Page 39 of The Duelist for the Ton
“What doesn’t your brother know, Lady Portia?” Stephen couldn’t help asking.
A hunted expression flickered in her eyes, then she straightened up, taking Gabriel’s hand.
“Permit a lady to preservesomesecrets, colonel. Come, Gabriel, shall we take a look at those flowers?” She led the boy toward a raised flower bed, filled with blooms in a vibrant mix of pinks and oranges. “Do you like flowers?” she asked.
“Mama likes them, so I’d like to pick some for her to take home.”
“I think the gardeners here would object. Besides, you wouldn’t want everyone else to be deprived of enjoying them. It would be like taking one of the swans home.”
“I couldn’t do that,” the boy said. “The moorhens on the lake wouldn’t like it. Do you know what a moorhen is?”
“It’s a bird that lives on the water,” came the reply. “A pretty little thing that stays hidden due to his dark plumage, but you can always spot his bright beak, a flash of red and yellow. And he has a very distinctive call that echoes across the water. I prefer them to swans, which are graceful enough, but are known to attack you if you get too close.”
“I prefer them too,” the boy said. “The colonel didn’t know what they were.”
She glanced over her shoulder to Stephen and grinned. “Let me guess, he thought they were hens that lived on moors?”
The boy let out a squeal of laughter, lost his balance, and fell back. Lady Portia caught him and tumbled onto the grass, and Stephen braced himself for a fit of temper. But she merely brushed the dust from her gown, righted herself, and swept the boy into her arms.
“Gabriel!” Lady Staines said, an undertone of warning in her voice, and the boy’s laughter died. Stephen glanced toward her, but she was not looking at her son. Her attention was fixed on the gentleman approaching the party on the path.
Foxton was the first to greet him. “Ah, Sir Heath. Pleasant morning for a promenade.”
“Provided the company is to one’s taste,” Sir Heath said, staring at Gabriel. Then he turned his cold blue gaze toward Lady Staines and inclined his head. “Lady Staines, a pleasure.”
“Howkindof you, Sir Heath,” she said. “I commend your effort at gallantry.”
He turned his attention to Angela. “And who’s this delightful creature?” he said, his mouth curling into the sort of smile that ladies found alluring.
“I’m Lady Angela Reid.”
Sir Heath glanced at Stephen, and his smile broadened, revealing white, even teeth that gleamed in the sunlight, giving him a predatory air.
“Is that so?” he said. “I went shooting with your late father, don’t you know?” He took her hand and made a great show of bowing over it. “Sir Heath Moss, at your service, Lady Angela.”
“Pleased to meet you, Sir Heath.”
“I’mveryglad to hear that.” He lifted her hand to his lips, and Stephen’s gut twisted at the lascivious expression in his eyes. “Are you embarking on your first Season, Lady Angela?”
“Yes, I’m here with my brother.”
“Of course.” Sir Heath inclined his head in Stephen’s direction. “I believe that of all the gems in London this Season, you will be the brightest. I trust the time will come when I have the opportunity to partner you for a dance.”
“I say, is that not a little forward?” Stephen said.
“There’s no harm in declaring my intentions, colonel,” Sir Heath replied. “Your sister’s a beautiful creature, and there will be many young bucks vying for her hand.”
“I have often observed, Sir Heath, that you do not always declare your full intentions—at least not as openly as the recipient of your gallantry might wish.”
“Come, come, nobody could accuse me of not giving a woman what shewishes.”
Sir Heath kissed Angela’s hand once more, then released it. For a moment, she stared at the back of her hand, then she colored and lowered her arm.
“Ah, Lady Portia!” Sir Heath said. “A somewhat unusual activity for you, what?”
“I don’t understand your meaning, Sir Heath.”
He gestured toward Gabriel. “One could almost mistake you for an urchin, grubbing about in the dirt with all manner of individuals.”
