Miss Lisle, who cried in obvious dismay, “But, Mama—”
“For both my daughters,” Mrs Lisle cut her off firmly. “Pippa has already made her come out, but that is no reason for her to miss the pleasures of the Season.”
“No indeed, ma’am,” Wynn agreed, with a glance of pitying sympathy for Pippa. If Prometheus wanted her introduced into the Marriage Mart that was the London Season, he certainly could have no urgent desire to make her his bride, poor girl. Nor Kitty neither, apparently. An Adonis, perhaps, rather than a Lothario, the pursued, not the pursuer.
Pippa was furious. She was annoyed with her mother, who had said she could decide for herself about venturing upon a second Season, and she bitterly resented Lord Selworth’s condescending pity.
Who was he to make it obvious he expected her to repeat her failure? She and Mama must both be mistaken in believing her looks had improved. Mama was partial, but how could Pippa, with her vaunted intelligence, have so misled herself? She was as plain and as gauche as ever, and an ape-leader to boot, she thought miserably.
“You cannot do it, can you?” she said sharply to Lord Selworth, who had lapsed into a reflective silence. “I daresay your credit would not survive foisting such an unfashionable family upon the Ton.”
He gave her a smile of such dazzling sweetness that her anger evaporated like dew in the sun. “Not at all, Miss Lisle. The sad fact is that I am too new-come to the title to have any credit with the haut ton . I cannot suppose my sponsorship would do you any good.”
“Need a lady anyway,” Chubby blurted out. He crimsoned but ploughed on gamely, “Gentleman can’t sponsor ladies, old fellow, with the best credit and the best will in the world.”
Lord Selworth turned his smile on his friend. “Just what I was thinking, my dear chap. Fortunately, there is a lady waiting in the wings, and one who already knows Miss Lisle. Please convey to Prometheus, ma’am, that I accede to his requests so far as is in my power. Now all depends on my sister. And, to tell the truth, I shall be mightily surprised if Bina refuses her aid.”
Recalling Albinia’s worship of her brother, and considering her steadfast friendship, Pippa rather doubted it, too.
Chapter 5
“Of course I had Mrs Debenham in mind, dearest,” said Mrs Lisle complacently, when the gentlemen, after a neat nuncheon, had departed for London. “Most implausible for Prometheus, however, so I could not mention her without making it apparent that I had a hand in the proposal, which would not serve.”
“Gracious no!” Pippa shuddered. “I pray he never finds out. From Prometheus it is a generous notion; from us, the beneficiaries, both encroaching and shockingly self-serving.”
“Far from it, my love! Your sister is the beneficiary, and it was not her notion. She is worth a little roundaboutation, is she not?”
“I agreed to do it, did I not? But talking of roundaboutation, Mama, you said I was to decide for myself whether to take part in the Season’s entertainments. Now Lord Selworth expects me to go to balls and parties and I shall be the most d-dreadful f-failure again!” Ending on a wail, Pippa felt for her handkerchief.
“You will not!” her mother said adamantly. “Have a little faith in yourself, Pippa. Actually, what I meant was that it was your decision whether to agree to the whole scheme.”
“That is not what it sounded like,” Pippa sniffed.
“No, it was carefully worded.”
“Mama, I do believe you grow quite hardened in deceit!”
“I trust you noticed,” Mrs Lisle said with pride, “I did not once refer to Prometheus as ‘he’ or ‘him.’“
Pippa had to smile. “Yes, I noticed. But that does not change the fact that you told Lord Selworth I shall take part in the Season.”
“Think, dearest! I had to. Mrs Debenham is your friend. Even I have not the sheer effrontery to ask
“For both my daughters,” Mrs Lisle cut her off firmly. “Pippa has already made her come out, but that is no reason for her to miss the pleasures of the Season.”
“No indeed, ma’am,” Wynn agreed, with a glance of pitying sympathy for Pippa. If Prometheus wanted her introduced into the Marriage Mart that was the London Season, he certainly could have no urgent desire to make her his bride, poor girl. Nor Kitty neither, apparently. An Adonis, perhaps, rather than a Lothario, the pursued, not the pursuer.
Pippa was furious. She was annoyed with her mother, who had said she could decide for herself about venturing upon a second Season, and she bitterly resented Lord Selworth’s condescending pity.
Who was he to make it obvious he expected her to repeat her failure? She and Mama must both be mistaken in believing her looks had improved. Mama was partial, but how could Pippa, with her vaunted intelligence, have so misled herself? She was as plain and as gauche as ever, and an ape-leader to boot, she thought miserably.
“You cannot do it, can you?” she said sharply to Lord Selworth, who had lapsed into a reflective silence. “I daresay your credit would not survive foisting such an unfashionable family upon the Ton.”
He gave her a smile of such dazzling sweetness that her anger evaporated like dew in the sun. “Not at all, Miss Lisle. The sad fact is that I am too new-come to the title to have any credit with the haut ton . I cannot suppose my sponsorship would do you any good.”
“Need a lady anyway,” Chubby blurted out. He crimsoned but ploughed on gamely, “Gentleman can’t sponsor ladies, old fellow, with the best credit and the best will in the world.”
Lord Selworth turned his smile on his friend. “Just what I was thinking, my dear chap. Fortunately, there is a lady waiting in the wings, and one who already knows Miss Lisle. Please convey to Prometheus, ma’am, that I accede to his requests so far as is in my power. Now all depends on my sister. And, to tell the truth, I shall be mightily surprised if Bina refuses her aid.”
Recalling Albinia’s worship of her brother, and considering her steadfast friendship, Pippa rather doubted it, too.
Chapter 5
“Of course I had Mrs Debenham in mind, dearest,” said Mrs Lisle complacently, when the gentlemen, after a neat nuncheon, had departed for London. “Most implausible for Prometheus, however, so I could not mention her without making it apparent that I had a hand in the proposal, which would not serve.”
“Gracious no!” Pippa shuddered. “I pray he never finds out. From Prometheus it is a generous notion; from us, the beneficiaries, both encroaching and shockingly self-serving.”
“Far from it, my love! Your sister is the beneficiary, and it was not her notion. She is worth a little roundaboutation, is she not?”
“I agreed to do it, did I not? But talking of roundaboutation, Mama, you said I was to decide for myself whether to take part in the Season’s entertainments. Now Lord Selworth expects me to go to balls and parties and I shall be the most d-dreadful f-failure again!” Ending on a wail, Pippa felt for her handkerchief.
“You will not!” her mother said adamantly. “Have a little faith in yourself, Pippa. Actually, what I meant was that it was your decision whether to agree to the whole scheme.”
“That is not what it sounded like,” Pippa sniffed.
“No, it was carefully worded.”
“Mama, I do believe you grow quite hardened in deceit!”
“I trust you noticed,” Mrs Lisle said with pride, “I did not once refer to Prometheus as ‘he’ or ‘him.’“
Pippa had to smile. “Yes, I noticed. But that does not change the fact that you told Lord Selworth I shall take part in the Season.”
“Think, dearest! I had to. Mrs Debenham is your friend. Even I have not the sheer effrontery to ask
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