Bentley spoke up. “John, old man, what about a shoot tomorrow afternoon? The weather looks to be fair. I fancy it won’t rain. Maybe we could bag some pheasants for tomorrow’sdinner.”
“Yes, I can arrange that. Do you shoot SirAndrew?”
“Only pool, I’m afraid. Never been one for outdoor sport, don’tyaknow. Which is not to say I’ve not bagged one or two birds in mytime.”
“Pool, it shall be then. After dinner,” Johnsaid.
Standish announced. “My lords, ladies, and gentlemen, dinner is soon to be served. If you would follow me,please.”
John turned to Susan and Katherine, “Might I escortyou?”
Fitz maneuvered herself between John and Susan and prepared to take hisarm.
“Yes, you may,” shesaid.
However, Clarissa, seeing the play, turned to Fitz and, taking her hand, led her aside, and stood back to admire her gown. “What a stunning creation. Is itcouture?”
Fitz took a quick glance back at John, only to see him take Susan and Katherine by the arm and lead them toward the dining room. But there was nothing she could do without being outrageously rude to Aunt Clarissa, and she said, “Why, yes it is. It’s one of my Paris purchases. Lovely, don’t youthink?”
“And you fill it out so nicely,” Clarissa said, responding to Miss Fitzwilliam’s prominentcleavage.
Fitz shot a glance at Sir Andrew, pleading with him by a nod to accompany her to the dining room. He came over and stood between Fitz and Clarissa, and taking their arms led them away saying, “I think I have died and gone to heaven with two such celestial beauties on myarm.”
Fitz whispered, “Oh, shut up, youfool.”
* * *
With the Dukeat the head of the table, Aunt Clarissa was seated to his right and Fitz to his left. John noticed that Susan was seated between his aunt and Patricia further down thetable.
John glanced Susan’s way, as the wine was being served, and smiled. He greatly appreciated her simplicity and pleasing demeanor. But his glance was interrupted by Fitz, placing her hand on hisarm.
“Do you get up to London often?” she asked, playing with a loose thread from John’scuff.
“I’m afraid not. I find my duties here leave me little time for leisureactivities.”
Fitz pouted and twisted a curl of hair around her finger. “What a pity. I should so like to show you the wonders of London. I’m sure you would be thrilled by its manysplendors.”
“The splendors I respond to are the mist on the lake in the morning before the sun has risen. The color of the sky, just after the sun has set. The smell of my horse after a good ride, and even the sound a new lamb makes when he firststands.”
Fitz looked at him as though he’d just sprouted a secondhead.
“Yes, I suppose those things have their charmstoo.”
“I assure you theydo.”
“I say,” Bentley said from the other end of the table, “jolly good plonk, old man. It seems you keep a goodcellar.”
John lifted his glass and toastedBentley.
The butler and the footmen began serving dinner and conversations were mostly between the nearest tablecompanions.
* * *
Katherine was sittingopposite Susan and she leaned forward over the soup and asked softly, “Whichspoon?”
Susan pointed to the correctone.
Patricia, who was seated to Susan’s right turned and asked, “Do you frequentThe Rowoften?”
