thankfully Gwen excels at studying.”
“Plants,” Gwen said. “I study—”
“Hush!” her mother snapped. Then she smiled at Lord Sayres. “Pray enjoy the afternoon sunshine. I believe it’s a most glorious day.”
“An excellent suggestion,” Lord Sayres said as he pushed to his feet then held out his hand. “What say you, Lady Gwen?”
What was she to say? Her mother clearly wished her to be tete-a-tete with his lordship. And was going to forestall any attempt to bring Lilah along. “Very well,” she said slowly. “But I insist you meet Lilah upon our return.”
“It should be my greatest delight,” he returned.
Which left Gwen to step outside for the second time that day for a private stroll with the man. Fortunately, just like this morning, she had an agenda and wasted no time in beginning the discussion the moment they cleared the front steps.
“My lord, I’ve had the most exciting idea. My sister Lilah will be the perfect woman to bring into popularity. I’m sure you could do it.”
He nodded, smiling warmly at a passing couple out for a similar stroll. “An interesting thought, but I will not do it. Say, would you care for an ice at Gunter’s?”
Clearly, he meant to distract her from her purpose. That was not going to happen. She could be more determined than a dog with a bone when she wanted. And this time, shewanted.