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  “Why, what is wrong with her?”

  “Nothing, really, I just find little in common with her. When I met her last I was only fifteen, and she would not accept me at my word that I had no beaux. She insisted on quizzing me for twenty minutes on the subject before offering to help me find a husband. I hate to think how she’ll react if she finds me still unmarried. But, I suppose I should call on her. Perhaps I should go this morning. The sooner I do, the sooner I can write my parents and tell them so.”

  “Would you like me to come with you?” Julia offered.

  “Are you sure you want to? It is only a duty call. It is bound to be boring for you.”

  “I do not mind. I had nothing planned for the morning.”

  “Thank you. That would be lovely.”

  Selina and Julia were ushered into Mrs. Covington’s small drawing room in her flat in Hans Town. It appeared as if she had taken furnishings from a much larger residence and crammed as many as would fit into her current one. When Selina finally turned her gaze to her cousin, it appeared to Selina as if Mrs. Covington had attempted the same maneuver with her dress. Her massive bosom appeared in grave danger of bursting out of its moorings at any moment.

  Mrs. Covington was a widow of five and thirty who wished to appear fifteen years younger and at least two stones lighter. She was dressed in a youthful morning gown of pink and white, her unnaturally bright yellow hair arranged in ringlets around her face.

  “Selina Dalton, as I live and breathe! I have not seen you since my dear Arnie was alive,” Mrs. Covington exclaimed.

  “How do you do, Mrs. Covington,” Selina said.

  “Mrs. Covington? Why do you call me Mrs. Covington? You do not have to stand on ceremony with me, young lady. Call me Gertie, as your cousin used to.”

  “Gertie, please allow me to present to you—”

  “Yes, I was just about to ask you who this handsome young lady is. It has taken you long enough to introduce us. Please forgive my cousin, Miss—”

  “Thistlewaite,” Julia offered.

  “Lord, that’s a mouthful. Miss Thistlewaite. Miss Thistlewaite. Say that one twenty times,” Gertie said, laughing loudly.

  Julia managed a weak smile in response.

  “Where are my manners? Please come, sit down. I was so excited to have callers I practically met you at the door.”

  Selina and Julia proceeded three feet into the room, Julia stumbling over a small foot stool.

  “Just kick that out of the way, Miss Thistlewaite. I was forced to economize upon the death of my dear husband three years ago.”

  “I was so sorry to hear the news of Cousin Arnold’s death,” Selina said, sitting gingerly on the edge of a small settee, which was backed up against the front of a sofa. Selina wondered what the point was of keeping a sofa that no one was able to sit on.

  “Yes, well, it was quite unexpected. He was in the prime of life. The doctor said it was apoplexy. But I say that’s what they call everything that they can’t figure out.

  “But enough of such depressing talk. I’m surprised to still be calling you “Miss,” young lady. You must be, what, three-and-twenty?”

  “I am twenty-two years old.”

  “Lord, time flies. I think the last time I saw you you were fifteen. I was sure such a handsome girl would be married by seventeen. Good gracious, by the time I was the age you are now I’d already buried my first husband. Although, between you and me, it was not such a great loss.” Gertie laughed heartily at her own wit, and Selina could have sworn she saw a button pop off the bodice of her cousin’s gown.

  “Now Arnie was a different story altogether,” Gertie continued. “People told him he’d married below him, but he’d tell them he had me so high on a pedestal that he was leagues below me. That was a very gentlemanly thing to say, and so I always told him. He said it was no more than the truth.” Gertie wiped a tear away, and Selina and Julia exchanged an uncomfortable look. Selina tried to repeat her condolences but Gertie went off on another tangent.

  Although Selina did very little talking for the next half hour she did manage to convey her parents’ greetings, and then she and Julia prepared to take their leave.

  “You cannot mean to leave already?” Gertie asked.

  “But, Gertie, we have already stayed long past what is considered polite.”

  “Oh, you know that I do not care for such things. I haven’t even heard about your beaux.”

