The earl insisted on calling for them in his carriage and so the next evening they were all together, waiting in the long line of vehicles stopped in front of the Wimborne town house.
“You are both very quiet,” observed the earl. “I hope I have not intruded upon a newlyweds’ quarrel,” he added humorously.
“Not at all, Charles,” Elspeth replied with a reassuring smile. “It is only that we are both tired. We are unaccustomed to such social activity.”
“I think it has gone well, though, Valentine, don’t you?”
“The gossips fall silent with you at our sides, sir,” Val admitted. “And especially for Elspeth’s sake, I thank you.”
“Have you given any thought at all to selling out?” his father asked. “Staying in England and taking a place in Society?”
“My place is with the army, sir, at least as long as the war goes on,” Val replied bluntly.
“But what of your wife?”
“Oh, I could never be happy outside the army, Charles,” she said, taking Val’s hand and giving it a little squeeze.
“Look, we are finally here,” announced Val, grateful that their conversation couldn’t be continued. He had no desire to speak of the future with his father.
* * * *
“It is a most satisfying crush, isn’t it?” said Maddie, smiling up at Elspeth and Val as they came through the reception line. “James is the best of brothers,” she added.
“ ‘Tis only what you deserved, Maddie,” said James. “But now it is up to you to manage one of your beaus into a declaration!”
James led Maddie into the first dance and then looked on indulgently as she was swept off for every one after that.
“You do not dance, James?” Val and Elspeth had just danced a quadrille and had come over at Elspeth’s prodding.
“You were right about the young men, James. They are fighting over who will lead Lady Madeline into supper. She seems to have written both their names down,” Val said with a laugh.
“The little minx!”
“Do you think she has a preference, James? She has not said much to me,” said Elspeth.
“I don’t think so, though I would be happy to see her with either one. They are both fine…young men.”
“You were about to say ‘lads,’ ” Val said with a quizzical grin.
“I know I am only a few years their senior, Valentine, but I feel positively like an old man compared with either.”
“I know what you mean, James,” replied Elspeth with a commiserating smile. “I always felt that with my schoolmates.”
“They are striking up again, Elspeth. May I have the honor? You don’t mind, do you, Val, if I dance with your new bride?”
“Not at all, James.”
* * * *
Val was relieved, for he had seen Devereaux. He wandered over to where he stood chatting with a group of young people. “I wonder if I might have a word with you, my lord?”
“Er, of course, Lieutenant Aston. I shall be right back to claim my dance,” he told one of the young ladies.
Val drew him into one of the anterooms. “Have you contacted our man yet?” he asked bluntly.
“As a matter of fact, I have. I was going to send a note ‘round in the morning. He is coming to see me tomorrow at three.”
“I’ll be there,” said Val.
“But what is going to happen?” Devereaux asked anxiously.
“We will just have to see, won’t we, my lord?” Val left him standing there, imagining all the possible scenarios, regretting he had ever opened his mouth.
As Devereaux made his way back to claim his dance, he was waylaid by Lucas Stanton.
“I just saw Faringdon’s bastard come out of that anteroom and then you emerged. Whatever could he have to say to you, my lord?” Stanton asked suspiciously.
“He was, uh, wondering if there were some posthumous honor that could be award his half-brother, my lord.” Devereaux was amazed he had been able to think of anything resembling a reasonable explanation.
“Full of brotherly concern, is he?”
“Actually, it was quite touching, my lord,” he continued, almost getting caught up in his own lie.
“I am sure,” said Stanton with a derisive laugh. But he watched the viscount return to his friends with a speculative look on his face.
* * * *
The evening seemed endless to Val once he had talked to Devereaux and he was very glad when Elspeth approached him and suggested they say their good-byes. “Your father is looking tired, Val,” she told him. “Of course, we could have his carriage come back for us, if you wish to stay?”
“Only if you do, my dear.”
“No, I have had a lovely time, but I am not one of those who must stay until the last dance has been played.”
* * * *
“I am sorry to leave you to your own devices today, Elspeth,” Val apologized as they sat over a late breakfast the next morning.
“You will be calling on James?”
“Yes, and then I am off to Whitehall. But once this is all settled, we’ll go to Portugal,” he said with a reassuring smile. “And tell your parents we are married,” he added, his smile fading.
“I believe they will be pleased, Val,” Elspeth reassured him, “although my father may be angry at first that they did not have a chance to be there.” She hesitated. “I only wish that you and your father had more time together.”
“I did not realize you were such a sentimental woman, my dear,” Val replied with a touch of irony.
“It is not sentimental to wish that you and he would get to know one another better now that Charlie is gone.”
“I am sure I am only a reminder that the wrong son died,” Val said bitterly.
Elspeth looked as though she wished to argue with him but only said quietly, “I will not discuss this with you this morning, Val. I wish you well in your visit to James and beg you to be careful later. If the instigator of all this is Lucas Stanton, he will be angry to have been exposed.”
“Thank you for your care, Elspeth, but I am sure you need not worry. I will see you early this evening.”