said Hannah distractedly. ‘What am I to do?’
Lord Alistair wiped his eyes and then grinned at Hannah. ‘I think your main worry is that the prince himself should get to hear of it and send someone over from the Pavilion to read you a lecture. I shall call on Prinny and hope your story amuses him as much as it has amused me.’
‘I wanted Lady Beatrice to go around telling everyone that it is all untrue, but she said she would not be believed.’
‘But I will be,’ said Lord Alistair, ‘for everyone knows I am a confidant of the prince. Your worries will soon be over, Miss Pym. By tomorrow, there will be no one at your gate.’
‘Thank you, my lord,’ said Hannah, and then turned red.
‘There is something else?’
‘It all started with that gown. It will need to be taken back. I do not have a ball gown.’
‘That is no problem,’ said Lady Beatrice. ‘We are of the same size in height and both slim. I will send mymaid round with something suitable which she can alter to fit you.’
Lord Alistair gazed at Lady Beatrice in surprise. ‘You amaze me, madam,’ he said. ‘I thought you cared for neither man, woman, or beast.’
‘You do not know me,’ retorted Lady Beatrice haughtily.
‘Evidently not.’ Lord Alistair rose to his feet. ‘Miss Pym, the ball is on Wednesday. I shall call for you at eight.’ He bowed and left.
The Prince of Wales was studying plans that would turn his Marine Pavilion into an oriental palace. When he was told that Lord Alistair Munro was demanding an audience, he rolled up the plans and gave his permission for that gentleman to be ushered into the royal presence.
Lord Alistair had managed to remain a friend of the touchy, sensitive prince by always being amiable, and always available to play cards, run races, gamble, or talk lighthearted nonsense.
He was always cautious to be as formal as possible. Other men, regarded as friends of the prince, had over-stepped the mark in the past by being too familiar and had fallen from royal favour.
‘We heard you were in Brighton,’ said the prince. ‘What news?’
He waved a plump beringed hand to indicate that Lord Alistair had his permission to sit down. Lord Alistair was not feeling so easy in his mind as he had led Hannah to believe. The prince, with luck,would be amused. On the other hand, he might be furious.
‘I have some gossip that concerns yourself, sire.’
‘Indeed!’ The royal face crumpled in displeasure.
‘I trust it will amuse you.’ Instead of telling the prince simply about Hannah’s predicament in Brighton, Lord Alistair began at the beginning, describing the adventures of Miss Pym on the Exeter road, the Bath road, and the Portsmouth road, and the prince listened with delight. Even when he got to the real point of the story, Lord Alistair thought it politic to twist it slightly. He said the gossips had it that Miss Pym was not only a member of some foreign royal family, but besotted with the Prince of Wales.
The prince thought this was a famous joke. Lord Alistair had shrewdly guessed the touchy prince might not have found it so amusing if he had known that it was he who was said to be enamoured of Miss Pym.
‘So now,’ went on Lord Alistair, ‘our poor Miss Pym cannot even leave her dwelling because of the vulgar crowd at her gate. I shall put the truth about.’
‘Quite a character, this Miss Pym,’ remarked the prince, in high good humour. ‘Shall we see her?’
‘I am escorting her to Lord Southern’s ball. If it pleases Your Highness, I will point her out to you.’
‘By all means.’
They talked of other things and then Lord Alistair took his leave. He had been just in time. The gossip about Miss Pym was being poured into the royal ears by all his cronies that evening, who were startledwhen the prince laughed and said he knew all about Miss Pym and was looking forward to meeting her at Lord Southern’s ball.
The gossip about Hannah’s true identity reached Monsieur
Lord Alistair wiped his eyes and then grinned at Hannah. ‘I think your main worry is that the prince himself should get to hear of it and send someone over from the Pavilion to read you a lecture. I shall call on Prinny and hope your story amuses him as much as it has amused me.’
‘I wanted Lady Beatrice to go around telling everyone that it is all untrue, but she said she would not be believed.’
‘But I will be,’ said Lord Alistair, ‘for everyone knows I am a confidant of the prince. Your worries will soon be over, Miss Pym. By tomorrow, there will be no one at your gate.’
‘Thank you, my lord,’ said Hannah, and then turned red.
‘There is something else?’
‘It all started with that gown. It will need to be taken back. I do not have a ball gown.’
‘That is no problem,’ said Lady Beatrice. ‘We are of the same size in height and both slim. I will send mymaid round with something suitable which she can alter to fit you.’
Lord Alistair gazed at Lady Beatrice in surprise. ‘You amaze me, madam,’ he said. ‘I thought you cared for neither man, woman, or beast.’
‘You do not know me,’ retorted Lady Beatrice haughtily.
‘Evidently not.’ Lord Alistair rose to his feet. ‘Miss Pym, the ball is on Wednesday. I shall call for you at eight.’ He bowed and left.
The Prince of Wales was studying plans that would turn his Marine Pavilion into an oriental palace. When he was told that Lord Alistair Munro was demanding an audience, he rolled up the plans and gave his permission for that gentleman to be ushered into the royal presence.
Lord Alistair had managed to remain a friend of the touchy, sensitive prince by always being amiable, and always available to play cards, run races, gamble, or talk lighthearted nonsense.
He was always cautious to be as formal as possible. Other men, regarded as friends of the prince, had over-stepped the mark in the past by being too familiar and had fallen from royal favour.
‘We heard you were in Brighton,’ said the prince. ‘What news?’
He waved a plump beringed hand to indicate that Lord Alistair had his permission to sit down. Lord Alistair was not feeling so easy in his mind as he had led Hannah to believe. The prince, with luck,would be amused. On the other hand, he might be furious.
‘I have some gossip that concerns yourself, sire.’
‘Indeed!’ The royal face crumpled in displeasure.
‘I trust it will amuse you.’ Instead of telling the prince simply about Hannah’s predicament in Brighton, Lord Alistair began at the beginning, describing the adventures of Miss Pym on the Exeter road, the Bath road, and the Portsmouth road, and the prince listened with delight. Even when he got to the real point of the story, Lord Alistair thought it politic to twist it slightly. He said the gossips had it that Miss Pym was not only a member of some foreign royal family, but besotted with the Prince of Wales.
The prince thought this was a famous joke. Lord Alistair had shrewdly guessed the touchy prince might not have found it so amusing if he had known that it was he who was said to be enamoured of Miss Pym.
‘So now,’ went on Lord Alistair, ‘our poor Miss Pym cannot even leave her dwelling because of the vulgar crowd at her gate. I shall put the truth about.’
‘Quite a character, this Miss Pym,’ remarked the prince, in high good humour. ‘Shall we see her?’
‘I am escorting her to Lord Southern’s ball. If it pleases Your Highness, I will point her out to you.’
‘By all means.’
They talked of other things and then Lord Alistair took his leave. He had been just in time. The gossip about Miss Pym was being poured into the royal ears by all his cronies that evening, who were startledwhen the prince laughed and said he knew all about Miss Pym and was looking forward to meeting her at Lord Southern’s ball.
The gossip about Hannah’s true identity reached Monsieur
Similar Books
