took a finger sandwich from a porcelain server, bit into it, and chewed furiously. Her mood lightened when Mr. Ross uttered a wordless exclamation, dropped his spoon and stared as Ludwig trotted up to the group, out of breath and perspiring.
“I’m late, I know,” said Ludwig. “Oh, my heart, yes, terribly late, but I began to translate the inscription on the new sarcophagus, and I forgot everything else.”
Georgiana smiled at her friend, for he had indeed forgotten everything. At some time during his work in the Egyptian Wing he’d donned a uraeus, a gold diadem with a cobra mounted on the front. The diadem encircled his balding head, with the serpent jutting out of his forehead. He was carrying an alabaster statue of Toth, the baboon god of wisdom. The stone image was lifelike down to the depiction of the creature’s private anatomy. Ross inspected the object in horrified fascination while the earl introduced him to Ludwig.
Ludwig sat down, placing the statue on theground beside his chair. “Do you know anything about ancient Egypt, Mr. Ross?”
Nick watched the cobra on Ludwig’s forehead and shook his head wordlessly.
“I would be glad to show you the collection and tell you something about it. Always glad to share the amazing things I’m learning. And Georgiana knows a great deal as well, oh, my heart, yes.”
“I’m sure Mr. Ross isn’t interested,” Georgiana said swiftly.
Ross gave her that infuriating smirk. “But I am interested, Lady Georgiana. Jocelin was most anxious to learn what you’re up to—your occupations, that is. May I call upon you in the Egyptian Wing, Mr. Hyde?”
“A pleasure, sir,” Ludwig said with a dignity spoiled by his headdress.
“Ludwig,” Georgiana said through her teeth, “we will bore Mr. Ross.”
Nick leaned over and patted the baboon statue on its head. “Not at all. I find such studies uncommon jolly.” Turning a brilliant smile on Ludwig, he said, “I shall be the gainer in this exchange, if you will allow me the privilege of learning from you.”
“There,” Ludwig replied with a triumphant look at Georgiana. “You see? Mr. Ross is delighted to share our little interests.”
Mr. Nicholas Ross was gloating. If she looked at him, he would smirk at her in that infuriating way that made her want to shriek at him like a harpy. For the third time that day Georgiana found herself outmaneuvered, routed. Setting down her cup and saucer, she rose, causing the gentlemen to leave their seats.
“You will please excuse me,” she said quietly.“Aunt Lavinia has missed tea, and I want to inquire if she is feeling well.”
“Oh, Georgiana, if you’re going to the house, would you take this inside?”
Ludwig picked up the baboon statue and shoved it into her hands before she could protest. Georgiana found herself clutching the animal so that its anatomically realistic organs faced outward. Evelyn gave her a leer. She stumbled over a chair leg in her hasty retreat from him and backed into someone. Swinging around, she came face-to-face with Mr. Ross. Steadying her with a hand to her elbow, he said nothing but glanced from the statue’s attributes to her face. She yanked her elbow free and marched past him, hissing under her breath so that only he could hear.
“Leave Threshfield, Mr. Ross. Poison my sight no longer.”
He whispered as well, using that disreputable drawl he knew annoyed her. “Dang, George. Looks like I better stay put and see what other scandalous things you and Ludwig got in that old Egyptian Wing. Yep, looks like it was a good thing I showed up.”
5
He was a guest in bedlam. Nick struck a match and lighted a thin cigar as the butler passed around port to the gentlemen. The ladies—Prudence, Georgiana, Aunt Lavinia, and the fey Lady Augusta—had retired to the drawing room. Dinner had been amazing in that no one had found it odd that Lady Augusta objected to several dishes on account of Georgiana’s having poisoned them.
“I’m late, I know,” said Ludwig. “Oh, my heart, yes, terribly late, but I began to translate the inscription on the new sarcophagus, and I forgot everything else.”
Georgiana smiled at her friend, for he had indeed forgotten everything. At some time during his work in the Egyptian Wing he’d donned a uraeus, a gold diadem with a cobra mounted on the front. The diadem encircled his balding head, with the serpent jutting out of his forehead. He was carrying an alabaster statue of Toth, the baboon god of wisdom. The stone image was lifelike down to the depiction of the creature’s private anatomy. Ross inspected the object in horrified fascination while the earl introduced him to Ludwig.
Ludwig sat down, placing the statue on theground beside his chair. “Do you know anything about ancient Egypt, Mr. Ross?”
Nick watched the cobra on Ludwig’s forehead and shook his head wordlessly.
“I would be glad to show you the collection and tell you something about it. Always glad to share the amazing things I’m learning. And Georgiana knows a great deal as well, oh, my heart, yes.”
“I’m sure Mr. Ross isn’t interested,” Georgiana said swiftly.
Ross gave her that infuriating smirk. “But I am interested, Lady Georgiana. Jocelin was most anxious to learn what you’re up to—your occupations, that is. May I call upon you in the Egyptian Wing, Mr. Hyde?”
“A pleasure, sir,” Ludwig said with a dignity spoiled by his headdress.
“Ludwig,” Georgiana said through her teeth, “we will bore Mr. Ross.”
Nick leaned over and patted the baboon statue on its head. “Not at all. I find such studies uncommon jolly.” Turning a brilliant smile on Ludwig, he said, “I shall be the gainer in this exchange, if you will allow me the privilege of learning from you.”
“There,” Ludwig replied with a triumphant look at Georgiana. “You see? Mr. Ross is delighted to share our little interests.”
Mr. Nicholas Ross was gloating. If she looked at him, he would smirk at her in that infuriating way that made her want to shriek at him like a harpy. For the third time that day Georgiana found herself outmaneuvered, routed. Setting down her cup and saucer, she rose, causing the gentlemen to leave their seats.
“You will please excuse me,” she said quietly.“Aunt Lavinia has missed tea, and I want to inquire if she is feeling well.”
“Oh, Georgiana, if you’re going to the house, would you take this inside?”
Ludwig picked up the baboon statue and shoved it into her hands before she could protest. Georgiana found herself clutching the animal so that its anatomically realistic organs faced outward. Evelyn gave her a leer. She stumbled over a chair leg in her hasty retreat from him and backed into someone. Swinging around, she came face-to-face with Mr. Ross. Steadying her with a hand to her elbow, he said nothing but glanced from the statue’s attributes to her face. She yanked her elbow free and marched past him, hissing under her breath so that only he could hear.
“Leave Threshfield, Mr. Ross. Poison my sight no longer.”
He whispered as well, using that disreputable drawl he knew annoyed her. “Dang, George. Looks like I better stay put and see what other scandalous things you and Ludwig got in that old Egyptian Wing. Yep, looks like it was a good thing I showed up.”
5
He was a guest in bedlam. Nick struck a match and lighted a thin cigar as the butler passed around port to the gentlemen. The ladies—Prudence, Georgiana, Aunt Lavinia, and the fey Lady Augusta—had retired to the drawing room. Dinner had been amazing in that no one had found it odd that Lady Augusta objected to several dishes on account of Georgiana’s having poisoned them.
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