Never Trust a Rake

‘You haven’t seen him push his curls off his forehead with his long white fingers,’ Julia warned her.

‘That will have no effect upon me.’

‘No,’ put in Lady Susan with approval. ‘If you have managed to stand firm against a man of Lord Deben’s breathtaking masculinity, you will be quite immune to a young fop like Smedly-Fotherington. Didn’t I tell you so, Julia? Miss Gibson has a mind of her own.’

* * *

It didn’t occur to Henrietta, until she was actually entering the house two nights later, that the guest list would be much the same as it had been on the night of Julia Twining’s ball. Not until the moment, in fact, when she saw Richard—with Miss Waverley on his arm, smiling up at him coquettishly.

The sight left her almost entirely unmoved, apart from a brief spurt of something like annoyance that she had to see either of them at all.

As far as she was concerned, Miss Waverley was welcome to Richard. And he to her.

Unfortunately, good manners dictated that she not ignore them, for Richard hailed from her own home town. And whatever he’d done to her, he not only had no idea that he’d done it, but he was, still, her brother’s friend.

When, therefore, she was on the point of passing them, she stopped and dipped a brief curtsy.

‘You here, Hen? Well, it’s good to see you,’ said Richard. ‘Though I must say you’re looking a trifle hagged. London too rackety for you, eh? Told you it would be. Don’t say I didn’t.’

Miss Waverley arched a brow at him. ‘You know Miss Gibson?’

‘Lord, yes! Practically grew up together. Like brother and sister.’

Henrietta gave him a level stare. Brothers did not grab sisters and kiss them under the mistletoe with such enthusiasm, thereby leading them to expect that feelings ran deeper, or rather, sprang from a source that was very far removed from filial affection.

‘There you are!’ Lady Susan was bearing down on the trio with a determined look on her face. ‘Miss Gibson,’ she said, ‘I am saving a seat for you next to me, on the front row. Once Miss Lutterworth puts on her spectacles to do her reading I don’t suppose she will be able to see us, but at least on the way to the dais, she might notice some friendly faces among the crowd. You will excuse us,’ she said to Miss Waverley and Richard dismissively.

‘Of course, Lady Susan,’ said Miss Waverley.

‘Had no idea you was friends with Lady Susan,’ said Richard at the same time, looking a bit put out.

Lady Susan smiled at them both, that cat-like smile which Henrietta was coming to recognise as preceding one of her acid barbs.

‘I value Miss Gibson so greatly that I sent my own carriage and footmen to make sure she would be here tonight. It is so rare that one finds a person who does not delight in tittle-tattle, in spiteful speculation, or stabbing her acquaintances in the back,’ she said to Richard, whilst darting a meaningful look in Miss Waverley’s direction.

Henrietta felt a little winded by Lady Susan’s spirited defence. ‘I had no idea you were aware that Miss Waverley dislikes me so much,’ she said as they moved further into the room.

‘She makes no secret of it. I do not know what you can have done to put that vain creature’s perfect little nose out of joint, but I am inclined to think whatever it was, she deserved it.’

They were the only two people moving with any purpose. Everyone else was milling about, greeting acquaintances, taking drinks from circulating waiters, or, in the case of most of the men, edging towards the exit that led to the card room. She noticed, though, a knot of people gathered around a rather beautiful young man with flowing silken curls, dressed in flowing silken robes.

‘Smedly-Fotherington’s admirers,’ muttered Lady Susan, noticing the direction of her gaze. ‘They are the ones who will be most inclined to snigger when Cynthia steps on to the stage.’

At the front of the room, to which they were steadily making their way, was a small raised platform, containing a lectern, upon which the various speakers would be able to rest their pages of verse. Four rows of chairs were arranged before it, in a semi-circle, with a break every few chairs to allow ease of access.