“Of course I do,” Eleanor admitted. “How could I not? She as good as told you that she never cared for you. That she only showed interest in you because she wanted your money and the title she would gain by a marriage to you. I quite understand why you won’t consider returning to her after that. The only thing Ican’t understand is why you’re upset that the duke doesn’t want to be with her either. I would think you would want to warn your friend away from someone like that.”
Phineas rose to his feet abruptly. “You can’t understand anything,” he told her sharply. “I might have known better than to confide in a lady about matters of the heart.”
Eleanor’s temper flared. “You think I don’t have anything useful to say to you because I’m a lady?” she demanded. “That just tells me that youneeda friend like the duke, Phineas, becausehehas just finished explaining that everyone is worth listening to, including ladies! I never thought you were this kind of man.”
Phineas buried his head in his hands and said nothing, and Eleanor found herself taking pity on him. She placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t lose your friend,” she said quietly. “Not for this. Go and talk to him. Tell him the truth—tell him everything you just told me.”
“For what reason? What difference will it make? I know you’re right, really. He isn’t going to change his mind about Lady Hannah because of the way I feel, and I wouldn’t honestly want him to. It won’t make me feel better to see the two of them in love and happy with each other. Why would it? That isn’t what I want. What I want is for her to be the person I believed she was. She never will be, and nothing Nicholas can do or say will ever change that.”
“That’s true,” Eleanor agreed. “But if he knows how you feel, the two of you can at least be honest with one another, and don’t you think that will help matters?”
“A little honesty goes a long way,” Phineas said. “I hadn’t realized it was such a priority for you, though, Eleanor.”
She frowned. “I do try to be honest.”
He regarded her quietly for a moment or two, as if he was thinking of disagreeing, but in the end, he seemed to decide against it. “I’ll speak to Nicholas,” he said. “I suppose it can do no harm to try. And you’re right—perhaps it will even do us both some good.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The next day’s festivities included a picnic out on the grounds. Nicholas lingered by the door as various groups set out their picnic blankets, wondering which he ought to try to join. This would be a prime opportunity to search for his mystery lady, since the sun was shining brightly and the ladies would have to use their hands to eat their lunches. They wouldn’t be able to conceal their hands in their pockets or in the folds of their skirts, and those who were wearing gloves would surely remove them, for the day was warm.
He decided the best thing to do would be to move from blanket to blanket, to spend a little time with each of a large number of ladies. No one would be able to fault him for the decision. To be social was considered a positive attribute, and people would like that he had done it. He would be admired for it. Even his mother would be happy with him for taking the time to speak with a large number of people.
He approached the nearest blanket. It held three young ladies and one gentleman, and they all looked up at his arrival.
“May I join your party?” he asked them.
They all jumped to their feet to make room, and he noticed one of the ladies looking around as if to determine whether anyone had taken note of the fact that the duke had chosenherto sit with. She had dark hair that might have been the right shade—it was so difficult to be sure with the light the way it was. He had only ever seen her in the dark.
But she wasn’t the one he sought. He knew that at once. There was no question of it. When he had methislady (though she wasn’t his and might never be, he had no other way to think of her until he knew her name), she had known that he was the Duke of Nightingale. She hadn’t found it intimidating at all. She certainly hadn’t tried to capitalize upon the moment by being seen with him in public. Any young lady who cared about his title that much couldn’t be the one.
Another of the ladies on the blanket was sitting very close to the gentleman and, in fact, seemed only to have eyes for him. Nicholas supposed that the two of them were probably in a courtship. Perhaps they were even engaged to be married. Whatever the situation was, it was apparent that they were both happy about it, so he couldn’t believe that she would have snuck out to the garden alone and spent the time talking to another gentleman. It just didn’t fit.
The third lady on the blanket was fair-haired, so she wasn’t the one he sought either.
He wanted to get up and leave right away, but courtesy demanded that he stay at least a little while. He allowed the gentleman on the blanket to pour him a small measure of wine, though not very much—if he drank a full glass with every group of people on this lawn, he would soon be incapable of speech. The four of them introduced themselves, but Nicholas knew that he would struggle to remember the names.
“Here you are, Your Grace.”
It was Lady Hannah. The others watched in mild surprise as she elbowed her way in to sit beside him, reached for a wine glass and held it out to be filled.
Nicholas was compelled to introduce her. “Do you all know Lady Hannah? Her father is Lord Codfield.”
“Oh, yes, I’ve heard something about him,” the young gentleman said. “Hasn’t he had some business troubles recently?”
“My father’s business affairs are perfectly fine, thank you,” Lady Hannah sniffed. “And if you wouldn’t mind not sitting so close to my husband to be,” she added to the fair-haired lady, “I would greatly appreciate it.”
Nicholas understood at once—she was gambling that he wouldn’t want to create a scene in front of other people by insisting that they were not to be married. Perhaps she was bold enough to hope that if enough people were told of their “engagement,” he would be reluctant to call it off, knowing that it might make him look fickle.
But she had guessed wrong on that score. He wasn’t about to put up with this sort of manipulation. “Why don’t you stay here in my place, Lady Hannah?” he suggested. “This blanket really isn’t large enough for six, and I have other people I wish to speak to.”
He got up and walked away before anybody could protest, and sat down at another blanket.
Almost at once, Lady Hannah was there. “Why did you leave, darling?” she asked, her voice saccharine and obnoxious, and Nicholas had to hope that his cringe wasn’t visible to the people around him. “It wasn’t very polite of you to walk away like that. Everyone was just starting to enjoy their wine.”
He got to his feet at once, determined that they weren’t going to have a confrontation in front of an audience—which he was sure was what she wanted. Sure enough, she followed him again, and he found himself unable to join another blanket. She would only follow him.
