A London Season by Patricia Bray

Author:Patricia Bray
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781626818170
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2015-05-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Glendale puzzled over the mystery of Miss Sedgwick. She had been acting oddly ever since the arrival of her brothers. And just what was the message they had conveyed to her? Who was this Percival George, and why should it matter that he was dead? Why would her brothers rush to bring her the news, against the wishes of their mother?

A relative? No, she had denied it, and the boys, while concerned, had not seemed grief-stricken. But Jane had been shocked by the news, however much she tried to hide it. Could this Percival be a suitor? Some country clodhopper to whom she had formed an ineligible attachment? Had her family sent her to London, in the hopes of preventing an improper romance?

He knew that he was grasping at straws, but he couldn’t put the puzzle out of his mind. Percival George. The name conjured up images of a weedy young cleric, peering shortsightedly over his spectacles. The picture of Jane with such a man was laughable.

But in his mind the picture changed, and he saw Jane in the embrace of a well-favored, virile young Squire. It was hard to think that Jane might prefer her rustic swain to the cultured gentlemen she met in London. But Jane had never been predictable. She appeared to set no store by the conventions that the ton prized. No doubt this Percival had shared her enthusiasms for agriculture and the land. Glendale scowled, prompting those standing near him to take a step back.

Only Freddie was brave enough to approach. “Up to your old tricks, sulking in the corners, I see. Can’t you come to a function and act civil for once?”

“I was not sulking,” Glendale said. “I was merely considering my stupidity in coming here in the first place.” His gaze swept restlessly over the packed drawing room. The cream of society was packed into Mrs. Elliot’s town house tonight, making her rout the shocking squeeze that all good hostesses longed for. In the close quarters the heat was proving unbearable, and Glendale tugged irritably at his collar, wondering how much longer he would have to wait for his quarry to appear.

“In that case, why don’t you leave? There are a dozen other hostesses who would be delighted if you graced them with your presence.”

“Why don’t you leave?” Glendale countered.

“Can’t.” Lord Frederick nodded his head to where his sister stood chatting with her friends. “Promised my mother I’d do the pretty tonight, and take Priscilla around.” He took a sip of champagne before adding, “I never thought I’d be done in by a sixteen-year-old girl. Where the chit gets her energy, I don’t know. This is the third function we’ve been to tonight.”

Glendale nodded absently, his attention on the guests who had just arrived. Even across the room, her unusual height made it possible to spot Jane, as she and Lady Barton stopped to greet their hostess. Strange, he never noticed how tall she was when he was with her. It was only when he saw her from a distance that he was struck by her height.

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