“I am so glad I found you,” she confided, leaning a little from her saddle to confide in him. “You will be a great hit. Mama says...”
But whatever the duchess had said, Gerald was not destined to know, as his mind drifted into the distance. They had jogged their way down half of the Row. People were beginning to arrive in town in preparation for the season ahead. Small gatherings were already taking place, but this being Lent, the full explosion of society celebrations was not yet in full swing.
“Your sisters must put aside their little pursuits. Mama says it would not be acceptable to have such engrossing interests that they fail to give their husbands enough attention.”
Hi sisters’ ‘little interests’ encompassed their lives. “I want to make my sisters as happy as possible,” he said. “If that means they must remain single, then they will do so.”
“Oh, pooh!” Elizabeth flicked her gloved fingers. “They will be happy enough with a husband. They will not have to do anything. They are comely enough, and the fact that they are triplets will set society about its ears. Presented properly they could be a sensation.”
“They prefer not to wear identical costumes,” Gerald warned her, having met that particular preference before.
“They should consider it.” Elizabeth gave him a sweet smile. “But of course, dearest Gerald, you will know best. At the least you must order them to lay aside their interests. They were all very well when you were living privately but you have an exalted position to fill now.”
What he disliked most about her was the way she addressed him as if she were talking to a child who had everything to learn. While he appreciated the way they had taken him up, he was not unaware of the reason. He had in effect inherited Elizabeth. The previous earl’s heir was betrothed to her, so she had expected to become the Countess of Carbrooke. He was learning that what Elizabeth expected generally came to pass, like some kind of ancient prophecy.
As Elizabeth continued to chatter and his horse ambled and shifted restlessly Gerald realized he’d had enough for today. Once he married her, they could relax. Except he doubted Elizabeth ever relaxed. In the huge house in Berkshire he had inherited they need not see each other from one day to the next.
What a sad marriage they would have! But he had determined he would do it. Just not today.
Holding his hand out, palm up, he said, “Dear me, I fear that was a drop of rain. Did you feel it, Elizabeth?”
She looked at him sharply and belatedly he recalled he was to called her “my lady” in public. Once society arrived they would move to less formal terms. Sometimes Gerald suspected Elizabeth’s fond mama made these rules up to annoy him.
However, his pronouncement did the trick. Lady Elizabeth’s magnificent riding habit would be ruined if it rained. “That is disturbing.” She set to wheeling her horse around and moving to the returning path, joining the thin stream of people heading for the gate. Thankfully Gerald joined her, patting his horse’s neck in compensation. “I promise you a good gallop soon,” he murmured to the beast. Jack nickered and a few people glared at him as if his horse had committed a social solecism. Gerald smiled and tipped his hat to them.
Getting Elizabeth home took a little ceremony as he had to go ahead and ensure the road was clear, and then ride at her pace to her house. He helped her off the horse himself, and gave the groom a generous vail before escorting her to her front door. “You should come inside,” she said, staring down her long, aristocratic nose at him, a faint smile curling her lips. “I’m sure Mama would be delighted to see you.”
Gerald cast an apologetic glance at his horse. “I appreciate the invitation, but today I fear I cannot stay. I need to give my horse a little vigorous exercise.”
“We will see you at the Murmory’s musicale tomorrow.” She made it an order, not a request.
“I will consult with my sisters.” As the door opened, he bowed and walked away, leaving her watching him, open-mouthed. He mounted his horse without any help from his groom, and when the man gathered the reins of his steed, Gerald waved at him. “Go back to the mews. I have an errand and I don’t need an escort.”
“My lord, it can be dangerous—“
“I have lived in London for a great part of my life, and I know which parts of the city to avoid.” He let his voice turn frigid. The man meant well, but the last thing he wanted was a liveried servant tailing after him, silently proclaiming his presence to all and sundry.
The groom tipped his hat and took himself off.