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Authors: Kathryn Caskie
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could not help but peer around them hopefully for a glimpse of her prince beyond.
“Sir Henry was an esteemed colleague ofyour father’s, dear,” Lord Gallantine told her. “Years ago, of course. Today, Sir Henry is physician in ordinary to the king.”
Sir Henry Halford was a distinguished-looking baronet, but Elizabeth did not care for the manner in which he seemed to study her with those dangerously intelligent eyes. Nor for the pleased flick of his heavy dark eyebrows, which stood out in marked contrast to his pale skin and smattering of gray hair, as his gaze fixed on a particular part of her that seemed to catch his interest most.
By contrast, the Honorable William Manton was entirely well-mannered. He was broad shouldered with fair hair and vivid blue eyes, bringing the image of a Viking of days of old to her mind.
“Miss Royle, your father was an eminent physician, with excellent perception and sound judgment,” the baronet told her. One dark eyebrow lifted, and Elizabeth somehow knew that Sir Henry was about to request something of her. “I will be in Bath for several days, but when I return I am hosting a dinner for a number of my colleagues from the Royal College of Physicians. I wonder if you, Miss Royle, and Lord Gallantine, of course, might condescend to join us. I would consider it an honor to hear aboutDr. Royle’s mysterious years in Cornwall. Does Thursday two weeks from now suit?”
Elizabeth did not wish to be anywhere near the smarmy Sir Henry, even after knowing him for a mere two minutes. But how could she refuse him? “Thursday?” she stammered, sifting furiously through her mind for any excuse to beg off of the dinner.
Mr. Manton stepped closer and leaned his head lower so she might better hear his words. “I know I should greet the chance to become better acquainted with Dr. Royle’s lovely daughter with even more anticipation than Sir Henry.” He met Elizabeth’s gaze and held it firm until, flustered and somewhat flattered by his attention, she surrendered her agreement to attend the dinner.
“Very well, Thursday two weeks hence.” Elizabeth looked to Lord Gallantine. “ We graciously accept the invitation, do we not?”
Lord Gallantine smiled at her, obviously quite pleased, and nodded. “Curzon Street, is it, Sir Henry?”
“Indeed it is, at ten of the clock. Do be prompt, for I have a unique surprise to show you both.” Sir Henry swept Elizabeth one final time with his oily gaze, making her desire nothing more than to hurry off to the ladies’ withdrawingroom to wash the film of his disconcerting attention from her skin. “I look forward to seeing you both again, then.”
Elizabeth’s skin was positively crawling. She turned her gaze around the room. “I had heard rumor that Prince Leopold would be in attendance tonight. Is it true? Is he present?” she asked Lord Gallantine.
Sir Henry interrupted. “I had heard the rumor as well, but I believe that it is all it is. The word at court, always a better source for the truth of a matter, is that the prince is secretly in London to woo Princess Charlotte—and she is in Windsor. Were I the prince, I would not venture to Almack’s if the princess was out of the Town, even if I were the unnamed guest of honor.”
Elizabeth suppressed a scowl. He will come. He will. It is fate .
She had just pinned her gaze on a lady and gentleman, completely unknown to her, deciding she would pretend they were friends, when the young medical protégé of Sir Henry disposed of her glass of punch, then offered her his arm.
“Miss Royle,” William said softly to her, “might I have this dance?” To offer his arm before she replied was a mite presumptuous, to Elizabeth’s way of thinking, but she was genuinely thankful, for at last she had a proper means of escaping Sir Henry.
She lifted the edges of her lips and took Manton’s arm, offering a demure gaze to Lord Gallantine and Sir Henry. “Please excuse us, gentlemen. The
“Sir Henry was an esteemed colleague ofyour father’s, dear,” Lord Gallantine told her. “Years ago, of course. Today, Sir Henry is physician in ordinary to the king.”
Sir Henry Halford was a distinguished-looking baronet, but Elizabeth did not care for the manner in which he seemed to study her with those dangerously intelligent eyes. Nor for the pleased flick of his heavy dark eyebrows, which stood out in marked contrast to his pale skin and smattering of gray hair, as his gaze fixed on a particular part of her that seemed to catch his interest most.
By contrast, the Honorable William Manton was entirely well-mannered. He was broad shouldered with fair hair and vivid blue eyes, bringing the image of a Viking of days of old to her mind.
“Miss Royle, your father was an eminent physician, with excellent perception and sound judgment,” the baronet told her. One dark eyebrow lifted, and Elizabeth somehow knew that Sir Henry was about to request something of her. “I will be in Bath for several days, but when I return I am hosting a dinner for a number of my colleagues from the Royal College of Physicians. I wonder if you, Miss Royle, and Lord Gallantine, of course, might condescend to join us. I would consider it an honor to hear aboutDr. Royle’s mysterious years in Cornwall. Does Thursday two weeks from now suit?”
Elizabeth did not wish to be anywhere near the smarmy Sir Henry, even after knowing him for a mere two minutes. But how could she refuse him? “Thursday?” she stammered, sifting furiously through her mind for any excuse to beg off of the dinner.
Mr. Manton stepped closer and leaned his head lower so she might better hear his words. “I know I should greet the chance to become better acquainted with Dr. Royle’s lovely daughter with even more anticipation than Sir Henry.” He met Elizabeth’s gaze and held it firm until, flustered and somewhat flattered by his attention, she surrendered her agreement to attend the dinner.
“Very well, Thursday two weeks hence.” Elizabeth looked to Lord Gallantine. “ We graciously accept the invitation, do we not?”
Lord Gallantine smiled at her, obviously quite pleased, and nodded. “Curzon Street, is it, Sir Henry?”
“Indeed it is, at ten of the clock. Do be prompt, for I have a unique surprise to show you both.” Sir Henry swept Elizabeth one final time with his oily gaze, making her desire nothing more than to hurry off to the ladies’ withdrawingroom to wash the film of his disconcerting attention from her skin. “I look forward to seeing you both again, then.”
Elizabeth’s skin was positively crawling. She turned her gaze around the room. “I had heard rumor that Prince Leopold would be in attendance tonight. Is it true? Is he present?” she asked Lord Gallantine.
Sir Henry interrupted. “I had heard the rumor as well, but I believe that it is all it is. The word at court, always a better source for the truth of a matter, is that the prince is secretly in London to woo Princess Charlotte—and she is in Windsor. Were I the prince, I would not venture to Almack’s if the princess was out of the Town, even if I were the unnamed guest of honor.”
Elizabeth suppressed a scowl. He will come. He will. It is fate .
She had just pinned her gaze on a lady and gentleman, completely unknown to her, deciding she would pretend they were friends, when the young medical protégé of Sir Henry disposed of her glass of punch, then offered her his arm.
“Miss Royle,” William said softly to her, “might I have this dance?” To offer his arm before she replied was a mite presumptuous, to Elizabeth’s way of thinking, but she was genuinely thankful, for at last she had a proper means of escaping Sir Henry.
She lifted the edges of her lips and took Manton’s arm, offering a demure gaze to Lord Gallantine and Sir Henry. “Please excuse us, gentlemen. The
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