Lady Olivia To The Rescue (14 page)

Chapter Eight

T
he music ended and all the guests began to drift toward the dining hall where a huge buffet supper had been laid. Olivia hung back, suddenly realizing that she was on the arm of the marquess, who was sure to sit with his small band of misanthropists. What could she, a perpetual optimist, have to say to this group of disdainful fashionables?

“There is Sir Richard. Shall we join him and Lady Thorpe?” he asked.

“Yes, I suppose so. I am not well acquainted with Lady Thorpe.”

“You’ll like Maddie. She puts up with a great deal from Richard and me, but she keeps coming back. We were all children together, you know.”

“No, I didn’t know,” said Olivia. She allowed him to lead her toward his friends, reminding herself that she should be happy in anyone’s company with Sheridan by her side. When she had lied to Sir Richard about already having plans for the supper dance, she had hardly dared to hope that she would be with Lord Sheridan.

“Maddie, you know Lady Olivia, do you not?”

“Certainly. Won’t you be seated, my lady? I was about to send Richard off to fix me a plate. I hate being squeezed all about at these affairs, don’t you? Sheri, why don’t you and Richard run along and get us a little something?”

When the two men had left, Olivia smiled and said, “It is a lovely ball, isn’t it?”

“As balls go, I suppose. I am glad to see that your friend Lord Hardcastle finally came up to scratch. Miss Featherstone is a delightful ninny—a distant connection of mine. They should rub along very well together.”

“Tony is a dear. We used to play together as children. Rather like you, Lord Sheridan, and Sir Richard.”

“Not exactly, though. Although I do remember that you and Lord Hardcastle were once rumoured to be…”

“Not at all. That was when we were both new to London. We were not seriously considering it. Do you mean that you and Lord Sheridan…?”

“Sheri? Goodness, no. He is by far too serious for me, always has been. No, there was a time when Richard and I talked about marriage. Still, I was destined for money, and Richard, he was mad to join the army. In the end, it came to nothing.”

“But now that he is home and you are widowed?”

“No, I fear that particular flame was not strong enough to withstand the winds of time.” She changed the subject and said, “I understand that you do a great deal of charity work.”

Olivia raised her brows. Surely, Lord Sheridan had not confided in Maddie about her visit to Vauxhall.

Cautiously she agreed.

“There is a school, I believe.”

Olivia relaxed and smiled again. “Yes, and Mr. Pendleton has agreed to give us a parcel of land so that we may move the children to a larger facility outside London.”

“That is good of him. I only ask because I recently had a letter from my old governess, and she is at loose ends again. I thought if you might have a vacant post, I could write to her. She is a wonderful woman, though she is getting too old to be forever moving from place to place as her charges outgrow her.”

“When we move, we are sure to need more teachers because we will have twice the space and will be seeking more children. Do write to her, and give her my direction,” said Olivia.

“Your direction? I had thought to give her the address of the headmistress.”

‘That would be fine, too. I shall tell Mrs. Priddy about her so that she will be expecting her letter.”

“You really are involved with this,” said Lady Thorpe. With a frown, she added, “It makes me feel quite selfish with the little that I do.”

“Not at all. I enjoy seeing the children. They are so funny. And then there is my servant, Harold. He adores the children, and they love him, too. He visits there more often than I do.”

“You know, Lady Olivia, there is an interesting side to you that does not show when you are merely seen across the ballroom. It is no wonder Sheri is so wrapped up in your concerns.” Olivia’s eyes opened wide, and Lady Thorpe patted her hand. “Do not worry, my dear. I know how to keep a confidence. Besides, I only meant that Sheri has all his various charities that he supports. You two have a great deal in common. Oh, good, here are the gentlemen with our plates.”

The two men set the plates down in front of the ladies. Lady Thorpe took her fork and moved something greyish brown to one side.

Her nose winkling in disgust, she said, “You should know better than to get me any paté, Richard. You know I never eat goose liver.”

“And I keep telling you, Maddie, you should try it. It’s good.”

“It is not,” said Olivia. “I tasted it once, and that was all I needed.”

