This was said in a teasing manner, but all the same, Almeria found herself frowning.
“It is not my place to say whether or not anyone attentive to Lord Coppinger would be a suitable match, I suppose,” she answered, even though hearing such words made her stomach tense. “Despite my concern, I am certain that he is more than able to decipher such things for himself.”
“A very careful answer, I think.” Miss Madeley smiled gently. “You say that you have been friends for a long time?”
“Since we were children.” Almeria sighed quietly, thinking back to the many years she had spent in his company. “I consider us to be more family than anything else which, of course, will explain why I am so very concerned.”
“Indeed. I am sure that you were concerned for your own siblings when it came to their matches,” Miss Madeley murmured, turning her head away to look around the room. This remark had Almeria’s stomach twisting again, for the truth was that, at the time, she had shown very little interest in whom her siblings had wed. As long as her parents had thought them suitable, that was all that mattered. So why then was she so concerned for Lord Coppinger?
“Ah, good evening! We were just speaking of you!”
Much to Almeria’s horror, Miss Madeley’s words were directed to none other than Lord Coppinger himself. He looked at Miss Madeley and then to Almeria, before inclining his head.
“Oh?”
“It was nothing of significance.” Almeria waved one hand. “Miss Madeley was just telling me about Miss Tennant.”
Lord Coppinger blinked.
“Miss Tennant?”
“Yes, or whoever it is you have been stepping out with recently.”
Her words were tight and short as she saw Lord Coppinger’s eyebrows lift, filling her with acute embarrassment. Why was she speaking so? Why was she behaving in such a fashion? This was her friend. She had no reason to be cruel.
“What Lady Almeria means to say is that she and I were speaking of Miss Tennant, and I had stated that she had been often seen in your company these last few days.”
This brought no flicker of understanding to Lord Coppinger’s eyes, however.
“Is that so?”
Miss Madeley laughed, her eyes twinkling.
“You mean to say that you do not recall taking a walk with the particular young lady?”
Almeria watched the interaction as Lord Coppinger chuckled and shook his head and stated that no, he had not taken a walk specifically with a Miss Tennant, and did not know where the story had come from. Miss Madeley returned with a quip of her own, which made Lord Coppinger laugh and again, the vision of them standing up in church together had Almeria’s mind burning.
She shook her head, trying to clear it from her thoughts.
“Are you quite alright, Almeria?” Lord Coppinger’s hand touched hers and she started lightly, seeing his grey eyes searching hers, his fingers curling around her own in obvious concern. “You were shaking your head.”
“Was I?” Thinking quickly, she looked away for fear that he would see the lie in her eyes. “I was only thinking about ‘The London Ledger’. I do not know if you have seen what I placed within it, but I asked Lady Yardley to mention the flowers I have been receiving, in the hope that a gentleman would declare himself.”
For some reason, Lord Coppinger went rather alarmingly pink in the face. His hand froze to hers, his eyes became a little wide, and his throat bobbed as he swallowed.
“I take it you did not know of this.”
Miss Madeley looked from Lord Coppinger to Almeria and then back again, her eyes widening a little as though she understood something Almeria did not.
“No, I did not know. I have not looked at ‘The London Ledger’ as yet.” Lord Coppinger cleared his throat. “I assume that no gentleman has yet claimed responsibility?”
She shook her head.
“No, they have not.”
Embarrassed, and assuming that his surprise came from the fact that he had suggested she not do such a thing, she looked away. Was he frustrated that she had chosen to write in the Ledger, regardless?
“It was a little frustrating not to know.” Miss Madeley seemed to feel the need to explain. “Given that another gentleman has shown some interest in Almeria, it is only right that she gives this fellow an opportunity to be upfront about his considerations of her. If it is thesamegentleman, then all is well, is it not? But if it is someone entirely different, then…”
