“Lady Rivers, how lovely to see you again,” he drawled.
“And you as well, my lord.”
“When are we going to do something together?”
Wilks and Fanny had different friends and rarely moved in the same circles. “I don’t know.”
“I was talking about doing,” he waggled his brows suggestively, “something. Together. After all, my best friend and your sister are now wed. We should become better friends, don’t you think?”
Fanny nearly rolled her eyes at the emphasis Wilks placed on certain words. Did he think she was desperate for manly attention? Lord Wilks, being younger than her, would be the last man she’d ever allow into her bed. He was Thwaite’s son and a libertine. She adopted her most haughty expression. “I don’t follow.”
“Well, Rafferty is fond of a house party, and as I recall, you are too.” He hooked her arm though his and patted her hand. “We could see much more of each other very easily.”
“I have attended several house parties in recent years,” she agreed. To discuss investments, and to keep boredom at bay. She’d not bed hopped at any of the prior ones that Wilks had attended. But she hadn’t been looking for a lover then. She wasn’t now, either. “I’m sure we will attend several of the same house parties in future years. That is unavoidable.”
Jessica rushed over and caught hold of Fanny’s upper arms, dislodging Wilks in the process with her enthusiasm. “Isn’t it wonderful, Fanny?” Jessica cried out as she embraced her.
“What is wonderful?”
“How one wedding almost always leads to another,” Jessica enthused. “I suppose you already know that Lord Letterford has proposed to Mrs. Abercrombie and been accepted. Why didn’t you tell us when he must have told you at luncheon the other day?”
Fanny gaped and quickly looked around the room, discovering Lord Letterford and Mrs. Abercrombie, a widow close to his own age, standing not far away. “He never mentioned an attachment.”
“She wears his ring even now.” Jessica linked arms with her, turning her away from Wilks. “I cannot wait until dinner. There will be mushroom soup. My favorite.”
Wilks faded into the mingling guests and Jessica let out a huff. “Eh, that man is horrible.”
“I take it you’ve had dealings with Wilks before.”
Her sister frowned. “I met him during my season. He was forever trying to talk to me alone. I talked to him about mushrooms for an hour before he lost interest.”
Fanny laughed. “Well, I’m glad you were cautious around him.”
“You should be too. There are much nicer men to choose from to marry than that one.”
“Whoever said I was getting married?”
“Well, everyone. I’m always the last one to know.”
“That is not true. You’ll be first, I promise, should I even decide I miss having a husband to boss me around. Not that I do. Or have even considered the prospect of making a second match for myself.”
Jessica was frowning. “I don’t get bossed around!”
Whitfield was suddenly beside them. “Jessica, we should congratulate the happy couple. Now, while there’s no one close to them.”
“See?” Fanny muttered under her breath as Whitfield led Jessica away. A husband would tell her what to do just like Whitfield was with Jessica now, and Fanny had grown rather fond of bossing herself about instead.
Fanny made her way to Lord Letterford and Mrs. Abercrombie. “My dears, I just heard the happy news. Congratulations. How simply wonderful!”
“Thank you, my lady,” Mrs. Abercrombie said with a loving glance toward Letterford. “We wanted to wait till after the wedding, but Letterford couldn’t hold his tongue.”
“And so he shouldn’t have.”
“Thank you, Fanny,” Letterford murmured with a small smile. “I say, would now be a good time for us to discuss that spot of business I mentioned before? It will only take a moment, I swear.”
Since Fanny had thought Letterford was going to embarrass himself and her by proposing, she was taken by surprise that he still wanted to talk to her. “Oh, yes. If you like.”
“Excuse me, my dear. I will be right back,” he promised Mrs. Abercrombie.