It was. And it was exactly the sort of evening he normallyenjoyed. Dozens of people from all walks of life, mixing, laughing, conversing,dancing. Constant movement, constant buzz. No fellow could be bored in such aplace.
But he was the head of the family now. He must think of morethan his own pleasure. The act was still foreign, but necessary.
“Of course,” he promised.
A short time later, he skillfully extricated himself andElizabeth from a scintillating conversation about the weather and left thecrowded assembly rooms behind. His coach was waiting. They had only to stepinside before they were swept along the headland to the west of the village. Hepeered out, thinking of how many times he’d raced along these roads, but thesight of his triumphs eluded him. In fact, the carriage lamps made it difficultto see more than his own reflection out the window. And he’d had entirely toomuch time to reflect on himself of late.
“So,” Elizabeth said, crossing her arms over her chest as heturned to face her. “Who is she, Rob?”
He did not want to have this conversation. “The goggle-eyedMrs. Greer who gushed all over you? I distinctlyremember our charming hostess saying she is the wife of the Spa Corporation Councilpresident, who is the village allegory? No, actuary?”
“Apothecary,” Elizabeth reminded him with a small smile.“And you know very well I wasn’t referring to her.”
“Glad I am to hear it. I would not want to think you hadfallen into the habit of encouraging a sycophant, unless it is me, of course.Though, if you have, I might bring to your attention that pimple-faced youthwho kept staring at you.”
“Rob.” Her voice hinted of both reproach and laughter. “Whois Hester Todd to you?”
“Apparently someone who would prefer not to renew ouracquaintance.”
She lowered her arms. “And why? Is there some scandalinvolved? You said you would like us to stay here through the winter. If I amto associate with these people, I should know if there’s a matter best leftunspoken.”
“Precisely why I would prefer not to speak of it.”
She rolled her eyes. “I will have the truth. You know that.You never could keep anything from me.”
Far more than she realized, but Rob merely smiled at her.“Yes, you can be quite the sleuth when you put your mind to it.”
She leaned forward. “And my mind is entirely engaged withthoughts of this Mrs. Todd. Where did you meet? What were you to each other?Are you intent on pursuing her now?”
Rob sighed. “Very well. You’re right that someone else mayknow the tale, though we both tried hard to keep it quiet.”
“Oooh,” she said, leaning back, eyes kindling. “Secrets. Dotell.”
“It is not to my credit, I assure you.”
When she still regarded him, waiting, he knew there wasnothing for it. “You may remember the summer you were finishing your firstSeason. Father, Thomas, and I came out to the Lodge to escape the London heat.They were quite content to while away the days reading, playing at draughts,and sailing. I wanted more.”
She nodded. “Of course you did.”
“Since I found the spa set insipid, I sought better gameafield. Thinking to throw Father off the scent, I dressed like a commoner andtook to strolling through Upper Grace until I fell in with a group of fellowsabout my age who knew how to have fun.”
“Fun,” she said, as if the word were foreign to her. “Racinghorses, gambling, seducing women?”
“Certainly plenty of the first two,though not much of the last, I’m sorry to say.”
She raised an eloquent brow.
“It’s true,” Rob insisted. “You will find the ladies of thearea a clever lot. They were proof against even my considerable charms.”
“How refreshing.”
“I found it a challenge,” Rob admitted, “and all the more sowhen we happened upon a young lady taking a walk out from the village. Theothers treated her with all deference and urged me to be off. I was instantlysmitten and demanded to know more about her. She was reticent at first, but Isoon won her over. She told me she was the daughter of a well-to-do merchant,who closely watched her comings and goings. She had barely managed to escapethe house that day by climbing from her bedroom window.”
“And that only made her more of a challenge,” Elizabethguessed.
“Of course. Nothing like a little subterfuge to whet theappetite.”
“We can skip the part about your appetites,” she informedhim.
“No more than a few stolen kisses,” he assured her. “She wasin all ways the epitome of a lady in my eyes. She could do no wrong, and shefelt the same about me. We spent part of nearly every day together.”
She sighed, face softening in the lamplight. “How wildlyromantic.”
Was that envy in his little sister’s voice?
“I thought so at the time,” he said, “but I must caution youagainst attempting the feat. Someone always gets hurt.”
Her face slumped. “Apparently Mrs. Todd.”
“She must have been unmarried then,” he said. “But yes, Ihave no doubt my defection hurt her. That is the saddest part of the tale. WhenFather was ready to return to London, I rather blithely told my angel that Iwould be leaving the area, but thank you very kindlyfor making my summer bearable. I doubt she knew who I truly was until then.”
“Oh, Rob.” She shook her head. “You’re right. It is a sadtale. You were reprehensible. At least you are trying to change.”
The word trying stung, but he could not denounce thetruth of it. He’d been born the coddled second son, with no expectations ofgreatness, no pressure to perform. He’d done what he’d liked, and money orcharm had resolved most of the consequences.
One tragic afternoon on the Thames, one vessel with everyoneaboard lost, had changed all that. Now his sister, his tenants, and theirfamily fortune depended on him doing the right thing, every time. He might haveremoved himself from the whirl of London, but a dozen duties awaited him at theLodge on the headland even now.
His father would have found him a sad trial, for thethoughts foremost in his mind were those of Hester Todd and how he
