Courting Kit

“Petersham is highly respected as one of the beau monde’s arbiters of fashion. As such, his opinion, in all matters of ton, is highly respected. He left me praising you as not only a diamond but one with a sweet disposition. He said there isn’t another like to you in all of London.”

The dowager turned to the earl. “Do you know what this means?”

“I do, God help us. All of London will be wagging their tongues about our Kitty!”

~ Twenty-Four ~

THE DOWAGER HAD gone into raptures after Petersham had left them.

Kitty giggled, thinking the whole thing very absurd, but the dowager was convinced that Kitty would now be the talk o

f the town.

“You, my dear, have made your first conquest, and a better one I cannot think of.”

Kitty received a warm hug as the dowager turned to her grandson and exclaimed, “Wasn’t she wonderful, Brandon?” She then clapped her hands together and marched out of the breakfast room, saying that she and Kitty had a great deal to do. They, apparently, needed ribbons.

The earl had been, in fact, pleasantly surprised to find that Lord Petersham, who rarely bothered with ingénues, very nearly smitten with his Kitty. He knew he had felt a surge of pride in her and had questioned himself. When had he begun thinking of her as his? Why should he feel pride in her?

“It was brilliant of you to take the trouble and fetch him that snuffbox,” the earl said quietly, inclining his head.

Kitty frowned and said, “But of course I would show it to him—he seems very interested in snuffboxes.”

“I did not put that well. Forgive me. I meant that it was a happy circumstance that you had such a valuable and rare snuffbox, as Petersham’s collection is unchallenged.” He stood up and pushed away from the table. “Now, I must be off.”

“Must you?” Kitty said her voice dropping with her shoulders.

He bent, took her hand, and kissed her fingertips. His blue eyes met her green ones, and he said softly, “I have a great deal to see to … and a meeting with my solicitor, but I shall think of you while I am gone. Will you miss me?”

Her lashes lowered, and he found he couldn’t breathe. Why did she have such an effect on him? It was absurd.

“I shall. Boring business, shopping for ribbons and nonsense.”

He laughed and took her chin. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her so badly that he felt his entire body tremble with need.

“Ah,” said the dowager at his back. “You are still here. Good. I should like you to speak to Max for me, for if you don’t mind I think Kitty and I should go about in your chocolate barouche today. What say you, Brandon?”

“Of course, Grandmamma. Enjoy your day, and don’t keep our Kitty forever in a shop. Take her to the café for coffee and cake and a stroll in the park afterwards, or she will suffer the fidgets, and we can’t have that.” He turned and winked at Kitty. “I should be back by high tea.”

“Indeed, and don’t forget we have your escort tonight to the Tanner rout and the theatre tomorrow night,” his grandmother stuck in.

“Ah, how could I forget when you have reminded me this morning no less than three times?” The earl chuckled. Again he looked at Kitty. “Right, then … Kitty, you will enjoy the rout, but I think you will like the theatre even more.”

As he left them, he was aware that once again his grandmother was looking at him with an odd expression on her face. That worried him a bit. What was she thinking?

* * *

Minnie continued voicing her delight at Kitty’s first encounter with a ‘Pink of the Ton’ during the course of their shopping spree during the day. Finally, Kitty put up a hand to stop her, saying with a stifled sigh, “La! For goodness sake, I only showed his lordship a snuffbox. I didn’t even know very much about them.”

“Didn’t you? Well, one could not see that from your manner. You handled yourself with sangfroid and in such a delightful way.” Minnie clasped her hands happily and patted Kitty’s hand with a show of great affection. “Such a good girl.”

Kitty was astonished. She could not remember ever being called a good girl. A dear girl, a sweet girl … but a good girl?

They spent another quiet afternoon, and the earl did not, as he had said, return for afternoon tea with them. However, they were bombarded with some of Minnie’s closest and dearest friends, all curious to see who this Miss Kingsley was, as word had already gotten out that Petersham thought her a diamond of the first water.

As the last of the dowager’s friends left, she put a hand to her heart and said with a sprinkle of joy, “Ah, but my, the Princess Esterhazy found you a refreshing delight. Her words, child, her words.” Minnie clasped her hands. “You shall enjoy the rout this evening, and tomorrow we go to the theatre. Lovely … and Brandon is being so very obliging in the matter. I was astounded when he agreed to escort us to both the rout and the theatre.”

Kitty’s attention was surely caught. “Oh—a rout? I didn’t think that was something he would—”