Page 39 of The Duke of Seduction
They stood somewhat near the door, and Lavinia saw the subject of their conversation enter the drawing room. Beck was accompanied by another gentleman. He was a bit shorter than the marquess, with ink-dark hair and a stocky build. His gaze darted about the room, making him appear a trifle nervous.
Lavinia had never seen the man before and wondered if that was Beck’s friend from Oxford. She kept an eye on them while she spoke with Miss Pemberton a little while longer. Beck and the man exchanged pleasantries with their hosts, and then Lady Reeves came toward Lavinia.
Lady Reeves smiled warmly at them. “Lady Lavinia, I’d like to introduce you to a new arrival if you have a moment.”
“Certainly.” Lavinia looked to Miss Pemberton, who inclined her head and with her gaze encouraged her to go.
Lavinia followed Lady Reeves to where Beck stood with the other gentleman.
“Lady Lavinia, may I present Mr. Horace Jeffries?” Lady Reeves said. “I believe you know Lord Northam.”
“Indeed I do.” Lavinia curtsied to Beck and then to Mr. Jeffries. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Jeffries.”
“The delight is all mine, I’m sure.” Mr. Jeffries slid a glance toward Beck, who tipped his head an infinitesimal degree. Turning his attention to Lady Reeves, Mr. Jeffries thanked her for the introduction, then asked Lavinia if she wanted to take a turn.
“I’d be honored,” Lavinia said, feeling a bit strange to be leaving on the arm of someone who wasn’t Beck. Her gaze lingered on his before she turned to walk away with Mr. Jeffries.
“I understand you live in Oxford,” Lavinia said.
“Yes. Lord Northam invited me to town for a few days. I do like to get to London now and again, especially to visit the museum.”
“I love the museum. How do you know Lord Northam?”
“We attended Oxford together. I was already there when he arrived. I helped him with scientific subjects and arithmetic. He often sacrificed his studies in those areas to play music and read.”
Beck had told her he played a bit. It sounded as though he’d misled her about how much he played. “You’ve heard him play?” she asked.
“Oh yes, he’s wonderful.” He sent her a pained glance. “But I don’t know that he still does. He was always rather bashful about it. He only plays for his friends. And not even all of those.”
Mr. Jeffries must be a special friend to Beck, then. Lavinia wondered if she was. Would he play for her if she asked?
Are you daft?
Apparently. Just when and how would the Marquess of Northam play guitar for Lady Lavinia without doing so in a public setting? And it didn’t sound as though he did that. She’d have heard of it if he did. A charming, rakish marquess who played guitar beautifully would be the talk of the ton.
“How nice,” she said, imagining a young Beck sitting idly beneath a tree with an open book as he strummed his guitar. “I’m not musical in the slightest.”
“Neither am I. I much prefer research and academia.” He glanced at her with curiosity. “Northam did tell me of your passion for in geology. What an extraordinary interest for a young woman.”
She couldn’t quite tell if he approved or not. Many gentlemen looked down their noses at her. “I found a fossil when I was nine, and I became a bit obsessed with the history of the earth.”
He grinned. “Brilliant! I grew up with an extensive garden, and from a very young age, I was always curious about the plants—how they grew, how they were the same and different, why they flourished in some environments and failed in others. How remarkable that your childhood curiosity has remained. No doubt because you’ve nurtured it as I have.”
“As much as I can. It’s not terribly popular for a young woman to have a passion for geology.”
His brow creased. “Yes, yes, I can imagine. Pity you couldn’t attend Oxford.”
“Someday, women will be admitted there, I’m sure. Just as women will one day be fellows of the Royal Society.”
“I believe they will, Lady Lavinia. Northam was always advocating for women at Oxford, but I daresay for a different reason.” Mr. Jeffries laughed, seemingly unaware that he’d said something slightly untoward. “If memory serves, Northam fell rather deeply in love with a woman during his first year there. Her father was head of house at some college, can’t remember which, but not ours. When she wed someone else, he was devastated. I recall he wrote a copious amount of exceedingly lovelorn songs and poems.” He waved his hand. “That was a bit redundant. What is a song except a poem put to music?”
Lavinia wondered if Beck would mind that Mr. Jeffries was sharing this information. He seemed a rather private person. In fact, he seemed nothing like the carefree rake he presented to the world.
And yet, she was fascinated to learn these things about him. “It sounds as though you and Lord Northam were quite close.”
“Oh, indeed. He and Ware endeavored to include me in their mischief, but I was never quite as boisterous as they were.”
They’d completed their circuit of the drawing room, and Lavinia saw that Sarah was now free. Their gazes met, and Sarah inclined her head for Lavinia to join her.
