Taking a small step backward, she elbowed him quite hard in the ribs, as if to say,you fool, she is seeking out an invitation!
All she gained in return for her efforts was a sharp look from Percival, who had missed the even more obvious cue. Either that, or he was deliberately ignoring it.
Aloofness only works when you are not in immediate need of a wife,she wanted to tell him.
“Perhaps, it is something you could discuss at the Countess of Grayling’s house party,” Anna said instead, hoping she did not sound as frustrated as she felt. “Will you be attending, Eleanor?”
The haughty young woman gave her a disapproving stare. “Of course, I shall be attending. I was one of the first to receive an invitation.” Her cold expression warmed into a fawning smile. “You will be there, Your Grace, will you not?”
One word to Beatrice, and I could have you uninvited.Anna held her tongue, remembering that the sooner she could get these two married, the sooner she would have her summers back.
“I had not yet decided,” Percival replied.
Anna jabbed him in the ribs again. “Hewillbe there,” she said in earnest. “The Countess invited him personally, for she is a dear friend of mine, and His Grace is a dear friend of my brother, the Duke of Harewood. He is currently residing at Harewood Court, and I know you do not live far, if you would care to visit one day?”
“I apologize, Lady Anna, but I cannot hear the dear duke speak when you are chattering so incessantly,” Eleanor said, still wearing that fixed, false smile.
Percival bowed his head. “That is my doing, Lady Eleanor. I did not want you to feel uncomfortable when I approached you, as we have never been introduced before, so I thought you might prefer to have Lady Anna present.”
“Well, we have been introduced now.” Lady Eleanor chuckled, fanning her face in a manner that she likely thought was flirtatious, but made her look half mad. “Lady Anna, perhaps you ought to return to your brother. I should hate to keep you standing in the sun, lest its brightness cause another mole to grow on your face.”
A jagged lump swelled in Anna’s throat, her eyes stinging with the effort of blinking back tears. She knew she should have been accustomed to such jibes by now, when she had heard them all her life from strangers and unkind ladies at balls, but she had never quite grown a thick enough skin to be invulnerable to mean remarks.
Percival glanced at Anna, and she looked away sharply. He was the last person she wanted to see her hurt by the comments of a silly, vapid woman.
“Moles close to the lips and eyes are supposed to be a symbol of good fortune and prosperity,” he said. “As Lady Anna has both, and knowing her as I do, I must say that the myths are true. There is no one close to Lady Anna who has not been blessed with good luck and prosperity. Have you not heard of the Spinsters’ Club?”
Lady Eleanor’s eye twitched. “Certainly, I have.”
“Of her four dearest friends, three are now duchesses, and one is a countess. And she played no small part in their unions, so there must be some truth to her luck,” Percival continued, much to Anna’s growing astonishment. “Personally, I find moles and freckles more interesting than a face that has no ‘flaws’ whatsoever.”
Lady Eleanor nodded so hard that her neck would undoubtedly be stiff later. “I could not agree more, Your Grace. I cherish my own freckles for that very reason. Some of my friends will not spend five minutes in the sunshine, for fear of them, but I think they look pretty.”
Percival leaned in. “Apologies, Lady Eleanor, but I do not see any freckles whatsoever. Yes, it seems you have the most perfect skin. Not so much as a small scar or a blemish.” He sighed. “What a pity.”
“A pity?” Lady Eleanor blinked, clearly confused by the strange remark: a compliment and an insult in one.
He offered his hand to Anna. “I desire a wife who is unafraid of the outdoors, especially in the summertime,” he said. “I am sorry to have wasted your time, Lady Eleanor.”
Equally bewildered, Anna gingerly placed her hand on top of his, and allowed him to lead her away from the stunned figure of Lady Eleanor, who would have looked less shocked if he had slapped her with a freshly caught cod.
When they were far enough away, splitting the distance between Lady Eleanor and Dickie, Anna finally asked the question that danced on the tip of her tongue. “Why did you do that? She would have been ideal for you. I could have stepped away—she said nothing I have not heard before.”
“I have few requirements for my future bride,” he replied flatly, “but someone who insults a friend can be no bride of mine.”
“A… friend?” Anna coughed out, taken aback by the word.
She had never considered them to be friends of any kind. Even when she was younger, and he was kinder, she had viewed him as her childhood hero, not her friend. And later, he had become a thorn in her side.
“After the letter I sent to Caro,” she continued, forcing a more ordinary, teasing tone, “I find it hard to believe that you consider me friendly.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “It was slyly done, but that does not mean it was not the right thing to do. I do not want my wife to have any delusions about our marriage, nor do I want my wife to have any delusions about herself. Lady Eleanor is unpleasant. That is all I have to say about that. Nevertheless, it was a decent attempt, and I look forward to seeing who you have me approach next.”
“Speaking of next time—might you be a little more… invested?” Anna replied, still trying to figure out if this was some trick of his that she had not understood yet. “You missed several opportunities to elaborate and invite.”
“Did I?” He arched an eyebrow. “Or did I simply not wish to seize said opportunities?”
She waited for him to tell her which, but he did not.
