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Authors: The Imprudent Wager
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possession of the drawing room, but greeted them politely before returning his attention to Melissa.
“May I hope that you will allow me the pleasure of taking you for a drive this afternoon?” he asked.
“Thank you, Lord Woolbridge,” Melissa replied, “but we are already promised to drive with Captain Leslie and Lieutenant Halcott.”
Lord Woolbridge was too well bred to allow his irritation to show.
“Tomorrow afternoon, then?” he persisted.
“Yes, I should be delighted,” Melissa assured him.
Viscount Woolbridge seated himself across from Melissa and gazed at her as though he could not get enough of her beauty. Lieutenant Halcott looked far from pleased at having a rival for Miss Amberly’s attention, particularly one with a title. Anne and Captain Leslie exchanged glances of amusement, but Melissa seemed unaware of the developing rivalry. When their fifteen minutes were up, the officers reluctantly departed, taking the viscount with them. Anne and Melissa informed Benton they were not home to any more callers and retired to rest and have something to eat before their drive.
* * * *
Anne and Melissa were ready promptly at a quarter to five, Anne in a simple green poplin frock and fur-edged curricle cloak of cashmere, Melissa in a yellow muslin frock and green sarcenet pelisse fringed in orange. Matching straw bonnets completed their outfits.
Lieutenant Halcott had brought his parents’ landau so the couples could be seated together and enjoy the drive. This was Anne and Melissa’s first excursion to Hyde Park during the fashionable hour of five, and they looked about interestedly. Progress was very slow, for vehicles and horsemen were constantly halting in order to greet acquaintances. One of the first acquaintances they encountered was Lord Millbank, driving a young girl in his fashionable yellow phaeton. Melissa admired the earl’s matched white horses, decked out in orange and green rosettes. They stopped to exchange greetings, and Lord Millbank introduced the girl beside him, who proved to be his younger sister, Lady Amelia Millbank. Anne felt compassion for this sister, who spoke in a very soft voice and appeared to be very shy. She was dressed attractively in a pale blue sarcenet carriage dress and matching pelisse, but her mousy hair and lack of countenance made her fade into the background.
Melissa was apparently quite taken with her, however, and did not hesitate to make plans for furthering their acquaintance.
“Lady Millbank, would you care to accompany me to the circulating library tomorrow morning?” she asked.
Lady Amelia flushed with pleasure. “Yes, I should like that exceedingly, Miss Amberly,” she replied.
As the two girls arranged a time, Anne felt some remorse. Why had it not occurred to her that Melissa must have felt the lack of a friend her own age? Well, Melissa seemed to have supplied the lack herself. In her pleasure, Anne smiled brilliantly at Lord Millbank, who preened in the light of the smile, feeling sure it was his new canary and cerulean-blue-striped waistcoat that caused it.
The vehicles soon had to pull away from each other, and they continued on their slow progress around the Park. The next acquaintances they encountered were Viscount Woolbridge and Lady Conliffe, in a shiny blue phaeton drawn by beautifully matched bays. Lady Conliffe, dressed attractively in a pink cambric dress with a waistcoat bosom, a velvet pelisse and a becoming cottage bonnet, looked smug in her place beside the viscount. As the occupants of the two vehicles exchanged greetings, Anne’s eye was caught by a familiar-looking form in a black curricle not far away, and she failed to respond to a question from Captain Leslie. Captain Leslie followed her gaze.
“Ah, I see you are not immune to the appearance of Lord Stanton, better known as ‘Hell-born Harry.’”
“Is he so dreadful?” inquired Anne innocently. “And who is his beautiful companion?” she asked, looking at the
“May I hope that you will allow me the pleasure of taking you for a drive this afternoon?” he asked.
“Thank you, Lord Woolbridge,” Melissa replied, “but we are already promised to drive with Captain Leslie and Lieutenant Halcott.”
Lord Woolbridge was too well bred to allow his irritation to show.
“Tomorrow afternoon, then?” he persisted.
“Yes, I should be delighted,” Melissa assured him.
Viscount Woolbridge seated himself across from Melissa and gazed at her as though he could not get enough of her beauty. Lieutenant Halcott looked far from pleased at having a rival for Miss Amberly’s attention, particularly one with a title. Anne and Captain Leslie exchanged glances of amusement, but Melissa seemed unaware of the developing rivalry. When their fifteen minutes were up, the officers reluctantly departed, taking the viscount with them. Anne and Melissa informed Benton they were not home to any more callers and retired to rest and have something to eat before their drive.
* * * *
Anne and Melissa were ready promptly at a quarter to five, Anne in a simple green poplin frock and fur-edged curricle cloak of cashmere, Melissa in a yellow muslin frock and green sarcenet pelisse fringed in orange. Matching straw bonnets completed their outfits.
Lieutenant Halcott had brought his parents’ landau so the couples could be seated together and enjoy the drive. This was Anne and Melissa’s first excursion to Hyde Park during the fashionable hour of five, and they looked about interestedly. Progress was very slow, for vehicles and horsemen were constantly halting in order to greet acquaintances. One of the first acquaintances they encountered was Lord Millbank, driving a young girl in his fashionable yellow phaeton. Melissa admired the earl’s matched white horses, decked out in orange and green rosettes. They stopped to exchange greetings, and Lord Millbank introduced the girl beside him, who proved to be his younger sister, Lady Amelia Millbank. Anne felt compassion for this sister, who spoke in a very soft voice and appeared to be very shy. She was dressed attractively in a pale blue sarcenet carriage dress and matching pelisse, but her mousy hair and lack of countenance made her fade into the background.
Melissa was apparently quite taken with her, however, and did not hesitate to make plans for furthering their acquaintance.
“Lady Millbank, would you care to accompany me to the circulating library tomorrow morning?” she asked.
Lady Amelia flushed with pleasure. “Yes, I should like that exceedingly, Miss Amberly,” she replied.
As the two girls arranged a time, Anne felt some remorse. Why had it not occurred to her that Melissa must have felt the lack of a friend her own age? Well, Melissa seemed to have supplied the lack herself. In her pleasure, Anne smiled brilliantly at Lord Millbank, who preened in the light of the smile, feeling sure it was his new canary and cerulean-blue-striped waistcoat that caused it.
The vehicles soon had to pull away from each other, and they continued on their slow progress around the Park. The next acquaintances they encountered were Viscount Woolbridge and Lady Conliffe, in a shiny blue phaeton drawn by beautifully matched bays. Lady Conliffe, dressed attractively in a pink cambric dress with a waistcoat bosom, a velvet pelisse and a becoming cottage bonnet, looked smug in her place beside the viscount. As the occupants of the two vehicles exchanged greetings, Anne’s eye was caught by a familiar-looking form in a black curricle not far away, and she failed to respond to a question from Captain Leslie. Captain Leslie followed her gaze.
“Ah, I see you are not immune to the appearance of Lord Stanton, better known as ‘Hell-born Harry.’”
“Is he so dreadful?” inquired Anne innocently. “And who is his beautiful companion?” she asked, looking at the
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