Page 61 of A Duchess to Fight For
“Yes, thank you, Lord Daniels. It’s lovely.”
Stafford rode through the streets of London haphazardly, staying away from the parks and the main roads. Traffic was light, and the barouche maneuvered easily.
Louisa got the ridiculous feeling that Stafford didn’t want to be seen in public with her. He dodged any street that might find members of the ton walking or shopping.
After the silence seemed to stretch on too long, Louisa asked, “Will you be attending any of the balls scheduled for next week, My Lord?”
Stafford seemed to remember himself. He turned to Louisa before looking back to the road, “I’m not sure. Do you happen to know what is scheduled?”
Louisa smiled. “Yes, I do. On Monday evening, the Olivers are having a ball. Wednesday evening,” Louisa turned to her mother, “is it Wednesday evening?”
“Which one, dear?”
“The Henderson ball.”
“Yes, Wednesday.”
Louisa turned back to Stafford. “As you just heard, the Hendersons are holding a ball on Wednesday evening. Then Thursday evening the Abbotts are having a dinner and musicale.”
Stafford laughed. “I am not fond of musicales. I can assure you I will not attend. But the balls on Monday and Wednesday will fit in my schedule.”
“How nice. We will see you there. I must admit, I’m not overly fond of musicales myself, but Father knows the family so well, we must go.”
“Nonsense, Louisa. I’ve heard that Emily is an extraordinary pianist. You may be surprised to find you will enjoy yourself,” Amelia said.
“I hope that is true, Mother.”
“I must be getting you ladies back before we find Mendon searching the streets of London for you.”
“This has been a lovely ride, My Lord. Thank you for taking us. I’ve lived in London my whole life, and I haven’t been down some of these streets. What a treat,” Louisa said.
“When you’re riding in a barouche, you can go down streets that might be too tight for carriages. I think that is my favourite part of driving a barouche.”
The ladies came in through the door opened by Mendon.
“Good afternoon, Your Grace. Lady Louisa.”
They returned his greeting and asked for tea. They entered the parlour to find Percy sitting in his usual chair, reading the newspaper.
“Hello, Percy. I didn’t think you would still be here,” Amelia said.
Percy got up, put down the newspaper, and bowed.
“I’ve just called for tea. You might as well stay,” Amelia said.
“It would be my pleasure,” he said, then sat down. “I find great pleasure in reading the news. Did you know deer have been seen in Hyde Park eating the flowers?
“They are very fond of peonies. There are sections of the park that have trampled flower beds devoid of flowers. We will have to go back just to see the unsightly flower beds.”
“And how was your ride in the barouche?”
Louisa thought for a moment. “It was unusual. Stafford’s mind seemed to be elsewhere. We were to drive through St. James’s Park, but he changed his mind. Instead, we went down one side street after another. I didn’t know where we were from one minute to the next. Did you, Mother?”
“No, I didn’t. I thought I knew how to navigate London. Stafford knew where he was going, but he was the only one.”
“Were the side streets quaint? Picturesque? Unusual? Tell me about where he took you to see,” Percy asked.
Louisa looked at her mother. “I think they all looked the same. What did you think, Mother?”
