Regency Collection 2013 Part 1. Louise Allen

who annoy you most and have a satisfying sneer.’ He got to his feet with a wince, which reminded her that his back must still be painful. ‘May I have an old carpet? Please? Not because I am a snob, but because I dearly like to behave like a slovenly bachelor when I have the chance.’

      ‘Very well.’ She turned away. His smile, when he chose to deploy it, was dangerously unsettling and highly seductive. ‘Does your back hurt very much? The doctor did not leave anything for it, but I am sure we have something in the stillroom …’

      ‘It is stiff, that is all. I am not getting enough exercise to work out the bruising.’

      ‘I will send Percy for arnica.’

      ‘He is doing very well with my boots, but I do not think that having my back rubbed with lotions by Percy is going to be a very healing experience. Now if you were to do it, I am sure there would be a great improvement.’

      ‘If you think it would help,’ Lily began dubiously. What would Aunt Herrick say? Then she saw the teasing glint in his eyes. ‘You are teasing me! You deserve to be black and blue. Now, I am going shopping and you must rest.’

      ‘You do not mind going out, after yesterday?’

      ‘Yes, I do mind,’ Lily admitted. ‘But it is that or run away and hide and I will not do that. Tonight is Lady Troughton’s reception. I shall go and wear my newest gown and my second-best parure of diamonds.’

      ‘Well done.’ The approval in Jack’s smile sent her down the stairs and into the garden with a warm glow. It lasted up to the point when she tied her bonnet ribbons in a large bow under one ear and picked up her parasol. What would happen if she met anyone who had heard about the broken engagement or the near riot outside her house? What if Adrian was already telling the polite world that she was ruined?

      Chapter Six

      The shopping expedition passed off without incident. Lily bought six pairs of silk stockings, an ell of wickedly expensive Swiss lace and a pair of the indecent new pantalettes. Putting such a garment on seemed impossibly daring; on the other hand, they might be just the thing should she ever wish to thoroughly scandalise anyone.

      ‘They are so long,’ she explained to Lady Billington as they set out in the carriage that evening for Lady Troughton’s reception. ‘It would not be like showing one’s petticoat; if anyone caught a glimpse, they would know they were encasing my legs!’

      ‘Most improper,’ her chaperon agreed. ‘But pantalettes are the least of your problems, Lily! That riot outside the house yesterday is all over town and there is the most vulgar speculation as to why it occurred. Some people are saying that you have so much money that you ordered things without thought and the resultant traffic jam was all honest tradesmen attempting to deliver. All nonsense, as I have been telling people, but say what you will, they love a good story.

      ‘But that pales into insignificance when one considers your engagement. What were you doing that made Lord Randall break it off?’

      ‘Nothing! And I broke it off, not him. He was furious because of the hoax, and because he had discovered how much of my money would still be in trust even after I marry. And then he found Ja … Mr Lovell in the salon on the sofa and made insulting accusations and I told him I no longer wished to marry him and threw him out.’

      ‘Indeed? You should have at least kept your temper long enough to have agreed a mutually acceptable notice to the papers and not left it to him.’

      ‘What? There is something already?’

      ‘The notice of the engagement between Adrian, Lord Randall and Miss France, etc. etc. was inserted in error and no such engagement exists,’ Lady Billington quoted from memory.

      ‘But … but that makes it sound as though I put it in to entrap him and now Adrian is denying it!’ In the darkness of the carriage Lily could feel her face flame. ‘The beast!’

      ‘I am not at all sure that appearing tonight is a good thing,’ Lady Billington said. ‘We are almost there. Possibly we should leave it until things die down a little.’

      ‘Oh no, we do not!’ Lily said grimly. ‘I am not letting Adrian get away with this.’

      At the head of the stairs Lady Troughton was greeting her guests with beaming affability—until her gaze lighted on Lily, when it became positively frosted. ‘Miss France. I had not expected to see you after … after what has just occurred.’

      ‘You refer to that horrid hoax someone played upon me? But to renege on my promise after I had accepted your kind invitation would never do.’ Lily knew her smile was brittle, but somehow she maintained it. ‘Can you imagine anyone being so spiteful that they would go to so much trouble as that hoax involved? Jealousy is a terrible thing,’ she added piously. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lady Angela approach. ‘One can only assume that the person concerned has a sad life and nothing better to fill it.’

      She tilted her head to include Adrian’s cousin in her smile, then followed her chaperon into the great reception hall. ‘She heard me,’ she observed with satisfaction.

      The room was already full. A string quartet was playing light incidental music and on the dais a pianoforte had been set up in anticipation of the evening’s promised treat, a performance by Signora Angelina Tendesci, direct from Italy.

      Lily felt her tense shoulders relax as she saw friends, the Cunningham girls and their mama. Themselves only one generation removed from trade, the Cunninghams had proved far less snobbish than many in society and Lily had come to enjoy the sprightly chatter of the two sisters.

      She made her way towards them. Mrs Cunningham turned, Lily saw her eyes widen, then she simply cut her, turning away without a flicker of recognition and ushering her daughters in front of her. Hurt, Lily stepped back, found herself face to face with old Lady Wilton and was subjected to a long stare through the dowager’s lorgnette before she resumed her conversation with her neighbour.

      To Lily’s shocked gaze the entire room seemed to be full of people drawing their skirts away or turning their backs on her. It had never happened before. When she first came out one or two people had turned up their noses at the merchant’s daughter, and she had constantly heard whispers and jibes about her money and her taste, but her wealth had ensured that virtually every door was open to her.

      I am refining too much on the reaction of one or two snobs, she tried to convince herself. I am imagining that the others are whispering about me. I just need to compose myself a little and when I come back it will all be quite all right …

      There was a loggia off the reception room. Lily made her way over to it, slipped through the door and found herself alone in the long, stone-flagged passage with windows overlooking the garden. Lamps burned in alcoves and chairs and little tables stood about for later on when people needed a refuge from the overheated room. Now it was mercifully empty.

      As she took a steadying breath the doors behind her opened and she found Lord Dovercourt at her side. He had always proved an amiable dance partner, but, involved with Adrian, she had never paid him much attention.

      ‘Good evening, my lord.’

      ‘Miss France. You are not quite well? I saw you slip away and was concerned.’

      ‘Merely a slight headache. I thought to nip it in the bud with a little quiet and cool.’ He seemed to be standing very close. Lily began to stroll away down the loggia.

      ‘Allow me to offer my arm.’ There was no way of refusing without appearing rude, so Lily let him tuck her hand into the crook of his elbow and walked with him further away from the door. ‘I am so sorry to hear that your engagement to Lord Randall has been broken. What poor judgement on his part!’

      ‘It was mutual, my lord,’ Lily responded stiffly. ‘We discovered we were mistaken in thinking we might suit.’ They were at the end. Now they could turn and walk back. It must be her imagination, but Lord Dovercourt appeared