When the ladies withdrew to Mrs. Brookhouse’s boudoir to let the gentlemen have their port, Diana took the opportunity to pull Rosy aside. “How are you, my dear?” Diana asked. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Yes. But the guests are all soold.”
“They are, indeed. But because none of them were eligible gentlemen, did you find them easier to talk to?”
“Well . . . yes, but how am I to find a husband if I never meet eligible men?”
“You’ll meet them at your début ball in two weeks, which their parents, who are here now, will encourage them to attend after finding you to be the lovely eligible woman you are. And I’m sure the parents will invite you to any events they have in the interim, so you might even meet the gentlemen sooner. For tonight, I thought you might find it less taxing to converse with older people.”
Rosy’s eyes went wide. “Oh! Itismuch less taxing.”
“Now, the question is, will you wish to dance with the gentlemen who are here? Because it will be very good practice for when there are men who are more your age.”
“I’m always happy to dance as long as someone asks me.”
Diana patted her shoulder. “Trust me, being asked won’t be an issue. The couples here are all fine dancers who enjoy a lively reel or two.”
“What a coincidence. So do I!”
Rosy had said it in all earnestness. Diana could only nod and smile. The young lady wasn’t much like her brother, was she? He seized whatever he needed, and Rosy waited for someone to offer it to her. Perhaps it was a matter of differences between the sexes. Or perhaps it was the gap in their ages. At nineteen, Rosy wasn’t very worldly, but she would catch up eventually. Diana didn’t know Geoffrey’s precise age, but she would guess him to be in his late twenties.
“I never thought to ask,” Diana said, “but how old is your brother?” Diana regretted the question when Rosy got a speculative glint in her eyes.
“He’s thirty,” Rosy said. “And very eligible, I believe.”
Diana fought not to betray her interest in him. “Sadly, there are few eligible ladies here, but I will certainly make sure to invite some to your ball on his behalf.”
Then, before she could give away any of her true feelings, she went to the boudoir to make sure the women were comfortable. She sat a while, enjoying the chatter of the ladies, most of whom were kind and intelligent, which was why they were invited to Elegant Occasions’ affairs.
Before long, the sounds of music being played wafted to the boudoir. Lured by the lilting tune of “Monymusk,” the dinner guests rose and surged toward the formal drawing room. By the time Diana got there, nearly everyone had found a partner and joined the dance.
Except for Geoffrey. He stood near the door, drinking a glass of port and watching his guests twirl around the floor . . . particularly his sister.
She approached him. “Rosy is doing well, don’t you think? She definitely has more confidence than she showed a few weeks ago.”
“True. She dances nicely, too. But then, once she learned, she took to it readily.”
“And I see she had no trouble whatsoever gaining a partner.”
He smiled to himself. “I didn’t expect her to do otherwise. She’s going to break a number of gentlemen’s hearts, I daresay.”
“No doubt.”
He looked at her. “Why aren’tyoudancing? I was surprised to see you weren’t already on the floor.”
“Perhaps I’m waiting to be asked,” she said coyly, hoping that was a broad enough hint for him.
“I can find you a partner, if that’s what you need,” he said, sweeping the room with his gaze.
She sighed. “I suppose I should findyoua partner. Your dinner companion, perhaps?”
“The marchioness? I don’t think so. Besides, I see her there dancing with some nimble chap already.”
“I meant your other dinner companion,” she clipped out, fighting to hide the jealousy in her voice.
“No, indeed. That chit yammered at me long enough at dinner—nothing but inane gossip about people I’d never heard of. Why do I care if some earl got into trouble with his wife over some bet he placed in White’s betting book?”
Thank heavens he had no interest in the duke’s daughter. Diana was relieved, though she wasn’t sure why. She doubted he would marry any woman whose whole existence was tied up in a business so foreign to his own.
