She glanced over at him as they made their return to the stables. There was no denying it. Like most of the ladies of London, she had fallen under Mr. Dante Rose’s spell.
Curse the man.
* * *
The guests had all gathered in front of the estate to await the carriages for the trek into the village. There were three that would carry the ladies to the village, while the men, except for a couple of the older gentlemen, rode their horses.
There was a festive air about the group. A visit to the local village was always the highlight of a house party. That and shuffling between bedchambers once the guests had retired for the night. Lydia couldn’t help but wonder how many women Dante had to chase away from his door.
Her stomach knotted. Unless he hadn’t chased them away. However, she sniffed, what Dante did at night once they were all retired was certainly no business of hers.
As if thinking of the man conjured him up like a magician, Dante rode his horse over to where she stood with two other ladies. “Good morning, Mr. Rose. I’m so glad you’re joining us on a trip to the village.” Lady Emmaline actually tittered. Lydia rolled her eyes.
“It’s a fine day for a trip.” Dante looked up at the bright blue sky with only a few fluffy clouds floating by.
“I agree. It will be lovely to have a nice long stroll before we meet everyone for lunch at the inn,” Lady Emmaline said.
Just then a carriage pulled up. Dante tugged on the brim of his hat and smiled. “I will see you ladies in the village.”
They watched him ride off, Lady Emmaline sighing. “He is so very handsome. And such a reputation.” She shook her head, looking as if she hoped he would use that bad reputation on her.
Lydia hoped she didn’t look as silly as the other women as she, too, watched him ride off. His back straight, his muscular thighs grasping the horse’s sides. He sat a horse so well, just like everything else he did. Including kissing.
The women climbed into the large, comfortable carriage. Lydia was joined by Miss Evermore, Lady Louisa, Lady Cambridge and her daughter, Miss Susan. The door no sooner closed when Mrs. Martin came hurrying down the path waving her arm. “Wait.”
Lydia had to laugh. Mrs. Martin was a sweet woman but seemed to have a hard time keeping herself organized. She climbed into their carriage, out of breath, with her hat askew. “Oh, my. I tried very hard to be on time, but I couldn’t find the shoes I wanted to wear with this outfit.”
“Mrs. Martin, it would do you well to hire a lady’s maid. I can’t imagine trying to keep track of all my things without Maisie,” Lady Cambridge said.
“I share a lady’s maid with my sister, Anne who lives with me. Her name is Marie, but she stayed home with my sister who needs her more than I do.” Mrs. Martin turned to Lydia. “My sister is not well. That’s why she stayed home.” She leaned in close to her ear and whispered. “She likes her spirits.”
It was obvious the other ladies tried their best to hear what Mrs. Martin said, but she whispered low enough. Lydia was a bit uncomfortable since whispering while in company was the worst of manners. She sighed and looked out the window, hoping the ride to the village was not long.
Miss Evermore kept the other ladies busy with passing along all the gossip she seemed to know, that no one else did. The time went by with a great deal of ‘oh, no’ and ‘goodness’ and ‘the poor girl’. All of it said with glee since the women were only too happy to learn something that hopefully their other friends did not know. Gossip was the ladies of the ton’s favorite pastime.
Perhaps that was another reason Lydia had been feeling a bit lost recently. As if she no longer belonged. Maybe dealing cards at the club that one night had shown her another world, and for a short, exciting period of time, she’d been part of it.
The carriage stopped at the village center where numerous stands had been set up with goods for display. “I wonder if it is like this all the time, or if we are lucky enough to be here on market day,” Mrs. Martin asked.
Shops that lined the village green also had wares for sale on tables in front of the stores. Lydia’s spirits picked up. “I shall have so much fun going through the vendors.”
They all climbed from the carriages, the men having ridden to the stables, arriving ahead of them. They walked back across the green toward the women. Dante walked directly up to her. “Miss Sanford, may I escort you around the green?”
“Yes, thank you.” She took his arm and they walked off to the sound of the women behind them whispering. Honestly, ‘twas becoming quite annoying. “How do you stand all the attention you get?” She was afraid her words came out quite harsh.
Dante raised his brows. “Now you know why I avoid these events. I like my work, I like the social life I have devised for myself, and I want nothing to do with Polite Society. And given my birth, I am quite sure Polite Society wants nothing to do with me.”
“I never did understand that. If you were born on the wrong side of the blanket, why does that disparage you? You had nothing to do with it.”
“Ah, you must ask that question of Polite Society one day. But not on my behalf,” he added.
They walked up to an older woman standing behind a table full of sweet- smelling soaps. “I believe I’m growing just as weary of the Season as you are,” Lydia replied as she picked up one of the soaps and smelled it. Smiling at the woman, she said, “This is wonderful. Can you wrap up four of them for me?”
“All the same scent, my lady, or different ones?”
“Oh, let’s be daring today. Wrap up four different ones.”
Once she had her soaps in hand, Dante took her by the arm, and they continued to browse the tables. As they strolled away from a woman selling ribbons, Lydia said, “Do you feel as though this house party was a waste of time in finding any information on the Ambassador?”