  “I am sorry, cousin, I cannot trespass on Miss Thistlewaite’s time any longer. But perhaps I can come again another day,” Selina was surprised to hear herself say. But she had begun to feel sorry for Gertie, who was obviously very lonely and enjoyed having visitors.

  “That would be splendid. And I could call on you, as well. Where did you say you were staying?”

  Selina had purposely avoided saying anything at all about where she was staying, but cornered as she was she was forced to give the address of the Thistlewaites’ town house.

  Once they had said their farewells and were safely in the carriage, Julia turned to her friend and said, “You do not actually mean to call upon her again, do you?”

  “Yes, I rather think I do. She seemed so very lonely, don’t you think?”

  “She practically fell upon our necks in joy. She must not get many visitors.” Julia and Selina sat a moment in silence. “What she must do is find someone to marry her. She’s obviously pining away for another husband.”

  “What made you think so?” Selina asked, with obvious irony. Gertie had spent almost the entire thirty minutes of their visit discussing men and marriage.

  Julia ignored Selina’s remark, pursuing her own thoughts. “I am afraid I don’t know anyone who would suit her, though. She is so dreadfully vulgar,” she finally said.

  “But she is sweet, don’t you agree?” Selina asked.

  “Yes, I do. I rather liked her. Although I cannot say I am eager to visit her again. I felt in imminent danger of being injured by a precariously placed piece of furniture the entire time.”

  Selina laughed. “I felt a little as if I were suffocating myself.”

  Selina did not feel like laughing when she eventually learned the purpose of Julia’s dinner party. It appeared that Cassie had informed Julia that one of the items on Mr. Malcolm’s list was “Accomplished in music and singing.” The dinner party was to be Selina’s opportunity to display her talents in that regard.

  Selina was sick to death of Malcolm’s list. If it hadn’t been for that blasted thing she felt that their mutual attraction would be allowed to take its natural course. With a lady and gentleman the natural course was courtship, followed by marriage. Without Julia’s interference she would have been able to wholeheartedly enjoy Malcolm’s attentions to her, without feeling the whole time that she was participating in some despicable scheme.

  Selina hated that feeling. She was by nature very open and honest and she disliked anything that smacked of deception. She particularly disliked the charade Julia had involved her in, and resolved to no longer be a party to it. She wondered what would happen if she failed to meet some requirement on Malcolm’s list. Surely that would have to bring the foolish game to its end.

  Tuesday evening, the date for Julia’s dinner party arrived, and Selina resolved to find out.

  It was a small party of six: the Thistlewaite ladies, Selina, Lord Cassidy, Mr. Malcolm, and Mr. Ossory. Cassie escorted Mrs. Thistlewaite into dinner, Mr. Malcolm escorted Selina, and Julia followed with Mr. Ossory. Selina was beginning to suspect Julia had a tendre for Mr. Ossory. His very appearance on the guest list seemed proof of this, as Julia viewed Mr. Ossory as a threat to her scheme to humiliate Mr. Malcolm yet she had invited him anyway. It was unfortunate that Mr. Ossory seemed to consider Julia something of a nuisance and was still intent on courting Selina. However, he did manage to converse politely with Julia throughout the many courses, only glancing occasionally at Selina, who sat across from him.

  Selina was a little shy with Mr
. Malcolm, as this was the first time she had encountered him since the evening of that travesty of a waltz and their aborted kiss. She attempted to converse with Cassie, who sat on her right, but he was much too interested in his meal and she was forced to turn back to Malcolm for conversation. Unfortunately, his first question concerned the state of her injured foot.

  “It is fine, thank you,” she said, blushing furiously.

  “That’s a pity,” Malcolm said, with a wicked smile.

  “You found me quite graceful hopping about like a wounded bird, did you?”

  “No, not at all. I much preferred it when you ceased the hopping and came home to roost, to continue your bird analogy.”