“There, I knew the two of you would get along exceedingly well,” said Sir Richard. “Now we can all be comfortable together.”

“Quite comfortable,” said Lord Sheridan. “Though perhaps not as comfortable as your aunt and the good doctor,” he said, nodding toward a corner table where Olivia’s aunt and Mr. Jenson were talking quietly.

“How lovely,” said Olivia, smiling at the couple.

“Ah, love is in the air,” said Sir Richard, winking at Olivia. “Just like I told you last night.”

She bowed her head to hide her blush, willing him to say nothing more. Her new friend, Lady Thorpe, came to her rescue by diverting everyone’s attention to the huge ice sculpture in the centre of the buffet.

‘That thing is decidedly lopsided, don’t you think? Look, the mast is about to break off.”

“It is all the candles in here,” said Lord Sheridan.

“And all the people,” added Olivia.

“Yes, and in a few minutes, that spear of ice is going to fall across all that beautiful food,” said Sir Richard. “I wager ten guineas that it happens in the next three minutes.”

Lord Sheridan laughed and said, “No, it will take longer. I say another ten minutes.”

“Eight,” said Lady Thorpe.

“Don’t you want to place a wager, Lady Olivia?” asked Sir Richard.

“Me, I have never wagered on anything but a hand of silver loo.” They all gaped at her, and she said, “Very well, I say it will take at least fifteen minutes for the ice to melt enough that the mast breaks off the ship.”

“Fifteen minutes?” said Lord Sheridan. “I hope you are prepared to pay.”

“And you, my lord,” she replied with a smile.

Word of the wager spread to several other tables, and they all waited to see who would win. As the company began to migrate back to the ballroom, several footmen came in to straighten the buffet table. One of them reached up to remove the ice sculpture, and everyone yelled at once.

The footman was so frightened that he scampered back to the kitchens empty handed.

‘Twelve minutes,” said Lord Sheridan. “I’m out.”

“Now we have only to wait and see if the beautiful Lady Olivia will prove successful,” said Sir Richard. ‘Three more minutes now.”

Two more minutes passed, and still they waited, “I don’t think any of us are going to win,” said Lady Thorpe.

“Another minute and we’ll know.”

There was a crackling sound, and the remaining guests in the dining room gasped. Olivia giggled.

“If anyone had told me I would be sitting here waiting on a…there it goes!”

The icy ship’s spindly mast fell the length of the table, sending food and platters flying. Servants came running while everyone laughed.

“Shall we get back to the ballroom? I am hoping you will grant me another dance, Lady Olivia,” said Sir Richard.

“Certainly,” she replied.

“What about you, Maddie?” said Lord Sheridan.

“Me? I am going home. I have danced, I have played cards, and I have dined. Quite enough for one night. The three of you run along.”

Sir Richard took Olivia’s arm, and Lord Sheridan hesitated.

“Going to call it a night, too, old boy?” asked Sir Richard.

“No, I…I will stay for a little while longer,” he said, following along after them.

With a glance over her shoulder, Olivia allowed Sir Richard to escort her back to the ballroom. They stood at the edge of the floor while the dancers finished the line dance they were performing. When the music began again, it was another waltz.

“I don’t know if I should,” said Olivia. “To dance two waltzes with the same gentleman might be considered fast.”

“She has a point,” said Lord Sheridan.

“Nonsense. Not when we are only friends,” said Sir Richard. Still, she hung back, and he added, “We are friends, are we not, my lady?”

Looking into his eyes, Olivia couldn’t help but smile. Glancing at Lord Sheridan, she said, “If you will excuse us, my lord?”

Then she placed her hand on Sir Richard’s shoulder and followed his lead onto the floor.

Observing them with a sour look on his face, Sheridan started when Amy Hepplewhite appeared at his elbow and commented, “They make such a lovely couple.”

“Do you think so?”

“Yes.”

“He is a rake, you know.”

“Olivia has dealt with her share of rakes and rascals,” said the older woman with a laugh.

“Nevertheless, I should warn her. When she finishes this dance, I will ask her for the next and tell her just enough about Richard’s reputation with the ladies to warn her.”

