snap. "I do think that had I been dallying about all afternoon in Lady Dalby's salon I should have come away with rather more information than you have done, Louisa."
"I rather doubt it," Louisa said stiffly, running a finger delicately over her right eyebrow.
"In fact, had I any money at all," Eleanor continued as if Louisa had not spoken, a habit of hers that Louisa found inexpressibly irritating, "I should wager that you spent your entire afternoon with all those compelling and interesting men talking only of Lord Dutton."
At which point Amelia giggled in an entirely unattractive and uncalled-for manner.
"If you had any money to wager you would lose it all," Louisa said, rubbing her eyebrow with slightly more than delicate vigor. "I did not speak of Lord Dutton at all. I spoke exclusively about my pearls and how to reacquire them."
"I suppose it is a coincidence that Lord Dutton is in possession of your pearls, which would mean that they are his pearls now," Eleanor said.
"Only until I get them back," Louisa said.
"And did Lady Dalby suggest a means to get them back?" Amelia said.
"Not... precisely," Louisa said, rising to her feet. Really, this conversation was becoming entirely too uncomfortable and she did not see any reason why she should endure another moment of it.
"Then you truly have wasted your time, Louisa," Eleanor said. "When I think of how you must have squandered all those wonderful men—"
"There was nothing at all wonderful about them," Louisa snapped.
"That," Eleanor said, "is something I should like to determine for myself."
"So would I," Amelia said as Louisa crossed the library.
Which, it must be noted, was the entire trouble with women in general: they were prone to lose sight of the proper man whenever an improper man made an appearance. Louisa prided herself, not unjustly, with having risen above that tendency entirely.
"But, admit it, Louisa, Lady Dalby is advising you," Amelia said softly, her eyes betraying a most avid and unattractive gleam.
"On how to attain Lord Dutton," Eleanor finished, gleaming in perfect partnership with Amelia. It was most unattractive.
"Don't be absurd," Louisa stated. "She is merely advising me on how to reacquire my pearls."
"She should be quite good at that," Eleanor said with a sage nod of her red head.
"Lord Dutton has your pearls, Louisa," Amelia said with a very smug smile.
"That is hardly the point," Louisa said grimly. Really, it was bad enough that she rather suspected the ton found her pursuit of Lord Dutton profoundly amusing; she didn't have to tolerate ridicule in her own library, did she? "Melverley might have the right to sell my pearls for a horse, but he hardly has the need. I want my pearls. They are mine and I'm going to get them back."
"Even if you have to tackle Dutton in a dark alley to get them, is that it?" Amelia said, grinning.
"I rather think she would prefer it that way," Eleanor said.
Eleanor was, without qualification, the most annoying person Louisa had ever had occasion to know, and that included her acquaintance with Sophia Dalby, which, it must be admitted, was saying quite a lot.
Five
THE Marquis of Dutton sat in a quiet corner of White's and considered his options. Caroline, a bit of a tempest, though a beautiful one, was cheerfully saddled with Ashdon. Why she would choose such a dour fellow, one so given to the sulks, was beyond what little comprehension he reserved for other men. He much preferred giving his thoughts, and his attention, to women.
Which put him in mind of the devious and desirable Anne Warren. She had turned into one surprise after another. Though surprises could be delightful, too many at once and they became tedious. He decided that Anne Warren had become tedious.
Why he kept thinking of her, he couldn't quite say.
He certainly didn't need a wife, at least not yet, and Anne was hardly wife material, being the daughter of a less than successful courtesan as she was. Though she had been
"I rather doubt it," Louisa said stiffly, running a finger delicately over her right eyebrow.
"In fact, had I any money at all," Eleanor continued as if Louisa had not spoken, a habit of hers that Louisa found inexpressibly irritating, "I should wager that you spent your entire afternoon with all those compelling and interesting men talking only of Lord Dutton."
At which point Amelia giggled in an entirely unattractive and uncalled-for manner.
"If you had any money to wager you would lose it all," Louisa said, rubbing her eyebrow with slightly more than delicate vigor. "I did not speak of Lord Dutton at all. I spoke exclusively about my pearls and how to reacquire them."
"I suppose it is a coincidence that Lord Dutton is in possession of your pearls, which would mean that they are his pearls now," Eleanor said.
"Only until I get them back," Louisa said.
"And did Lady Dalby suggest a means to get them back?" Amelia said.
"Not... precisely," Louisa said, rising to her feet. Really, this conversation was becoming entirely too uncomfortable and she did not see any reason why she should endure another moment of it.
"Then you truly have wasted your time, Louisa," Eleanor said. "When I think of how you must have squandered all those wonderful men—"
"There was nothing at all wonderful about them," Louisa snapped.
"That," Eleanor said, "is something I should like to determine for myself."
"So would I," Amelia said as Louisa crossed the library.
Which, it must be noted, was the entire trouble with women in general: they were prone to lose sight of the proper man whenever an improper man made an appearance. Louisa prided herself, not unjustly, with having risen above that tendency entirely.
"But, admit it, Louisa, Lady Dalby is advising you," Amelia said softly, her eyes betraying a most avid and unattractive gleam.
"On how to attain Lord Dutton," Eleanor finished, gleaming in perfect partnership with Amelia. It was most unattractive.
"Don't be absurd," Louisa stated. "She is merely advising me on how to reacquire my pearls."
"She should be quite good at that," Eleanor said with a sage nod of her red head.
"Lord Dutton has your pearls, Louisa," Amelia said with a very smug smile.
"That is hardly the point," Louisa said grimly. Really, it was bad enough that she rather suspected the ton found her pursuit of Lord Dutton profoundly amusing; she didn't have to tolerate ridicule in her own library, did she? "Melverley might have the right to sell my pearls for a horse, but he hardly has the need. I want my pearls. They are mine and I'm going to get them back."
"Even if you have to tackle Dutton in a dark alley to get them, is that it?" Amelia said, grinning.
"I rather think she would prefer it that way," Eleanor said.
Eleanor was, without qualification, the most annoying person Louisa had ever had occasion to know, and that included her acquaintance with Sophia Dalby, which, it must be admitted, was saying quite a lot.
Five
THE Marquis of Dutton sat in a quiet corner of White's and considered his options. Caroline, a bit of a tempest, though a beautiful one, was cheerfully saddled with Ashdon. Why she would choose such a dour fellow, one so given to the sulks, was beyond what little comprehension he reserved for other men. He much preferred giving his thoughts, and his attention, to women.
Which put him in mind of the devious and desirable Anne Warren. She had turned into one surprise after another. Though surprises could be delightful, too many at once and they became tedious. He decided that Anne Warren had become tedious.
Why he kept thinking of her, he couldn't quite say.
He certainly didn't need a wife, at least not yet, and Anne was hardly wife material, being the daughter of a less than successful courtesan as she was. Though she had been
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