Page 35 of A Stroke of Luck
“Yes. Delighted,” murmured the duke, though to Zara’s eye, the expression on his face did not mirror his words.
“It will only be a small gathering, but I daresay we shall contrive to have a pleasant evening.” She slanted a sideways look at Zara and arched her brow just a touch. “Lady Farrington and your cousin have been included, too …”
The subtle gesture seemed to recall Prestwick to his manners. “Er, forgive me, Lady Catherine. Allow me to introduce Miss Zara Greeley.” After a slight cough, he added, “Miss Greeley, this is Lady Catherine Ellesmore.”
“Charmed.” The young lady gave a graceful little dip of her head, then looked back at the duke with a questioning smile.
“Miss Greeley and her younger brothers are, er, relations of Aunt Hermione?—”
“Distant relations,” muttered Zara.
“Lady Farrington did not mention in her letter that there were other guests here at Highwood Manor,” said Lady Catherine.
“It was a rather last minute decision,” explained the duke. “Plans were, so to speak, up in the air until quite recently.”
“But now that you are here, you must, of course, all come tomorrow as well,” exclaimed the young lady. “At a country gathering, the more the merrier, especially when they are new faces.”
Taken aback by the unexpected invitation, Zara could only stammer, ”Oh no, we could not possibly … my brothers are not of age.”
The dimples reappeared. “Ah, but that is no reason for you to forgo our little party, Miss Greeley. Please, do say you will come.”
“Well …” Zara was of the opinion that she would rather eat nails than dine with a bunch of the beau monde, but short of being unconscionably rude, there was no way to wriggle out of the invitation.
Apparently the duke was of the same mind. “Miss Greeley would be delighted to join us,” he answered for her.
“Yes, delighted,” she echoed hollowly, sorely tempted to respond to the little nudge he had given to her foot by stamping down on his boot.
“Wonderful!” Lady Catherine beamed at her. “As I warned His Grace, it will be just a small, informal party of friends, nothing like the sort of elegant soirees one is used to in Town.”
Thinking of her stint as a cook in the tavern in Falmouth, and the time she chalked penny portraits in an outdoor cafe in Genoa, brought a grim crook to Zara’s lips. “I assure you, what I am used to is?—”
“A quiet country life,” finished Prestwick smoothly. “Miss Greeley has not had the opportunity to visit London.”
“Where in the country did you grow up, Miss Greeley?” inquired Lady Catherine politely.
“Countries,” corrected Zara, adroitly sidestepping the poke of the duke’s toe. “Italy, Switzerland and Greece for the most part, though I have traveled through a great many others.”
“How fascinating!” The young lady clapped her hands together. “You must tell us all about your adventures on the morrow.”
“God forbid,” said the duke under his breath.
“What was that, Prestwick?”
“I said, no doubt Godfrey is frothing at the bit to be off. Er, you know how he hates to keep that high-priced sorrel hunter of his standing for too long, lest its hock take a chill.”
“Oh, yes. And I did promise him I would only be a moment.” She hesitated for just a fraction as her gaze suddenly focused on a spot slightly below his chin. “Good Heavens, Prestwick!”
The duke’s fingers flew to his throat.
“Your cravat—” Lady Catherine’s laugh was light as she stared at the tangled tails. “Why, I don’t believe I have ever seen your cravat in anything less than a state of flawless perfection.”
“The breeze out here is a trifle unpredictable. Come, allow me to see you to the door.” Offering his arm to the marquess’s daughter, the duke nodded stiffly in Zara’s direction. “You will excuse me, Miss Greeley?”
Lady Catherine’s demeanor was considerably warmer. “I do look forward to furthering our acquaintance on the morrow,” she said with a charming little tilt of her head.
At least, thought Zara, most gentlemen would have viewed it as charming. She found herself wishing to trowel a bit of wet plaster into the perfectly formed indentations centered on the young lady’s cheeks. “How kind of you to say so,” she answered, hoping the grinding of her teeth was not too evident.
Without further comment, the couple disappeared inside.
