Page 34 of The Wedding Challenge

Callie glanced at her, as did Irene and Gideon.

“Who is—” Irene began then stopped. “Oh, yes, I remember now. She was at the ball at the Park when we got engaged, wasn’t she? Lady…” She paused, trying to recall the name, and turned toward Gideon.

“Do not ask me,” her husband told her. “I don’t remember the woman.”

It seemed absurd that any man would not remember this woman, but Callie suspected that with Gideon it was true. He was clearly so smitten with Irene that he barely looked at any other women.

“Swithington,” Francesca said in a rather brittle voice. “Lady Daphne Swithington.”

“Oh!” Callie was surprised and a little chagrined at the relief that swept through her. “She is Lord Bromwell’s sister.”

“Yes. Apparently she has come to town for the Season.” Francesca sounded anything but overjoyed at the prospect.

Callie glanced over at her friend. Surely there was something more bothering Francesca than just the fact that Lady Swithington’s reputation had been unsavory. After all, from what Francesca had said, it had been many years since whatever scandalous behavior the woman had engaged in, and she had been out of Society since then. While her entrance had caused a stir around the room, no one was turning away or giving her the cut direct. Even if Lady Swithington were still ostracized, Callie did not think that it would cause Francesca, who was not at all high-in-the-instep, to turn as frosty as she was now. Callie could not help but wonder if perhaps Francesca’s late husband might have been one of the many men with whom Lady Daphne had been reputed to have had an affair.

Though they nodded to one or two people as they passed, Lord Bromwell and his sister did not stop until they reached Callie and her companions. “Lady Haughston, Lady Calandra, pray allow me to introduce my sister, Lady Swithington,” he began.

Francesca’s smile was icy as she replied, “Yes, Lady Swithington and I are old acquaintances.”

“Oh, yes,” the other woman added, her smile much less reserved than Francesca’s. Up close, Callie could see that the woman was older than she had appeared from across the floor. Tiny wrinkles fanned out from the corners of her eyes, and when she was not smiling, there were deep grooves bracketing her mouth. “Lady Haughston and I know each other well, do we not? And Lady Calandra.” She turned her smile on Callie, adding, “I am so happy to meet you at last. I knew your brother, of course, but you were just a wee thing then.” She let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. “Now I am showing our age, am I not, Francesca? How terrible of me.”

Francesca’s smile had vanished entirely. Ignoring the other woman’s words, she went on, her voice like glass, “I believe you have met Lord and Lady Radbourne.”

“Yes, of course. At your engagement party, was it not?” Lady Swithington smiled brilliantly at the other couple. “I was just out of mourning then, but I felt it was not amiss to attend, given that dear Lady Odelia invited me. She is our father’s cousin through marriage, you see, and has always been so kind to us. Hasn’t she, Brom, dear?” She turned to her brother, smiling affectionately.

“Yes, Lady Odelia is a darling,” Bromwell replied in a sardonic voice, and his sister tapped him playfully with her furled fan.

“Bromwell…you will give everyone the wrong idea.”

Gideon let out a chuckle. “Not likely—we are all related to Lady Odelia, as well.”

“Now that Lady Daphne is here,” Bromwell said, “I hoped that we might make up a party to Richmond Park next week. No doubt our cousin Mr. Tilford will go with us. It would give me great pleasure if all of you would attend, as well.” He looked around at the others. “Lord and Lady Radbourne? Lady Haughston?” His eyes came last to Callie, but it was on her that they stayed. “Lady Calandra?”

“It sounds very nice, if the weather holds,” Callie put in quickly, for she had the suspicion that Francesca might say no. “I have been growing restless, I confess. A long ride sounds just the thing.”

“Yes, doesn’t it?” Francesca agreed with distinctly less enthusiasm. “However, I am afraid that neither Lady Calandra nor I have any mounts stabled in the city. I find it difficult to find much time for riding, so I only ride when I am at Redfields. And as only Lady Calandra came to London to visit me, the Lilles horses are not here, either.”

“No need to worry about that,” Bromwell said. “I was at Tattersall’s this week, and I have not sent the animals I bought to the estate yet. I should welcome the opportunity to see them in action.”

“And we have some of our horses, as well,” Lord Gideon put in. “I am sure that among us we will have enough for everyone.”

“Then of course,” Francesca gave in gracefully. “It sounds delightful.”

Callie felt sure that Francesca did not mean her words, but she was not about to quibble. The prospect of a ride out to and through the wide green spaces of Richmond Park sounded most enjoyable. Nor was it just the fact that such an expedition would offer a much freer social situation than a party. She had been feeling cooped up in the City, for she loved to ride and did so often whenever she was at one of their estates. Even in the City, she was accustomed to taking a sedate ride along Rotten Row a couple of times a week, and she had sorely missed the exercise and the fresh air.

So it was arranged that they would go to the park on the following Tuesday, provided there was no dreary rain to spoil the expedition. Bromwell and his sister stayed to chat for a few more minutes. Francesca was much more silent than was customary for her, but Lady Daphne easily took up the slack, giving a droll account of her trip from her late husband’s far-flung estate to London, which seemed to have been plagued with every delay from having to turn back for a trunk left behind to a broken wheel to being stuck in a west country inn for three days because of a late snowstorm.

After a time, Irene and Gideon excused themselves, and a few moments later Bromwell and Lady Daphne did, as well, Lady Daphne warmly taking Callie’s hand in hers and murmuring that she looked forward to getting to chat with her on the outing. Bromwell bent over Callie’s hand in his usual way, his lips brushing soft as velvet across her skin. Her fingers tightened involuntarily on his, and he looked at her as he straightened, his eyes suddenly hot and intimate.

After they had walked away, Callie leaned closer to Francesca, saying softly, “You need not go to Richmond Park if you do not wish to. Irene and Gideon will be there, and surely that is ample chaperonage for me. It will be perfectly all right. I will say that you fell ill the morning we are to go.”

“And let Daphne revel in the idea that I hadn’t the courage to spend a day in her company?” Francesca retorted. There was a steely glint in her deep blue eyes that Callie had never seen there before. “Nonsense. I will manage perfectly well.” She set her jaw, muttering beneath her breath, “‘Showing our age’ indeed! As if she were not six years older than I if she is a day!”

Callie smothered a smile behind her fan. She could not remember ever before seeing Francesca display the slightest feminine venom. Confident in her own beauty and place in society, she did not flare with jealousy or envy. When other women behaved in such a manner to her, she usually skewered them with deft skill, but without employing bitterness or dislike. It was somehow reassuring to see that Francesca was as capable as the next person of giving way to a spurt of ill-tempered dislike.

Lady Daphne had seemed to Callie to be a pleasant, friendly person, though Callie certainly had no intention of mentioning that to Francesca—any more than she would ask Francesca why she disliked Lady Daphne so much. It was far too rude and personal a question, especially given the fact that Callie suspected the answer probably had to do with Francesca’s husband, who had been rumored to be a libertine. It was too bad, really, for Callie would have liked very much to know exactly what Lady Daphne had done to Francesca to engender such a feeling in her.

However, looking at Francesca’s face, Callie knew that her curiosity was not going to be satisfied. Even the most delicate probing was not going to elicit anything from Francesca tonight. So Callie put her questions aside and let her mind drift to the far more enjoyable topic of spending the following Tuesday in the company of Lord Bromwell.