sixteen-year-old, well-brought-up young ladies should not be titillated by anything, and certainly not the thought of meeting savage Indians from America. George Grey, in particular, had been particularly savage, dimple and all.
"Were they... savage?" Amelia asked, her own gaze going dreamy.
Eleanor was lifting cushions and pillows and books, looking with frantic eagerness for her shawl, but she stopped at the question and stared at Louisa.
"They were, weren't they?" Eleanor said on a hush of breath. "Savage and wicked and—"
"And they were," Louisa interrupted, slyly kicking Eleanor's rather nice cashmere shawl underneath the nearest bookcase with her foot, "the blood relations of Lady Dalby."
She had meant it as a rebuke. It was not received as such.
"Blood relations," Amelia mused softly, "that explains quite a lot about Lady Dalby, doesn't it?"
"They must certainly be very savage and very, very wicked if they are related to Lady Dalby," Eleanor said with a very wicked gleam. Things were not going at all the way Louisa had hoped. When did they ever? "But why are you certain that these men are her blood relations?" Eleanor continued. "Perhaps they are only related through marriage."
"And perhaps not even by that," Amelia said somewhat wickedly.
Louisa shrugged over Eleanor's shocked gasp. "As different as they are, they bore a resemblance to each other, particularly between Markham and John the Younger."
"John the Younger?" Eleanor said. "That sounds rather dynastic. But stop all this empty chittering and tell us about them and about your visit and about Lady Dalby. Everything , Louisa. Try to push Dutton out of your thoughts for just a moment or two, if you would."
Actually, now that she looked at it, she hadn't thought about Dutton for a full five minutes. Remembering all those unimportant men littering Lady Dalby's white salon had quite distracted her.
And so she told them, but while she was rendering a rather rushed version of the events and men that had occasioned Sophia's salon, she avoided mentioning that, by express instruction from Lady Dalby, her attendance at the supper at Hyde House that evening was nearly compulsory. Amelia, for all her pleasant manner and easy temper, was altogether ruthless when it came to invitations to a ducal residence. Amelia would not at all enjoy knowing that anyone else at Hyde House that evening had important plans of her own to put into play. At least, Sophia had implied there were important plans in play.
At this beginning stage of events, Louisa supposed she could allow Sophia some measure of trust. Some small, unimportant measure, certainly. After all, she had planned to attend the dinner before even discussing her pearls with Lady Dalby. There was nothing Sophia could do to disrupt her evening at Hyde House.
She was almost certain of that.
"And of course, she didn't explain to me how she happened to have a brother who is an American Indian," Louisa said, hopefully in conclusion.
"How utterly fascinating," Eleanor said. "Do you suppose I could meet one or two, perhaps if I loitered about in front of Dalby House? I suppose it's not entirely unlikely that I should stumble over one or more of them."
"You shall do no such vile thing!" Louisa said.
It was quite more than enough that she was called upon to loiter about Dalby House in her quest to attain Lord Dutton and her pearls. She did not suppose she should be called upon to sacrifice her sister to any such low endeavor. Though, to judge by Eleanor's face, it would not be much of a sacrifice.
"Will they be attending the Hyde House affair tonight?" Amelia asked. "I should so like to study them up close."
Louisa squirmed just the slightest bit and said, "I do not think they care to be studied." Though it was just possible that George might not mind in the least. "Anyway, I am not at all privy to the social schedule of Lady Dalby's rather unusual relatives."
"Pity," Eleanor said with an altogether unattractive
"Were they... savage?" Amelia asked, her own gaze going dreamy.
Eleanor was lifting cushions and pillows and books, looking with frantic eagerness for her shawl, but she stopped at the question and stared at Louisa.
"They were, weren't they?" Eleanor said on a hush of breath. "Savage and wicked and—"
"And they were," Louisa interrupted, slyly kicking Eleanor's rather nice cashmere shawl underneath the nearest bookcase with her foot, "the blood relations of Lady Dalby."
She had meant it as a rebuke. It was not received as such.
"Blood relations," Amelia mused softly, "that explains quite a lot about Lady Dalby, doesn't it?"
"They must certainly be very savage and very, very wicked if they are related to Lady Dalby," Eleanor said with a very wicked gleam. Things were not going at all the way Louisa had hoped. When did they ever? "But why are you certain that these men are her blood relations?" Eleanor continued. "Perhaps they are only related through marriage."
"And perhaps not even by that," Amelia said somewhat wickedly.
Louisa shrugged over Eleanor's shocked gasp. "As different as they are, they bore a resemblance to each other, particularly between Markham and John the Younger."
"John the Younger?" Eleanor said. "That sounds rather dynastic. But stop all this empty chittering and tell us about them and about your visit and about Lady Dalby. Everything , Louisa. Try to push Dutton out of your thoughts for just a moment or two, if you would."
Actually, now that she looked at it, she hadn't thought about Dutton for a full five minutes. Remembering all those unimportant men littering Lady Dalby's white salon had quite distracted her.
And so she told them, but while she was rendering a rather rushed version of the events and men that had occasioned Sophia's salon, she avoided mentioning that, by express instruction from Lady Dalby, her attendance at the supper at Hyde House that evening was nearly compulsory. Amelia, for all her pleasant manner and easy temper, was altogether ruthless when it came to invitations to a ducal residence. Amelia would not at all enjoy knowing that anyone else at Hyde House that evening had important plans of her own to put into play. At least, Sophia had implied there were important plans in play.
At this beginning stage of events, Louisa supposed she could allow Sophia some measure of trust. Some small, unimportant measure, certainly. After all, she had planned to attend the dinner before even discussing her pearls with Lady Dalby. There was nothing Sophia could do to disrupt her evening at Hyde House.
She was almost certain of that.
"And of course, she didn't explain to me how she happened to have a brother who is an American Indian," Louisa said, hopefully in conclusion.
"How utterly fascinating," Eleanor said. "Do you suppose I could meet one or two, perhaps if I loitered about in front of Dalby House? I suppose it's not entirely unlikely that I should stumble over one or more of them."
"You shall do no such vile thing!" Louisa said.
It was quite more than enough that she was called upon to loiter about Dalby House in her quest to attain Lord Dutton and her pearls. She did not suppose she should be called upon to sacrifice her sister to any such low endeavor. Though, to judge by Eleanor's face, it would not be much of a sacrifice.
"Will they be attending the Hyde House affair tonight?" Amelia asked. "I should so like to study them up close."
Louisa squirmed just the slightest bit and said, "I do not think they care to be studied." Though it was just possible that George might not mind in the least. "Anyway, I am not at all privy to the social schedule of Lady Dalby's rather unusual relatives."
"Pity," Eleanor said with an altogether unattractive
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