After all, Lord Draydon was only recently returned to London and if she had her wits about her, she would have agreed that she should not give her heart away so easily to such a man.
Not to mention that I have heard some speculations about his character…
Still, he was singularly the most strikingly handsome and charming man she had ever had the good fortune to meet in this Season. She feared that there would be no one else like him amongst all the other marriageable prospects.
Well, there is His Grace and if there ever was a more suitable prospect, it was him, she thought with a faint blush.
In the past few weeks, Oliver had proven to her that he was not only handsome but that he had a truly compassionate heart. He sat with her silently while she was grieving and drew her gently out of her sorrow.
He never forced her to do anything she was loath to do and did not push her to overcome her sadness.
As if he had somehow been made aware that her thoughts ran in his direction, Oliver appeared right before her, looking a little flushed as he rushed back into the carriage.
“Well, my business has been concluded,” he announced jovially. There was a folio tucked under his arm as he took his seat beside his sister. “I suppose we can carry on with our trip now.”
As Trixie clapped her hands in excitement, Claire silently turned her gaze out of the window to distract herself from his disarming presence.
He had been invading her thoughts more often and with greater persistence.
If she was not careful, she just might fall in love with him.
* * *
The trip went rather well and by the time they returned home for afternoon tea, all the young ladies were in excellent spirits, arms loaded with parcels.
Oliver watched in amusement as they paraded back into the townhouse in their mourning clothes, the dark clouds over their heads dissipating.
It had been quite some time since he last heard them talking animatedly and he realized that he had missed their chatter.
“Oh, is it time for tea?” his sister blinked, unloading her parcels into the waiting arms of one of the maids who had rushed to assist her. “Goodness, I have lost track of the time!”
“Yes, but it was a glorious way to waste time,” Trixie sighed happily. “What do you think, Claire?”
“I think it was rather refreshing,” her elder sister replied.
“Refreshing? Why, it was certainly more than that! I could not believe I have stayed trapped in this house for so long!”
Claire smiled wryly at her words. “Well, maybe it is time we return to Ranhold Manor. You can ride to your heart’s content once more, as long as you are within the estate, and no one will bother you for it.”
“Oh, you are mean!” Trixie declared, sticking her tongue out childishly, which evoked the laughter of both Oliver and his sister.
“If you like going out so much, we can make this a more regular occurrence,” he suggested. “After all, growing ladies do need a breath of fresh air every now and then.”
“Right, and it should show you a perfect example of how proper young ladies conduct themselves in public,” Lady Suzanna averred.
“I am a proper young lady!”
“Not,” Claire muttered, “when you act so childishly.”
The rest of the adults burst into laughter as they all proceeded to the drawing room, where tea was to be served.
As they were sitting down, Marley handed a tray of cards to Lady Suzanna. Oliver noted that one of them belonged to the Marquess of Draydon. He immediately sobered up as his eyes met with his sister’s.
The message in them was clear.
We cannot keep hiding for much longer.
Sooner or later, they would have to accept callers who wished to express their sincerest condolences, starting with those families who were closely associated with them.