  “Perhaps we should not continue this conversation at all,” Selina said, giving Mr. Malcolm a warning glance.

  “It seems a shame not to when you blush so delightfully but, if you insist, it would be ungentlemanly of me to continue.”

  “Thank you,” Selina said, making a concerted effort not to blush.

  There was a slight pause as Malcolm addressed himself to his meal and Selina struggled to regain her composure. Then Malcolm asked: “Since you have ordered me to change the subject, tell me, what is your opinion of the Church Building Act?”

  “What a weighty question to ask over soup. I believe it is in bad taste to discuss politics before the entrée is served.”

  “You are probably correct. However, I would really like to hear your opinion.”

  Selina looked up at Malcolm, whom she found looking very serious all of a sudden. Why, I do believe he’s testing me, she thought in surprise. She found herself growing a little anxious under his critical gaze and could think of nothing to say. What if she said the wrong thing? What was it he wanted her to say?

  Then she felt an energizing spurt of anger followed by a wonderful calm. How dare he sit in judgment of her. She did not care what he thought.

  “Well, as the daughter of a clergyman, it is obviously important to me that there are houses of worship available to all. However, I cannot help but feel that the million pounds set aside for this purpose exorbitant. The Holy Book itself says: ‘If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?’ I believe our government intends by this measure to suppress the radicals and keep anarchy at bay, when they could use some of those funds to better the lot of the poor, thereby accomplishing the same purpose, but in a way more truly Christian. I do not suppose that Jesus Christ, who ‘had no where to lay his head’, and who frequently fed the poor would be pleased with some elaborate structure built in his name while those of its congregation had barely enough to eat.”

  Selina had grown impassioned during her speech and, realizing that her voice had begun to rise, broke off in some embarrassment and looked over at Malcolm. “I apologize for the lecture, but you did ask my opinion.”

  “And I should have known better than to ask the daughter of a clergyman. I am sure your father himself could not preach a more eloquent sermon,” he told her, smiling.

  “So what is your opinion?”

  “Very much the same, actually,” Malcolm said. “Although I do not think I could have begun to express it as well as you just did.”

  Selina, sensing the approval in his gaze, realized she’d passed his test. She was pleased for a moment, until she remembered that she had begun the evening with the resolve to fail to meet his requirements.

  She reminded herself of this once again when the gentlemen rejoined the ladies after dinner and Julia announced that there should be music.

  “Selina, would you honor us with a song?” Julia asked.

  “I am sorry, Julia, but I have no musical ability whatsoever. It would be a punishment to force you all to listen to me.”

  There were quite varying reactions to Selina’s calm pronouncement. Cassie looked pleased, as he felt it a punishment to have to listen to any lady perform on the pianoforte, skilled or not. Mr. Ossory looked his same agreeable self; he actually smiled at Selina’s admission. Mr. Malcolm looked a little displeased, Selina thought, perhaps even surprised. Julia, of course, looked cross, but managed a little chuckle.

  “Oh, Selina, you are quite the joker. Of course you have musical ability. I heard you play myself just yesterday. She is quite talented,” she assured Malcolm.

  Selina had thought Julia out of the house when she was practicing the day before. She had not realized Julia had heard her. She thought about arguing further but Julia appeared implacable in her determination to have Selina perform and Selina did not feel she should cause a scene. There was no other option than for her to play for the company. But, she told herself as she took her seat at the pianoforte, that does not mean I have to play well.

  She launched into a Beethoven sonata, determined to miss most of her notes, but she found that such a thing was easier said than done. Her fingers automatically flew over the keys, playing the notes that she’d memorized and were second nature to her, and she was halfway through before realizing it was too late to succeed in convincing people she did not know how to play.

  When she finished she looked sheepishly at her audience. Cassie, who had taken her at her word when she said that she had no musical ability, tried to console her. “That was not so bad, what?” he asked, smiling bravely at the others.

