But he was a fraud!
He was insinuating himself into the finest salons in London under false pretense! Rather charming and witty pretense, perhaps, but false nonetheless! And from what Anna had deduced, he intended to rob them all quite blind. The very thought of it made her angry all over again, and she turned around to face the room, saw that three young women were gushing around Lord Ardencaple as he tried to make his way around the room. Lucy, she also noticed, was chatting it up quite nicely with the elusive Mr. Bradenton, who, Anna had to admit, did seem captivated.
A bell was rung, and Lady Seaton stepped to the middle of the room. The din in the room slowly subsided; Anna’s father suddenly appeared on her right arm, all smiles, and with his hand firmly on her elbow, he whispered, “Let’s not be shy, shall we?” and led her into the middle of the large salon.
“We’ve a rather different arrangement this evening,” Lady Seaton announced. Beside her, Ardencaple was smiling down at Miss Elizabeth, who looked as if she might melt into the floor at any moment.
“As we’ve so many guests, my lord husband and I have determined that we shall have two dining rooms, which will be divided on the basis of age.”
“Oldest gentlemen with the youngest ladies, I should hope!” the ancient Lord Carsmith called out, and several of the older gentlemen laughed appreciatively.
“I should not be so careless as to let loose an old scoundrel such as yourself on the debutantes we are honored to have in our presence,” Lord Seaton replied. A quiet little titter went through the hopeful young debutantes as they looked shyly at the unmarried gentlemen in the room, and Father squeezed Anna’s elbow.
She felt absolutely ill with dread.
“If I may ask your indulgence as we seat our good friends in two groups,” Lady Seaton said. She put on the reading glasses her butler offered her on a silver tray, and picked up the vellum, from which she read, “Lord and Lady Carsmith, if you would be so kind,” she said, and thus began to arrange the promenade of the older guests to the first dining room.
Anna felt a bit like a spinster when her father kissed her cheek and joined her mother in their place in line.
The young ladies milled about, giggling as they stole glimpses of the gentlemen. The gentlemen, on the other hand, laughed with one another and smiled openly at the debutantes. The only one of them to see her, Anna thought, was Mr. Bradenton, and even that was a look of curiosity more than anything else. She felt hopelessly out of place, and when the sound of Lucy’s gentle laughter rose above the others, she felt as if she would just as soon hurl herself out the window than proceed with this insufferable supper.
Unfortunately, Lady Seaton had other ideas. She returned shortly after the elder guests had promenaded their way into the first dining room, and with a clap of her hands, she said, “I daresay I shall miss the most fun! We’ve a dining table in the billiard room. I thought it quite lovely there, and I do hope you will find it to your liking.”
Several of the young ladies quickly assured Lady Seaton that it was a wonderful venue.
“Well, then, shall we?” she asked, and with vellum in hand, she glanced at her paper. “Lord Ardencaple, would you do the honor of escorting Miss Anna Addison to the dining room?” she asked, looking about for her first arranged couple.
From where she stood, Anna saw his slight wince, which quickly melted to a pleasantly stoic mask. What a pity she couldn’t reach the window and leap. She was reminded of why she despised social customs such as the promenade to supper, as if the prince regent were receiving them! Why couldn’t they all just troop to the billiard room in one big pack? But she pasted a smile on her face as Ardencaple stepped into the center of the room and bowed toward her. “I’d be delighted,” he said, and straightened, one hand behind his back, the other extended toward Anna.
With a moment’s hesitation—which was ended with one look from Lucy—Anna quickly stepped forward and put her hand in Ardencaple’s. “Good evening, Miss Addison. Lovely to see ye, it is.”
“Oh, likewise,” she said, glaring at him as he brought her hand to his lips before dropping it unceremoniously.
He held out his elbow. Anna laid her hand on his forearm, let him lead her to the front of the room, where the butler indicated they should wait until the queue had been assembled for the procession to the billiard room.
“You mustn’t strain yourself attempting to look so overjoyed by this turn of events,” Anna muttered as Lady Seaton put her daughter, Elizabeth, with the highly sought-after Mr. Bradenton.
“’Tis no strain, I assure ye—I am quite adept at feigning pleasure,” he muttered beneath his breath.