Page 50 of Lady Edith and the Registry Office
She said, “I prefer Loo. I wish you both luck.”
Herfatherpreferred Loo, and Edith wanted to watch him and the widow for a time.
After the baron and Alicia were seated at one of the tables, Louisa said, “You do not prefer Loo.”
“Tonight I do.” She shrugged.
Louisa followed Edith into the drawing room. “Lady Sandhurst is a wealthy widow. Your father could do worse.”
She let out a sigh. “Thank you, Louisa.”
There was only one tiny table with two chairs left unoccupied, and Edith took a seat, happy enough to play the two-player game of Piquet. Her father and the widow were seated at a nearby table. Louisa also took a seat.
Lady Cairs was thankfully still in the drawing room.
Louisa was right that most would consider the widow a fine matrimonial choice. Lady Sandhurst was beautiful and wealthy, with a collection of rare books. No wonder her father was smitten.
* * * * *
After his adventurewith Cecil in St. Giles, Nathaniel was determined not to go anywhere with the viscount again without his own pistol.
He’d anticipated a quiet night at home as he’d forgotten about Lady Sandhurst’s card party. Given a choice, he had to admit the chance to see Lady Edith was not to be passed up.
The lady looked pleased to see him, and it had taken great resolve not to follow her into the drawing room.
There was obviously something between Lady Edith’s father and their hostess, and he suspected the lady had gone into the next room merely to observe the couple. He sat at a Whist table with his sister, his mind occupied with Edith and the missing veterans.
“Nathaniel! Do pay attention.” Alicia frowned at him. “It is your turn.”
He was a dab hand at cards. Whist was more about playing your opponent’s cards instead of your own, and he was a shrewd judge of character.
Nathaniel remembered something Alicia had said to him in the carriage. “Lady Sandhurst was kind to invite us this evening despite the bitterness Lord Norwich feels toward you.”
He’d frowned in reply. “Is the lady a particular friend of the earl’s?”
“Oh yes. Lt. Cooper was her godson.”
So his being at the card party wasn’t by chance. Was Lady Sandhurst connected to the RA? If she was Cooper’s godmother he expected she might also feel some animosity towards him.
Despite Lady Sandhurst’s connection to Lord Norwich, he expected the earl’s dementia would prevent him and his daughter from attending the card party. With so few families left in town, he’d assumed he and Alicia were merely invited to the party to make up numbers.
He would speak with Cecil first time tomorrow about the connection between Lt. Cooper and Lady Sandhurst.
Alicia playfully swatted his arm. “Nathaniel, do attend to your cards.”
* * * * *
Edith cut the highercard twice, dealt twice, and lost twice. She was poised to deal a third time when Lady Sandhurst announced the supper break.
A buffet was displayed on a long table in the nearby ballroom, with small dining tables scattered around the room. The menu consisted of rout cakes, stewed oysters, French beans, cauliflower, asparagus, sweetbreads, boiled potatoes, and roast onions. The dessert table displayed custards, plain cakes, and fruit.
Edith’s father was seated with the widow and another older couple she didn’t recognize. She and Louisa selected delicacies from the buffet and sat together a short distance from Edith’s father.
“You don’t have much on your plate,” Louisa observed.
She shook her head. “I’m not particularly hungry.”
“Edith, as Charlotte is not here, I shall play devil’s advocate. Don’t you wish for your father to be happy?”
