the doctor has seen it,” the duchess said serenely. She glanced at the housekeeper. “Pray pour Miss Balfour more tea. It will flush the bad humors from her system.”
Lily managed to swallow her protest as she caught the housekeeper’s knowing gaze. The teacup was refilled yet again and Lily took it with a murmur of thanks.
“Mrs. Cairness, could you bring another tea tray?” her grace asked. “Lady Charlotte and I haven’t had time to take tea, what with all of the other guests arriving,and then our concern when Miss Balfour went missing, and, oh dear, all manner of things.”
“Yes, yer grace.” The housekeeper dipped a curtsy and bustled out.
The duchess regarded Lily with a smile. “I daresay a young woman of high spirits like yourself is tired of being coddled, eh, Miss Balfour?”
“Yes. I’m not comfortable just sitting about.” She eyed Lady Charlotte’s knitting with a feeling akin to jealousy. Maybe Lily could send home for some cloth, or perhaps the housekeeper might have some odds and ends she’d be willing to part with. If I had a project, even a small, simple one, it would make me feel much more at home.
The duchess tsked. “I am so sorry you were given such an unruly mount. It is unconscionable, and I had a word with my head groom about it.”
“Oh no! Truly, it was not the groom’s fault, nor the horse’s. I’m not a confident rider and I allowed myself to get distracted. The fault is all mine.”
“It’s the groom’s duty to ascertain your skill and then to choose a mount within those parameters. The groom did not do so. It will not happen again.”
Lily wished to protest yet more, but the duchess’s sharp tone effectively closed the conversation. Lily forced a smile. She should never have gone on that ride. All it had accomplished was to get her tossed to the ground, cause a groom to receive an ill-deserved dressing-down from the duchess, and place Lilydirectly in the arms of an arrogantly sure-of-himself prince, whose absence was making her feel even more bereft and lonely.
Her grace picked up a particularly fat, graying pug and placed it in her lap, where it grunted happily. “I hope the prince treated you courteously.”
“Of course he did.” Lily was certain her face was as red as the pillow under her ankle. “He was very gentlemanly.” Except for plying her with enough compliments to make her feel oddly light-headed, and carrying her with such ease that she’d almost wished he’d never reached Floors.
The duchess sniffed. “I had some reservations about inviting Prince Wulfinski to my house party, but I can do little about it now, especially since we owe him some courtesies for assisting you.”
“I’m sorry my accident has caused you such distress,” Lily said sharply.
The duchess didn’t seem to notice Lily’s irritation. “It’s regrettable. And while you say the prince behaved himself, I can’t help but think that his attitude in striding into the house as if he’d saved the world from an invasion—well, I won’t stand for such theatrics.”
Lily blinked. “But all he did was carry me into the house.”
“Now, now.” The duchess patted Lily’s hand where it was fisted on her knee. “I’m sure you wish to speak in defense of your rescuer, but I cannot feel that his attitude was totally appropriate. Sadly, the princeisn’t staying under my roof, so I have no control over his actions when he’s not here. But when he is here, I shall expect his behavior to be exemplary.”
“I’m sure it will be,” Lily said stiffly. “And once again, let me assure you that the prince was everything kind.”
“Yes, dear,” Lady Charlotte said, her knitting needles clicking quietly while her bright gaze locked with Lily’s. “Our of curiosity, what did you and the prince find to converse about?”
“He told me about his grandmother—”
“A horrid woman,” Lady Charlotte interjected.
“I didn’t get the opportunity to meet her. We were
Lily managed to swallow her protest as she caught the housekeeper’s knowing gaze. The teacup was refilled yet again and Lily took it with a murmur of thanks.
“Mrs. Cairness, could you bring another tea tray?” her grace asked. “Lady Charlotte and I haven’t had time to take tea, what with all of the other guests arriving,and then our concern when Miss Balfour went missing, and, oh dear, all manner of things.”
“Yes, yer grace.” The housekeeper dipped a curtsy and bustled out.
The duchess regarded Lily with a smile. “I daresay a young woman of high spirits like yourself is tired of being coddled, eh, Miss Balfour?”
“Yes. I’m not comfortable just sitting about.” She eyed Lady Charlotte’s knitting with a feeling akin to jealousy. Maybe Lily could send home for some cloth, or perhaps the housekeeper might have some odds and ends she’d be willing to part with. If I had a project, even a small, simple one, it would make me feel much more at home.
The duchess tsked. “I am so sorry you were given such an unruly mount. It is unconscionable, and I had a word with my head groom about it.”
“Oh no! Truly, it was not the groom’s fault, nor the horse’s. I’m not a confident rider and I allowed myself to get distracted. The fault is all mine.”
“It’s the groom’s duty to ascertain your skill and then to choose a mount within those parameters. The groom did not do so. It will not happen again.”
Lily wished to protest yet more, but the duchess’s sharp tone effectively closed the conversation. Lily forced a smile. She should never have gone on that ride. All it had accomplished was to get her tossed to the ground, cause a groom to receive an ill-deserved dressing-down from the duchess, and place Lilydirectly in the arms of an arrogantly sure-of-himself prince, whose absence was making her feel even more bereft and lonely.
Her grace picked up a particularly fat, graying pug and placed it in her lap, where it grunted happily. “I hope the prince treated you courteously.”
“Of course he did.” Lily was certain her face was as red as the pillow under her ankle. “He was very gentlemanly.” Except for plying her with enough compliments to make her feel oddly light-headed, and carrying her with such ease that she’d almost wished he’d never reached Floors.
The duchess sniffed. “I had some reservations about inviting Prince Wulfinski to my house party, but I can do little about it now, especially since we owe him some courtesies for assisting you.”
“I’m sorry my accident has caused you such distress,” Lily said sharply.
The duchess didn’t seem to notice Lily’s irritation. “It’s regrettable. And while you say the prince behaved himself, I can’t help but think that his attitude in striding into the house as if he’d saved the world from an invasion—well, I won’t stand for such theatrics.”
Lily blinked. “But all he did was carry me into the house.”
“Now, now.” The duchess patted Lily’s hand where it was fisted on her knee. “I’m sure you wish to speak in defense of your rescuer, but I cannot feel that his attitude was totally appropriate. Sadly, the princeisn’t staying under my roof, so I have no control over his actions when he’s not here. But when he is here, I shall expect his behavior to be exemplary.”
“I’m sure it will be,” Lily said stiffly. “And once again, let me assure you that the prince was everything kind.”
“Yes, dear,” Lady Charlotte said, her knitting needles clicking quietly while her bright gaze locked with Lily’s. “Our of curiosity, what did you and the prince find to converse about?”
“He told me about his grandmother—”
“A horrid woman,” Lady Charlotte interjected.
“I didn’t get the opportunity to meet her. We were
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