eased back, forcing herself to relax before continuing, “Then I suppose it will not interest you to hear that he is, at this very moment, out for a drive in the Park.”
“Papa?” Charlotte’s arms dropped to her sides.
“With Freddie.”
“Do you mean to tell me Freddie has managed to—” Charlotte ran back to the settee, returning to her sister’s side; she leaned close, eager to hear more. “Who is he with? Papa, that is? Does this mean he already found a lady whom he fancies?”
Augusta stood, removing herself from her sister’s further prying. “I thought you believed it best that we did not know the actions of the other siblings?”
“I did—I do. Of course I—” Charlotte straightened on the settee, finding her composure. “I must confess that I am so very curious. How could I not be? And you are horrible not to tell me.”
“I cannot tell you, Char, because I do not know.” Augusta had to admit that she could not wait to learn the details. She would not allow Freddie to step foot out of Worth House until she knew exactly what had transpired before her arrival. There was no doubt that he had received the very same correspondence she and Charlotte had, and with further instructions, perhaps ones more detailed than ones dispatched to the sisters. “I am surewe will learn all in due time. We must be patient. If we show any sort of anxiety when Papa exhibits interest in a lady he will find us out for certain.”
“I suppose you are right. We must remain calm and uninterested, but how can we?” Charlotte exhaled and drew in a slow breath. “Very well. But really, Gusta, how are we to maintain such a show of indifference?”
“Perhaps Moo is correct, the less we know of each other’s plans—and activities”—Augusta added, stressing the importance—“the better we are able to behave naturally.”
“You must admit, Gusta. When it comes to chicanery and misdirection, I really do think Moo knows best.”
Augusta had to agree.
CHAPTER FIVE
Edward led the way from the mews into the back entrance of Worth House. “It seemed to me you did not take as much pleasure in Miss Davies-Holmes’s company as she had in yours this afternoon.”
Ralston appeared just as the Duke entered, divesting him of his outer raiment.
“Nonsense,” Frederick replied, stepping in immediately behind his father. He dropped his gloves into his hat, which he’d handed over to the butler, then shrugged out of his coat. “I don’t know what you mean. I had a most enjoyable afternoon with Miss Davies-Holmes. She is quite refreshing compared to the normal overly style-conscious female who thinks only of feathers and frippery.”
A lack of interest in accessories could not be the reason for his son’s attraction to the young lady. Miss Davies-Holmes was as quiet as a church mouse and was known to have fortune, but Frederick need not marry one. She was far from a great beauty, and Edward’s earlier opinion had been generous; truth be told, the girl looked plain to the point of being almost unattractive. If he remembered correctly, beauty meant much more to a young buck in choosing a wife than it would to an older man. There must be some quality that Frederick knew Miss Davies-Holmespossessed. Might there possibly be an exceptional attribute Edward had failed to see?
No, Edward could not fully understand her appeal to his son.
“Ah—speaking of feathers and frippery…” Frederick stopped, his attention directed toward the front of the house. He straightened and plucked at his cravat, preening. “Look who has arrived.”
“Freddie!” a female cried out. “Is he with you?”
Augusta?
Edward stepped back to gaze in the same direction as Frederick. It was a surprise to see her so soon.
“Dear Papa!” In a blur of movement and fabric, Augusta flung herself into her father’s arms, nearly knocking the breath from him.
“I, too, am very happy to see you, dear daughter.” Edward chuckled, very
“Papa?” Charlotte’s arms dropped to her sides.
“With Freddie.”
“Do you mean to tell me Freddie has managed to—” Charlotte ran back to the settee, returning to her sister’s side; she leaned close, eager to hear more. “Who is he with? Papa, that is? Does this mean he already found a lady whom he fancies?”
Augusta stood, removing herself from her sister’s further prying. “I thought you believed it best that we did not know the actions of the other siblings?”
“I did—I do. Of course I—” Charlotte straightened on the settee, finding her composure. “I must confess that I am so very curious. How could I not be? And you are horrible not to tell me.”
“I cannot tell you, Char, because I do not know.” Augusta had to admit that she could not wait to learn the details. She would not allow Freddie to step foot out of Worth House until she knew exactly what had transpired before her arrival. There was no doubt that he had received the very same correspondence she and Charlotte had, and with further instructions, perhaps ones more detailed than ones dispatched to the sisters. “I am surewe will learn all in due time. We must be patient. If we show any sort of anxiety when Papa exhibits interest in a lady he will find us out for certain.”
“I suppose you are right. We must remain calm and uninterested, but how can we?” Charlotte exhaled and drew in a slow breath. “Very well. But really, Gusta, how are we to maintain such a show of indifference?”
“Perhaps Moo is correct, the less we know of each other’s plans—and activities”—Augusta added, stressing the importance—“the better we are able to behave naturally.”
“You must admit, Gusta. When it comes to chicanery and misdirection, I really do think Moo knows best.”
Augusta had to agree.
CHAPTER FIVE
Edward led the way from the mews into the back entrance of Worth House. “It seemed to me you did not take as much pleasure in Miss Davies-Holmes’s company as she had in yours this afternoon.”
Ralston appeared just as the Duke entered, divesting him of his outer raiment.
“Nonsense,” Frederick replied, stepping in immediately behind his father. He dropped his gloves into his hat, which he’d handed over to the butler, then shrugged out of his coat. “I don’t know what you mean. I had a most enjoyable afternoon with Miss Davies-Holmes. She is quite refreshing compared to the normal overly style-conscious female who thinks only of feathers and frippery.”
A lack of interest in accessories could not be the reason for his son’s attraction to the young lady. Miss Davies-Holmes was as quiet as a church mouse and was known to have fortune, but Frederick need not marry one. She was far from a great beauty, and Edward’s earlier opinion had been generous; truth be told, the girl looked plain to the point of being almost unattractive. If he remembered correctly, beauty meant much more to a young buck in choosing a wife than it would to an older man. There must be some quality that Frederick knew Miss Davies-Holmespossessed. Might there possibly be an exceptional attribute Edward had failed to see?
No, Edward could not fully understand her appeal to his son.
“Ah—speaking of feathers and frippery…” Frederick stopped, his attention directed toward the front of the house. He straightened and plucked at his cravat, preening. “Look who has arrived.”
“Freddie!” a female cried out. “Is he with you?”
Augusta?
Edward stepped back to gaze in the same direction as Frederick. It was a surprise to see her so soon.
“Dear Papa!” In a blur of movement and fabric, Augusta flung herself into her father’s arms, nearly knocking the breath from him.
“I, too, am very happy to see you, dear daughter.” Edward chuckled, very
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