eyes betraying not even a hint of amusement, which was another reason why Louisa so appreciated Amelia. She was incapable of malice, which, as everyone knew, was nearly impossible for the daughter of a duke. "Now, what happened at Lady Dalby's? Did she receive you?"
"Of course," Louisa said, although, truth be told, she had experienced a flutter of nerves the second before she knocked at the door. One never knew how Sophia would respond, most especially since Sophia Dalby was entirely capable of malice. "We had a lovely conversation which was cut just a bit short by the arrival of the male members of her family and the Lords Penrith and Ruan."
Upon which, Eleanor dropped her book; it landed awkwardly on her foot and flopped onto the floor. Amelia's mouth was just slightly agape and her eyes unblinking. All in all, it was a rather satisfactory response.
"Lord Penrith?" Amelia finally sputtered.
"What do you mean male members of her family ?" Eleanor said as Amelia spoke. "Is there more than the Earl of Dalby?"
"Much more," Louisa said smugly to her sister.
"Are Lord Penrith's eyes truly green? Did he speak? Is his voice all that they say?" Amelia asked.
"Why should you care, Amelia? He isn't in line for a dukedom," Eleanor said. "I want to hear about Sophia's family."
"His eyes are very green," Louisa said to Amelia, "and his voice is very... very..."
"Very what?" Amelia breathed.
"Very," Louisa said on a sigh of breath.
"Oh, my," Amelia said, standing up to walk behind her chair. She looked a bit flushed. Lord Penrith was entirely worthy of a healthy flush. It was just possible that Louisa herself had flushed upon seeing him for the first time; she was quite certain that she would not flush upon meeting him again. Quite certain.
"Did you blush like that when you met him?" Eleanor asked, her elegant brows raised quizzically.
"I'm not blushing," Louisa said, banishing all memory of Pen-rith's rather startling green eyes and languid voice to their proper place in her thoughts, namely, the thinnest sphere of consciousness. Only Dutton deserved a maidenly blush from her. How Penrith had got hold of one was beyond speculation. "Do you want to hear about Sophia's family or not?"
"Definitely," Eleanor said. "There are her children, Caroline and Dalby, though don't they call him something besides Dalby?"
"Markham, I believe," Amelia said, sitting back down upon her chair, her color restored to its normal flawless ivory. "A childhood name, according to Aunt Mary."
Louisa refrained from stating that Sophia's son looked anything but a child. Given that she was devotedly in love with Dutton, it was not at all appropriate for her to notice the particulars about any other man. Even if she did notice them, the particulars, in other men. Highly and completely inappropriate. She did not quite know what was wrong with her.
It must be something to do with having spent time with Sophia Dalby. It just proved how wicked influences were so completely wicked . She had never looked at another man since first seeing Dutton. Now it seemed that she couldn't stop herself from looking.
Wicked.
"But do tell us about Sophia's family," Eleanor said, sitting up completely, her thin arms crossed, her pointed chin resting in her hand, eyes alight with mischief and avid curiosity. "Are they as wicked and clever as she?"
"They are," Louisa said dramatically, " Indians ."
"From America?" Amelia said in awe, to which Louisa nodded, smiling.
" Truly? " Eleanor said dreamily, her eyes going to the ceiling, and then she jerked her gaze back to Louisa, jumped up off the sofa, and said, "I want to meet them. How many of them are there? Are they all men? Are they all grown men? Where's my shawl? Louisa, help me find my shawl. Amelia, didn't I have my shawl while we were out walking?"
"You are not serious," Louisa said, knowing full well that Eleanor was completely serious. This was just the sort of thing to titillate her, which was absurd as
"Of course," Louisa said, although, truth be told, she had experienced a flutter of nerves the second before she knocked at the door. One never knew how Sophia would respond, most especially since Sophia Dalby was entirely capable of malice. "We had a lovely conversation which was cut just a bit short by the arrival of the male members of her family and the Lords Penrith and Ruan."
Upon which, Eleanor dropped her book; it landed awkwardly on her foot and flopped onto the floor. Amelia's mouth was just slightly agape and her eyes unblinking. All in all, it was a rather satisfactory response.
"Lord Penrith?" Amelia finally sputtered.
"What do you mean male members of her family ?" Eleanor said as Amelia spoke. "Is there more than the Earl of Dalby?"
"Much more," Louisa said smugly to her sister.
"Are Lord Penrith's eyes truly green? Did he speak? Is his voice all that they say?" Amelia asked.
"Why should you care, Amelia? He isn't in line for a dukedom," Eleanor said. "I want to hear about Sophia's family."
"His eyes are very green," Louisa said to Amelia, "and his voice is very... very..."
"Very what?" Amelia breathed.
"Very," Louisa said on a sigh of breath.
"Oh, my," Amelia said, standing up to walk behind her chair. She looked a bit flushed. Lord Penrith was entirely worthy of a healthy flush. It was just possible that Louisa herself had flushed upon seeing him for the first time; she was quite certain that she would not flush upon meeting him again. Quite certain.
"Did you blush like that when you met him?" Eleanor asked, her elegant brows raised quizzically.
"I'm not blushing," Louisa said, banishing all memory of Pen-rith's rather startling green eyes and languid voice to their proper place in her thoughts, namely, the thinnest sphere of consciousness. Only Dutton deserved a maidenly blush from her. How Penrith had got hold of one was beyond speculation. "Do you want to hear about Sophia's family or not?"
"Definitely," Eleanor said. "There are her children, Caroline and Dalby, though don't they call him something besides Dalby?"
"Markham, I believe," Amelia said, sitting back down upon her chair, her color restored to its normal flawless ivory. "A childhood name, according to Aunt Mary."
Louisa refrained from stating that Sophia's son looked anything but a child. Given that she was devotedly in love with Dutton, it was not at all appropriate for her to notice the particulars about any other man. Even if she did notice them, the particulars, in other men. Highly and completely inappropriate. She did not quite know what was wrong with her.
It must be something to do with having spent time with Sophia Dalby. It just proved how wicked influences were so completely wicked . She had never looked at another man since first seeing Dutton. Now it seemed that she couldn't stop herself from looking.
Wicked.
"But do tell us about Sophia's family," Eleanor said, sitting up completely, her thin arms crossed, her pointed chin resting in her hand, eyes alight with mischief and avid curiosity. "Are they as wicked and clever as she?"
"They are," Louisa said dramatically, " Indians ."
"From America?" Amelia said in awe, to which Louisa nodded, smiling.
" Truly? " Eleanor said dreamily, her eyes going to the ceiling, and then she jerked her gaze back to Louisa, jumped up off the sofa, and said, "I want to meet them. How many of them are there? Are they all men? Are they all grown men? Where's my shawl? Louisa, help me find my shawl. Amelia, didn't I have my shawl while we were out walking?"
"You are not serious," Louisa said, knowing full well that Eleanor was completely serious. This was just the sort of thing to titillate her, which was absurd as
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