Page 23 of Thief of the Ton
Yes—a little pleasure was to be allowed, even if it compromised his duty toward his estate, his friends, and his father.
And if he happened to stumble across his little Guinevere, where would the harm be in that?
Chapter Seven
As Lavinia returnedhome, she heard voices coming from the parlor—Papa and Lady Betty.
Over the past fourteen years, Lady Betty had proven herself to be the best of friends. Her sunny disposition helped temper Papa’s melancholy, and she had proven invaluable to Lavinia due to her extensive acquaintance—and her discretion.
Lavinia entered the parlor, and Lady Betty rose, arms outstretched.
“Lavinia,darling!” she cried. “I’m so glad to see you. I’m leaving for London shortly, and feared I’d miss you.”
Lavinia wrinkled her nose. “Aunt made me stay until I completed the alphabet sampler to her satisfaction. I had to unpick the final letter twice before she declared it fit to be seen.”
“Your aunt knows what’s best for you,” Papa said. “To succeed in Society, you must make a good impression. She told me how disappointed she was with your behavior at Lady Francis’s dinner party the other week, when you disappeared to the privy for half an hour during coffee. You must behave better in London.”
“Dickie, don’t be ungenerous,” Lady Betty said. “Lavinia’s delightful as she is. Nobody cares about that sort of thing anymore.”
“Then what do they care about?” Papa asked.
“Dowries and titles, darling,” came the reply. “It’s always been about birth and bounty. The pursuit of accomplishment is what my sex undertakes in order to delude themselves into believing they have control of their destiny.”
“That sounds awfully depressing,” Lavinia said.
“But,” Lady Betty said, her eyes twinkling with merriment, “a clever creature such as yourself can outwit them all. Besides—as a viscount’s daughter, you’ll be deemed acceptable before you even set foot in London.”
Papa sighed. “You mean adisgracedviscount.”
“Dickie darling, it may disappoint you to learn that you’renotthe talk of Society,” Lady Betty said. “More titled gentlemen than you think are required to give up their estates these days. Take poor Lord Danbury, for instance…”
“One of your many lovers, I suppose,” Papa growled.
“Don’t be churlish, Dickie,” Lady Betty admonished him, in the manner of a nursemaid chiding her charge. “Danbury’s downfall resulted from his weakness for the card tables. I’m not in the habit of toying with a lover’s money, or his affections. I sent him back to his wife with his heart intact, I assure you.”
“I intend to keepmyheart intact when I go to London,” Lavinia said.
“Sensible girl,” Lady Betty replied. “When do you leave?”
“Aunt’s taking me on Saturday,” Lavinia said. “I wish I wasn’t going.”
“You’ll love it, darling. It’s a little overcrowded, but the parks are delightful.”
“Aunt Edna’s forbidden me to venture out until I’m fit to be seen,” Lavinia said. “I’m to spend my first day stuck in a modiste’s shop, being inspected like livestock and stabbed with pins. Then I must endure some dreadful party.”
“What party?”
“Lady Foxwell’s. Have you heard of her?”
“I met her once,” Lady Betty said. “A rather insipid creature on the surface, but Lord Foxwell says she’s an assertive little thing in the household. I rather admire her for that. We may live in a world of men, but a woman can carve out her own little world within which she can enjoy as much freedom as she wishes.”
“It seems as ifI’llhave no freedom at all in London,” Lavinia said. “Aunt’s insisting on accompanying me everywhere.”
“That’s what’s required in London,” Lady Betty said. “As a new arrival, you’ll come under much scrutiny. But you’ll come to no harm, provided you do nothing to scandalize yourself.”
“You must be careful, Lavinia,” Papa said. “There are brigands aplenty, intent on stealing from the unwary.”
Lavinia met her father’s gaze. If he harbored any suspicions over her…pursuits, he showed no sign.
