Tobias jumped and yelped. “Henrietta. Do try not to sneak up on a fellow.” He straightened his waistcoat and resumed his search of the crowd. “Why is she so damned small?”
“I assume you mean Lady Maggie.”
He nodded.
“You like her short stature.”
He did. But he didn’t have to say so.
“What are you doing with her, Tobias?”
“Trying to convince her to run away with me and build a school for monks who wish to become rogues in the foothills of the Alps.”
“What are youdoingwith her, Tobias?”
“Weaving her into a silk cocoon until she can transform into a social butterfly.”
“I’ll ask one more time, Tobias.”
“And if I don’t answer, what will you do, sis?” She’d probably sic Grayson on him, and he knew from experience Grayson’s fists packed a mean punch. “Never mind, don’t answer that.” He sighed and continued his fruitless perusal of the ballroom. “I’d like to court her, if you must know.”
“Why don’t you?”
“Because she does not wish me to.”
Henrietta tilted her head to the side. “Why ever not? You did ruin her reputation. A courtship is the exact remedy for such a situation.”
“My sentiments exactly. Her brother’s, too. Lady Maggie does not agree.”
Henrietta tapped his shoulder. “Change her mind.”
“How am I to do that? Should I buy her a trunkful of porcelain dishes and serenade her with sea shanties?”
A small fist punched his arm.
Tobias laughed.
Henrietta nudged his arm with her shoulder. “When I began my dress shop, I had to convince the ton to buy their gowns from a completely new and unknown entity. Father’s name stood behind the shop, but he himself would not bother to promote it. He barely supported the idea at all. I was on my own to build my clientele, and without them knowing I was the one running things, too.”
Tobias beamed down at his sister. “And you are succeeding, sis.” He shook his head slowly. “You found a space to rent, hired seamstresses, built your clientele, advertised your wares, and found funding. All on your own. You’re a wonder.” And he needed her on his side, as his business partner. “Tell me. Has Father come round? On the shop?”
“He has.”
“Then you changed his mind, too.” Which meant he couldn’t offer her the position as his partner. She’d have to hide her affiliation with Tobias, and she’d only just won their father’s approval.
Henrietta stretched up on tiptoe and nodded across the ballroom. “I think you can succeed in changing minds, too. Lady Maggie is over there. Go. Change. Her. Mind. If you can. Frankly, I fear you may not have the charm or intelligence required.”
“Your lack of faith wounds me, sis.” Tobias lifted his chin to see over the crowd. “Where is she?”
“She’s talking to Sir Scott. See?” Henrietta pointed.
“The Mathematical Baron? Where? I don’t see her.” He swung his head left and right, craning it to see across the room.
“There. Almost hidden behind a pillar. Do you see her dark hair just peeking—”
He did see, now. “Thank you, sis.” He pushed through the crowd, zeroing in on that peek of dark curls across the room. Beside her—Sir Scott. Unlike Pellham before, Scott didn’t see Tobias striding up behind Maggie. But when he stopped just behind her and crossed his arms over his chest, he knew Maggie felt him there. Her shoulders stiffened and her backbone straightened. Her head turned just slightly to the right as if she wanted more than anything to peek around at him, but knew politeness demanded she remain focused on her conversational partner. The top of her head reached the middle of his chest, and he smirked down at her.
Then he lifted his head and frowned at the baron.
