“Your cousin?” she echoed, as Mr. Brackwell nodded fervently. “Goodness, how very interesting!”
Her face grew hot as she wondered whether Mr. Brackwell would truly tell Viscount Yarmouth about what she had said of him.
“I only just came to London and, hearing his name mentioned, thought to seek him out,” Mr. Brackwell explained, quickly, glancing at Joy’s mother and seeing the hard look in her eyes. “Good afternoon, Lady Halifax. I was just speaking to your lovely daughter about our common acquaintance, Lord Yarmouth. He is my cousin.”
“Oh.”
Joy glanced at her mother and was forced to hide her smile. Her mother had clearly been ready to snap out a sharp response, only for Mr. Brackwell’s charming introduction to have taken some of her wrath away.
“Mr. Brackwell was so good as to stop to make sure that I was not alone.”
“If you had walked alongside me rather than dawdling behind, then you would not have looked as though you were lost!”
Lifting her eyebrows, Joy watched with interest as her mother turned scarlet, clearly mortified by how sharply she had spoken to Joy in front of a new acquaintance. With a forced smile, Lady Halifax turned her attention back to Mr. Brackwell and let out something which was, Joy considered, meant to sound like a laugh, but was somewhere between a cough and a croak.
“I only hurry my daughter because we are due to have dinner in a short while,” she said, by way of explanation. “I am sure that you understand.”
Mr. Brackwell smiled and threw a look at Joy, who smiled back at him.
“Of course I do. Dinner is the most important meal, I am sure, as is whatever plans you have for the evening thereafter!
“We are to attend Lady Ralston’s ball.” Joy could not keep from rolling her eyes though thankfully, her mother did not notice. “An opportunity to make new acquaintances, though I do not think any will look upon me with any favor!”
“Then they do not know you in the least,” came the firm reply. “From what you have told me, I do not think it fair that you have been treated in this way, though they are seemingly determined to do so.”
“You are most kind, Mr. Brackwell, but alas, we must take our leave.”
With a curtsey, Lady Halifax took Joy’s hand and led her further along the path, with Joy only able to look backward over her shoulder to Mr. Brackwell. With a smile, she lifted her hand in farewell and, when he returned the gesture, Joy was filled with a wonderful, coursing happiness which did not leave her for the rest of the day.
Chapter Ten
“Lord Yarmouth?”
“Come in.” Henry stepped back from the window, turning around just in time to see none other than Mr. Brackwell stepping inside. “Cousin!” he exclaimed, coming closer and shaking Brackwell’s hand. “How good to see you!”
“I thank you.”
Gesturing to the couches, Henry indicated that his cousin should sit down.
“How marvelous to see you. It has been near a sennight, has it not?”
Making his way across the room, he poured brandy for them both and set one in front of his cousin on a small table near to where he sat.
“I believe so. It is only a short time to be in London alone but, all the same, I have found it to be a friendly, welcoming place. I have been very busy with all manner of business affairs most days and have spent the evenings doing very little other than resting! Today I am a little more at liberty, however.”
Ringing the bell, Henry took his seat and smiled at his cousin.
“I am very glad to hear it. I have Lord Falconer coming to call very soon, and I should be glad if you would join us if you have time to linger?”
“I do have a little time.”
“Capital!” Exclaiming aloud, Henry sat forward in his chair. “Tell me about all you have been doing – where you have been, who you have met, and the like. I would like to hear all about it.”
“Well, I had the most interesting conversation with a young lady yesterday afternoon.” Tipping his head, Mr. Brackwell lifted his eyebrows, as if he wanted Henry to guess. “She was in the park, quite alone, I thought, and standing very still indeed, as if something was wrong. I went to speak with her, and she and her mother were walking together – though it did not appear like it, at first.”
Henry nodded but said nothing, wondering which young lady he spoke of.
“We began talking and though I had not been formally introduced, she was very eager to speak with me – and more than willing to aid me in my desire to make new acquaintances. She thought nothing of my lack of title and said to me that one person she could think of, one who would not mind about my lack of title, who was very kind, generous, and considerate was none other than you yourself!”