  “My dear fellow, it was not bad at all. It was superb,” Malcolm said. “But Miss Dalton, I do not understand. Why did you try to convince us you have no talent? Do you have such an aversion to performing before others?”

  “No, it is not that,” Selina said, wondering how to explain her bizarre behavior. “I just thought that if I claimed to have talent I was sure to disappoint, but if I claimed no talent any performance I gave was bound to be acceptable.”

  “It was quite acceptable,” Mr. Ossory told her. “Let us have another.”

  “No, no. It is Julia’s turn to perform,” Selina said, turning to her friend. “Perhaps you would like to sing for us, Julia. Julia has a beautiful singing voice,” Selina told the others.

  Julia modestly demurred, but it was obvious she was not truly averse to the idea. This was her opportunity to shine before Mr. Ossory. She was a talented singer, and Selina thought she made a pretty picture as she sang before them, accompanying herself on the pianoforte.

  Selina’s thoughts had been so full of Mr. Malcolm she had given scant consideration to her conversation with Mr. Ossory. She wondered if she was making a mistake in not encouraging him. He was obviously an estimable young gentleman, and Selina thought she would have a very comfortable life with him. She turned from her contemplation of him to look at Mr. Malcolm, who was staring at her, and her heart began an accelerated rhythm that had been noticeably absent when she had been observing Mr. Ossory. And all of a sudden the thought of having a “comfortable life” was very unsatisfying.

  Seven

  The day following the dinner party Julia, Selina, and Cassie sat in the Thistlewaite’s drawing room, discussing their successful entertainment of the previous evening. Selina felt a strange sense of having lived through this moment before, and was reminded of their first meeting three weeks ago upon her arrival in town. It seemed a long time ago that they sat in this very room and discussed their plan of captivating Mr. Malcolm.

  And now Selina felt she was the one whose heart was in danger.

  However, Cassie and Julia were extremely optimistic. Cassie assured the ladies that Malcolm had spoken very highly of Selina following the dinner party.

  “He said that he admired Selina greatly. He had first been impressed by her wit and humor, but was concerned that she was not serious enough, which augured an unsteady character. But he said after last night that fear had been laid to rest.”

  “’Not serious enough. Unsteady in character.’ He certainly makes rash judgments,” Selina said, annoyed. “What, was I to launch into a pol
itical debate in the middle of a ball?”

  “You see, Selina, it is just as I told you. There is no pleasing the man. If you had not joked with him, he would have been sure to castigate you as lacking in humor,” Julia said.

  Cassie realized that once again he’d managed to put his foot in it. “I have probably quoted him incorrectly. He was very complimentary, believe me. He said that Selina had met nearly all of the qualifications on his list, but there were a few others that he needed to test her on.”

  “So this is what I have to look forward to, is it? To be tested by Mr. Malcolm?” Selina asked.

  Before Cassie could reply, they were interrupted by Reeves’s announcement of a caller.

  “Mrs. Covington,” Reeves intoned.

  “Good morning, good morning,” Gertie said, as she bustled into the room. She was resplendent in a peach frock cut indecently low for afternoon wear, her blonde hair covered with a huge bonnet bedecked with flowers.

  “Cousin Gertie. How nice to see you again,” Selina said, looking at Julia for direction.

  “Please sit down, Mrs. Covington,” Julia said.

  “I thought we agreed it was to be Gertie, and you’re to be Julia. Heaven knows I can hardly say your last name without spitting, although I suppose I shouldn’t admit to it.”

  Selina rather thought it would have been better had she not, but before she had a chance to offer any opinion at all on the subject Cassie drew attention to himself with a little cough, and Julia introduced the two of them to each other.

  Gertie was struck dumb for a full thirty seconds when she discovered she was in the presence of a lord, and into the unusual silence Reeves announced another caller.

  “The Honorable Mr. Malcolm,” he said.

  “Good heavens! An honorable and a lord,” Gertie exclaimed loudly, and Selina felt a momentary twinge of embarrassment that she was connected to such a vulgar woman.