Chapter Three #2
Lord Merriman snorted. “I have partnered with you before, Miss Stanhope. I know that you carried the evening and your partner. Congratulations on your win.”
“Thank you,” she said modestly, knowing the earl was exactly right. Her partner had been quite good at following her lead, which had led them to a victory over the other couples they had faced at the card party.
The men agreed to go to the buffet and fetch plates for the ladies, and Lord Dyer asked her if she had any food she particularly favored.
“Anything sweet, my lord. I fear I am a fiend for sweets.”
He smiled easily. “Then that is something we have in common, my lady. I promise I will return with plenty of sweets for us to share, as well as a few other items.”
The men departed for the buffet line, and she said, “Thank you for the invitation to your wedding, Lady Merriman. It was simply lovely. You and Lady Delilah made for the most beautiful brides I have ever seen.”
“I wonder where she and Lord Forsythe are this evening,” Her Grace mused, looking about.
Lady Aldridge gave her sister-in-law a knowing smile. “They are newlyweds, Eden. I am certain they have thought of better things to do than attend another boring ball.”
The duchess blushed prettily. “You are right.” She looked to Lady Merriman. “Then why are you here this evening, Tia?”
“Hugo thought it important that we appear at a few events together. We will leave for Merrifield by the end of the week. I believe he wanted to prove to Polite Society—and himself—that our union is no dream.”
“He spoke his vows beautifully yesterday,” Rowena said, having listened carefully and not having heard Lord Merriman stutter once.
Her new friend beamed. “He did, didn’t he? I know he practiced a great deal and that it meant so much to him to speak them without a single stammer.”
“At least the ton has done what they should have all along and turned away from Lord Balch and Lord Calley,” Lady Aldridge said. “I am glad they have embraced you and your new husband, Tia.”
The men returned with plates piled high with food, and the next half hour proved to be delightful.
It was obvious the others knew one another well because there was much teasing and camaraderie between them.
The conversation was also stimulating. She had never sat a duke’s table before, and Rowena was surprised just how informed everyone was regarding affairs of the day, especially politics.
She was eagerly embraced by this group, and her opinions solicited often.
“Miss Stanhope has read Gulliver’s Travels,” Lord Dyer told the others.
“I have read it several times,” His Grace said. “Did you enjoy reading it as much as I did, Miss Stanhope?”
“I, too, have read it multiple times, Your Grace.”
“Which of the four sections did you find the most appealing? I found myself enthralled by the first one in Lilliput, but the second, at Brobdingnab, was also entertaining.”
“I agree, Your Grace. I rather liked how he goes from one extreme to the other. Did you feel Swift was comparing Gulliver to Joseph from the Bible? Especially how he is sold to the queen of that realm.”
“I had not thought of that, my lady. I shall give that section another read,” the duke said.
For the next several minutes, she and the duke chatted about the book, the others interjecting their own thoughts occasionally. She did not think many members in Polite Society read, much less a book as lengthy as Swift’s tale.
Rowena couldn’t help herself and said, “I find this discussion so intellectually stimulating. Thank you for including me at your table this evening, Your Grace.”
Millbrooke smiled at her. “You are always welcome here, Miss Stanhope. I have enjoyed talking about Gulliver and his travels with you.”
Lady Aldridge said, “Do you do any charity work, Miss Stanhope?”
“Why, yes, my lady. I have in the past but am not engaged in any specific endeavor at the moment.”
The marchioness brightened. “My husband and I own Oakbrooke Orphanage. We are always looking for new volunteers to come and help with the children. I know you must be quite busy, but perhaps when you return next Season, you might be able to donate a bit of time to our orphanage.”
“I remain in town throughout the year, my lady. My father prefers town over the country.”
“Splendid,” Lord Aldridge said. “My wife and I come to town for two days a week, year-round, since our country home is in Surrey, and we are so close. We spend those two days with our orphans. We would be delighted to have your company at Oakbrooke. It is run by a good friend of ours, Miss Darnell. I feel the two of you would get along quite well.”
“I shall look into doing so, my lord.”
The marquess added, “We are leaving town tomorrow, but we will return next Wednesday and be here for two days. Would either day be convenient for you to stop by and let us show you the classrooms and meet our children?”
“I could do so on Wednesday, my lord,” Rowena said, excited by the prospect of volunteering her time for a good cause.
With the Season winding down, this would give her something to look forward to and make her feel useful.
She had never been to an orphanage before and found it interesting a marquess and marchioness not only owned one but seemed to devote much of their time to it.
“I will write to you about the particulars,” Lady Aldridge told her. “If you would like, we could call for you on our way to Oakbrooke next Wednesday. Would nine o’clock be too early for you?”
“Not at all. I am an early riser.”
She shared where she and Papa lived, and they told her how much they looked forward to seeing her again next week.
“I think since we are leaving tomorrow morning, we should depart now,” Lord Aldridge told the group.
Lord Merriman said to his wife, “Are you also ready to leave, my love?”
Rowena was touched by the earl’s tender address, and it was obvious to see just how much this couple loved one another.
“Yes. I have had quite enough socializing for one night,” Lady Merriman said. Looking to Rowena, she added, “It was most enjoyable visiting with you this evening, Miss Stanhope. I do hope we will see one another again before my husband and I leave for the country.”
Lord Dyer helped her to her feet, and as the other couples departed, he asked, “Would you care to get a bit of fresh air before the musicians began playing again, my lady?”
Suddenly, a stroll on a moonlit terrace with a handsome viscount was exactly what Rowena wished to do.