Althea by Madeleine E. Robins

for a few
minutes? The atmosphere in this room can most kindly be referred to as stifling.
Why my aunt must drape the wall with that pink stuff . . .” He gestured to a
few gilt chairs set some yards from their present position and Althea followed
gladly. She noted that his dress, while far less extravagant than that of Lord
Bevan or even Mr. Tidd, contrived to be far more elegant in its understatement.
She decidedly approved of this control of fashion, and for a change it was a
distinct pleasure to meet a man she did not look virtually in the eye.
    “I must apologize for my cousin and her suitor, Miss Ervine.
They are extremely tiresome in each other’s company, but I assure you that they
have both been heard to utter entire phrases when apart.”
    Althea darted a glance at her companion and wondered in
passing if that red head betokened irrascibility.
    “I am at a loss to know how you corrected my name when Mr.
Tidd was most scrupulous in his mistake of it. I suppose he has been under a
cloud all evening, and did not much attend when we were introduced.”
    “I saw you enter with Lord and Lady Bevan and had heard that
Lady Bevan’s sister, a Miss Ervine, was visiting. I concluded the rest from
these facts.”
    “You are most perspicacious, sir.” She glanced back toward
the spot where Mr. Tidd and his lady were still engaged in that silent,
blushing perusal of each other. “I must admit that I have never seen the like
of it, sir.”
    “What, ma’am? The ball, or my cousin’s infatuation with
young Tidd?”
    Sir Tracy took his seat beside her, folding those
extraordinarily long legs neatly beneath him around the legs of the gilt chair.
    “You cannot think me so rag-mannered as to say such a thing
of a ball I have scarcely arrived at yet, let alone left. I was speaking of
Miss Fforyding, and Mr. Tidd. Their attachment appears to be like something out
of a novel, or at least that is my opinion. Of course, where I am used to live
I never saw anything of that sort. London ways may be quite different. Oh, I
ought not to have said that!” Miss Ervine frowned at herself, to Sir Tracy’s
amusement.
    “Why not, ma’am? The statement seemed unexceptionable to
me.”
    “Sir, I will not scruple to tell you that for the past
fortnight my sister has been contriving to teach me to behave like a gazetted
belle, and the first thing she told me was that I must at all times appear as
though I had lived in London all my life. I shudder to think what she would say
had she heard me just then.”
    “Fortunately, ma’am, she did not, and I give you my word
that I shall never betray your confidence.” His eyes glinted under those dark
brows. Althea smiled in return. This man did not seem shocked, as Maria had
assured her anyone would be, at her mention of country upbringing, and Althea
could not help but like him the better for it. He did seem to be laughing just
a bit at her frankness, which did not please her quite so well, but she
determined not to mind his teasing.
    “How long will you be in our city, ma’am?” He put the
question with such consummate propriety that Althea could hardly keep a
straight face, and when a lifted eyebrow assured her that she was being quizzed,
she permitted herself one gurgle of sheer delight.
    “I have been here but a fortnight, sir,” she said in tones
to mimic his. “Though I have the strangest notion that I have met you before —
which I am sure cannot be possible. I must say I had hardly planned to be so
amused tonight, for to hear my sister speak, everything is done with such
exquisite sobriety that all that is ever required of a lady is a genteel nod
once in a while.”
    “People do laugh in London, ma’am, but seldom with such
refreshing relish as you. I’m sure all of London will do all that’s possible to
keep you properly amused. For my part, you may call on me at any time and I
will endeavor to contrive something amusing to say. My Aunt Fforyding
introduced you to young