To Lure a Proper Lady by Ashlyn Macnamara

Author:Ashlyn Macnamara
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2016-03-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Like any proper gentleman of his station, Papa was as good as his word. He turned up, dressed in dark blue superfine and a perfectly starched cravat, in the drawing room to preside over sherry. A wash of pink stained his cheeks, hiding the ever-present smudges beneath his eyes. Glass raised, he smiled at the company and downed his portion of deep ruby liquid.

In Lizzie’s opinion, something had happened to shave years off his appearance, but she couldn’t place her finger on what. Could there possibly be something to Sven’s cures?

Through course after course, she watched Papa from her place at the foot of the table. He partook of everything, eating with surprising relish. Or perhaps not so surprising, given his usual fare. Properly spiced beef and richly sauced fowl surely beat a steady diet of offal.

Lizzie wasn’t the only guest to take notice. Now that the gentlemen had joined the women in the drawing room, Lady Whitby gravitated toward the duke like iron filings to a magnet. Smiling, he leaned down and muttered something in her ear, and she threw her head back in a peal of laughter.

Pippa downed her glass of watered sherry in one go. “If she ends up joining the family, I shall never forgive myself,” she said low enough that only Lizzie heard her.

“Perhaps it’s Papa’s way of ensuring we accept the first offers to come our way,” Lizzie replied from behind her fan. “Or…” A new thought struck. “Do you think that’s why Lady Whitby hasn’t already run off with her nose in the air over all the scandalous goings-on? Because she’s had plans for Papa all along?”

Pippa blanched. “Heaven forbid.”

“You’ll want to watch that one,” chimed in a voice from behind Lizzie’s shoulder. Great-aunt Matilda had sidled up. “She had her heart set on being a duchess, back in the day.”

“What?” Try as she might, Lizzie could not call to mind an image of her papa as a young and robust man, even if she knew he must have been one, once.

“Oh, she had her cap set, did the future Lady Whitby.” Great-aunt Matilda gave an authoritative jerk of her head. “She may well think she’s got another chance at a better title.”

“What rubbish.” Pippa waved a dismissive hand. “What good would it serve for Papa to make her an offer when he believes he’ll be off to meet his maker any day now?”

“Does he look like he’s got a foot in the grave to you?” Great-aunt Matilda asked.

“Not tonight, no.” Pippa tapped her chin with her folded fan. “So what was he up to with all the dramatics before the party?”

“Ensuring it happened, I suppose,” Lizzie said. But that made no sense. Indeed, very little of the entire situation made sense. Without thinking, she cast a glance around the room, but couldn’t find what she was looking for. Whom she was looking for.

Dysart. She needed him to gather the various shards of facts and rebuild them into some reasonable semblance. She

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