Read Online Lord Darlington's Darling by Gayle Buck - Free Book Online

She rose from the settee. “Why don’t we go upstairs to see whether Mama and Aunt are still enthralled in their usual game? If so, I don’t think it would come amiss to remind them that we are to change for dinner soon. Besides, I haven’t yet had the opportunity to see the ribbons you bought.”
    Abby went willingly out of the sitting room, arm in arm with her sister. “I hope you like the color, Me lissa. I do think the ribbons will be perfect to refurbish my straw bonnet. But you must judge for yourself!”
    “Well, let us go up and see,” said Mrs. Crocker, smiling.
    They were to go to the theater that evening, an outing that Abby always looked forward to with ex citement. She loved to watch the playacting onstage, sitting in her chair enthralled from the moment the curtain was raised until the instant it was lowered.
    She was disappointed when the intermission inter rupted her pleasure. She agreed with good grace to her brother-in-law’s announcement that he and her sister were going to promenade, and if she didn’t care to go with them, she would be perfectly safe remaining in the box with her mother and aunt.
    “Of course, do go,” said Abby. “I know how rarely you and Peter have an opportunity to be together.”
    Mrs. Crocker laughingly agreed and went off hap pily with her husband. The door had not been shut for very many minutes when there was a knock on it.
    Abby looked at her mother. Mrs. Fairchilde raised her frail voice to give permission for the visitor to enter. To Abby’s astonishment, it was Lord Darlington, escorting his mother and sister.
    Lady Darlington greeted Abby with a friendly manner. “Bethany saw you in the box and begged us to bring her over. I hope we are not intruding?”
    “Of course not, my lady! Pray allow me to make you known to my mother, Mrs. Fairchilde, and her sister, Mrs. Paddington,” said Abby. The ladies exchanged murmured greetings and bows. “My lord, I believe you met my mother and aunt last Season at Almack’s.”
    “Indeed I did,” said Lord Darlington, bowing over each of the elderly ladies’ hands.
    Abby’s aunt peered up at the marquess with apprais ing eyes. “Quite the buck,” she remarked. She slewed around in her chair to address her niece. “I like him,” she said decidedly.
    As Abby’s cheeks burned with embarrassment, she avoided Lord Darlington’s glance. A giggle from be side her made her turn her head.
    “I am so glad to see that I am not the only one with relations bent upon embarrassing me,” said Lady Bethany behind her hand, her eyes gleaming with amusement.
    Abby could not help responding with a smile. In a lowered voice she said, “Yes, I suppose we must all have one or two, Lady Bethany.”
    “Oh, that sounds so stuffy between friends! Lady Bethany ! We are going to be friends, aren’t we? Pray do call me Bethany!”
    Abby was slightly taken aback by the impulsive, im patient note in the beauty’s voice. But when she looked into the younger girl’s face, she saw that Lady Bethany was being perfectly sincere. “I hope we shall be friends, indeed,” she said shyly.
    “Good! I am glad. I liked you on first meeting, and I am never wrong about someone,” said Lady Bethany with a brilliant smile. Her attention at that instant was claimed by an inquiry from Lady Darlington, who had fallen into easy conversation with Mrs. Fairchilde and Mrs. Paddington.
    Lord Darlington took the opportunity to sit down in the vacant chair beside Abby. He glanced at her, a smile on his almost perfectly featured face. Looking at him, Abby thought that his could almost have been called an effeminate face, except for the determined mouth and chin, the undoubted shadow of beard in his lean cheeks, and the bold way he looked at one.
    As she realized that Lord Darlington was studying her with as much interest as she was him, she flushed to the roots of her hair. She dropped her eyes in con fusion. “Oh! I am s-sorry!”
    He touched her hand lightly.