“Yes, Mother.”
A family was now coming through the door. Eleanor’s father stepped forward to greet them. “Oliver!” he exclaimed. “How good of you to come.”
“We wouldn’t have missed an event such as this for anything.” The gentleman was tall—he towered over even Eleanor’s father, who was not a short man. He had blonde hair and dark eyes, and he was as lean as a pole.
Eleanor’s father led him over. “You already know my wife, of course.”
“Yes, of course, but it’s a privilege as always, Sally,” the gentleman said. He took her hand and bowed over it.
“My eldest daughter, Marina,” Eleanor’s father continued. “She’s the one we’re here to celebrate. Marina, this the Marquess of Codfield, a dear friend and business associate of mine.”
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Codfield,” Marina said with a smile.
“My dear, the pleasure is entirely mine,” Lord Codfield assured her. “And I wish you every happiness in your marriage.”
“Thank you very much. I’m honored that you could be here.”
“And here is my younger daughter, Eleanor,” her father went on.
“Good evening, Lady Eleanor,” Lord Codfield said.
“Good evening, Lord Codfield.”
“Allow me to present to you all my wife, Bernadette, and my daughter, Hannah.”
Lady Codfield was short and round, but Lady Hannah was like her father. She was taller than Eleanor, and Eleanor rather thought she was looking down her nose a bit. How odd, she thought—what could she have done to make this person she had only just met think badly of her?
At least she didn’t have the misfortune of being someone who cared about such things. But Marina cared, and Eleanor didn’t want to see this stranger make her sister feel bad on the week of her wedding.
“Lady Hannah,” she said, “it’s very nice to meet you. Perhaps, if our parents agree to it, I might give you a tour of the grounds? Once all the guests have arrived, of course,” she added, glancing at her mother in hopes of conveying that she wasn’t trying to leave the foyer so soon after having returned from her walk with Phineas.
But to her surprise, her mother was smiling. “I think that’s a fine idea, Eleanor, if Lord and Lady Codfield don’t object.”
“Not at all,” Lord Codfield said genially. “Pay attention to your tour, Hannah, because your mother and I will need you to be our guide later.”
“Father,” Lady Hannah said, “I don’t want to go for a tour. I want to wait here to greet the other guests.” She was looking around as if searching for someone in particular, and it made Eleanor curious as to who she was hoping to see.
“We’ll be here all week, her father reminded her. “You’ll have plenty of time to spend with everyone here at the party. Right now, I think it would be a good idea for you to get to know Lady Eleanor. After all, you two are the same age, and I think you’ll get along splendidly. It will do you good to have a friend at your side this week.”
Lady Hannah inclined her head. “As you wish.”
“Eleanor, why don’t you take Lady Hannah up to the blue room?” her mother suggested. “I think that’s where she’ll be sleeping this week. You can start your little tour there, and she can get an idea of what to expect.”
“Would you like that?” Eleanor asked.
Lady Hannah nodded. “That sounds fine, thank you.”
Eleanor led the way upstairs. “I’m pleased you and your family could attend my sister’s wedding, Lady Hannah,” she said. “Iknow it means the world to Marina to have so many people here.”
“Well, I don’t like to miss social events,” Lady Hannah said. “They’re where everything happens, you know. And I’m going to be married after this season.”
“Are you really?” Eleanor asked absently, not overly enthused about Lady Hannah’s romantic prospects but wishing to be polite.
“Oh, yes,” Lady Hannah said. “I’ve had an arrangement with a gentleman for some time.”
“Isn’t that lovely?”
“Perhaps you know of him. It’s the Duke of Nightingale.”