“You may do as you wish, of course, but I do hope you plan to dance with other ladies, too.”

“No, why should I wish to do that?”

Amy shrugged and said, “The handsome Marquess of Sheridan attends a ball without his cane and dances for the first time in years. Once with his old friend and twice with my niece. We shall have half of London on our doorstep tomorrow, sniffing out the latest
on-dit
.”

“So you are saying that in order to do what is right by your niece, I must dance with some of these colourless young ladies.”

“That is precisely what I am saying. Everyone will still be wondering why you have suddenly taken to dancing, but no one will link your name and Olivia’s.”

Leaning closer, he whispered, “Very well, my dear Amy, but it is only my noble and chivalrous character that is enabling me to accomplish this mission.”

“
Bon chance
, Sheri,” she whispered in return.

He took the hand of the first miss he came across, begging for the honour of a dance. After hasty introductions, permission was granted and he led her onto the floor.

Sheridan wasted no time in manoeuvring himself and his partner toward Lady Olivia and Richard. She was laughing at something his friend had said. He backed his partner into another couple and threw them all a hasty apology.

Getting close to his target again, he overheard his friend say, “You cannot deny me, my lady.”

“Can I not? My, but you…”

Other dancers came between them, and Sheridan ground his teeth in frustration. “Hell and blast! ” he muttered.

Glancing down, he realized his partner was trembling. He apologized and spent the rest of the dance uttering trivial civilities just to appease her wounded sensibilities. After all, it wouldn’t do to have it bruited about that he talked to himself.

Finally, the dance was over, and Sheridan was able to return the nameless miss to her chaperon. After several agonizing minutes of polite conversation, he bowed and escaped. He then tried to fight his way through the crowd to Olivia, but she was already on the floor for the next set with another partner.

Again, Sheridan found another lady to partner and then joined the square where Olivia chatted with Mr. Thomas, waiting for the musicians to begin. Sheridan was rehearsing what he would say to the beautiful Lady Olivia, but his partner for the quadrille was nothing like the tongue-tied miss of the previous dance. Interrupting his ruminations, she put her hand on his forearm and ran it up his sleeve with a seductive purr.

“I was hoping you would remember me,” she said.

With a quick frown, he said, “Of course I remember you, Lady Givens. I knew your husband quite well. I was sorry to hear of his passing.”

She shrugged and pouted at him. “I do not want to talk about him. Let us talk about you, Sheridan.”

He stiffened, but she didn’t appear to notice. He breathed a sigh of relief when the music started.

“Perhaps you could come by tomorrow. I am having a little gathering of friends in the afternoon.”

“Hm,” he said, keeping his eyes on Lady Olivia.

“I keep a very good brandy,” she purred.

“Uh huh,” he replied.

Finally, the steps brought him face-to-face with Lady Olivia. She smiled, and he growled.

Lifting her brows in surprise, she asked, “Whatever is the matter, my lord?”

“I have to warn you about Richard.”

“Warn me? Why would you need to do that?”

“You don’t know him like I do. He is a rake, and…”

The steps required him to return her to Mr. Thomas, and he did so reluctantly. Lady Givens rattled on as they turned this way and that. The movements separated them, and Sheridan took a turn with one of the other ladies. Finally, he took Lady Olivia’s hand again.

“You must be careful, my lady. You do not know how he can twist his words, until he has you…”

With a gay laugh, Lady Olivia said, “Lord Sheridan, I assure you that I can handle Sir Richard. I know all about harmless flirtations.”

“Richard is not harmless.”

They were separated once more. When they finally met again for a brief exchange, Sheridan redoubled his efforts.

“He is very adept at the art of seduction.”

Again she laughed, and he wished for a moment that he could put his hands on her pretty shoulders and shake her until her teeth rattled.

“Lord Sheridan, have no fear. In truth, I look forward to my encounters with Sir Richard. What’s more, I hope to be able to teach him a few lessons.”

Gaping with indignation, Sheridan returned to his partner. One glance at his furious face, and Lady Givens fell silent. When the dance ended, Sheridan bowed over the lady’s hand and left the ball, propelled by his insupportable fury.