Much to Mason's fear, Cousin Felicity started filling in the holes in his newly invented family history.
"Major St. Clair died quite tragically."
Lady Delander turned her skeptical gaze on Cousin Felicity.
"Yes, quite tragic," his cousin continued in a nervous rush. Then, to his horror, she launched into a long
dissertation about their far-flung cousins, complete with tales of snakebite, lost babies, and feats of heroism not even Shakespeare would have dared pen.
"Now this is where I can't go on," Cousin Felicity was saying, tears beginning to stream down her
cheeks.
Mason prayed she wouldn't.
She did.
"When I think of what happened next, it wrenches my heart so." Her hands clutched over her breast, her
gaze heavenward, Cousin Felicity looked like Mrs. Siddons ready for a dramatic demise. She'd obviously been taking more than just social lessons from Riley. "Oh, the tragedy of it."
"What happened?" The Dowager snapped.
"The St. Clair curse!" Cousin Felicity declared. "The same one which took my dearest Freddie and Caro -also sent the dreadful fever that claimed our dearest Riley's mother and father when she was just a babe."
"The St. Clair curse, indeed!" the Dowager scoffed. "I never heard such nonsense."
Mason had to agree-but if there was one, he wished it would take him right there and then so he didn'thave to witness another moment of Cousin Felicity's theatrics.The show, however, was just beginning. Cousin Felicity had the audacity to look completely affronted at the Dowager's mockery. "Can you explain Freddie and Caro's unfortunate deaths?" she demanded."The untimely demise of Riley's parents and her grandparents?"Well, the Dowager couldn't, and her open mouth clapped shut with a decided snap."When I think of that poor motherless girl-" Cousin Felicity's bottom lip quivered. "Being raised by those bloodthirsty natives and not knowing she had any family, I just weep."
Mason wanted to as well. He just hoped the rest of the room realized Cousin Felicity's bloodthirsty natives would never have come from the Indian subcontinent.
Cousin Felicity obviously didn't know or care, for she was sniffing and sobbing as if the entire family was about to fall prey to this mythical hex.
"There, there," Mason told her, reaching over and patting her hand. "Our newfound cousin is quite safe and sound now. You needn't continue like this."
Please don't continue, he silently begged.
"She's a blessing to our family," Cousin Felicity told the Dowager between exaggerated sniffs.
Del rushed to confirm Cousin Felicity's convictions. "An angel to behold," he began. "From the first moment I saw her, I knew-"
"-Oh, enough, Allister," his mother snapped. "You've been nattering on about this girl so that I expect her to be able to walk across the Thames, what with all her heavenly merits and blessed virtues. Though I must say, promptness is one asset that seems to have passed her by." The irritation and impatience in the Dowager's voice rose with each word.
As Mason was about to try and make further amends, the doors to the salon swung open and in walked Riley.
Not just Riley-but Riley of the East. The lost daughter of the St. Clairs. He could almost hear the Delhi snake charmers playing their flutes as she entered the room.
Though she looked English enough in her simple yellow muslin, she'd draped over her shoulders a shawl woven in the Eastern style. Her magnificent hair, which last night had tumbled down over his fingers, tempting him to undress her further, was now for the most part, covered with a modest white turban, from which dangled what appeared to be a small ruby.
Beneath the hem of her gown peeked a pair of Oriental slippers the likes of which no one had probably ever dared wear in front of the Dowager.
"Cousin," she said softly to Mason, making a pretty curtsey, and then a salaam to their guests, just as Hashim might have. "My deepest apologies to you and your guests for my delay. I'm afraid I was quite unfit to appear before such distinguished company and had to make the appropriate changes." She blushed and hung her head with demure shame.
"That is quite all right," Mason told her, wondering at this transformation that left her looking exactly like the waif in Cousin Felicity's tale.
Cousin Felicity's unlikely tale.
Then he glanced over at the family's newest bard and caught her winking at Riley, who in turn inclined her head so slightly the movement was discernible only to her partner-in-crime.
Mason did a double-take at his zany cousin and equally troublesome faux cousin.
The two of them had cooked up this entire script.
Then as if on cue, Riley turned to Belton and held out her hand.
The poor aggrieved butler sighed, then produced a small bouquet of flowers.
Riley took them up as if they were gilt, instead of the poor scroungings they looked to be and carried them over to the Dowager. "Part of the reason I am late is that I was trying to finish these," she said, holding out the flowers to the Dowager. "Cousin Felicity confided that you and Lord Ashlin's mother shared a love of flowers." She fluttered her hand at the window which gave way to the tangled mess that was once the Ashlin garden. "I thought you might appreciate a small remembrance of the blossoms she tended. I believe these roses are quite rare."
As she held out her offering, Mason saw the hand holding it was bandaged.
So apparently had the Dowager. "What is wrong with your hand?"
"Nothing," Riley said, hiding it behind her back.
"What have you done to yourself?" This time, not waiting for an answer, Lady Delander reached out and
caught Riley's arm, pulling it forward and peering down at the wrapping covering her fingers.
Riley sighed. "I fear I am unused to English gardens," she told the Dowager. "I got caught by the thorns while I was trying to pick your flowers."
"Wicked patch of them out there," Del said, rubbing his shoulder where he had fallen the day before.
The Dowager stared down at the roses and other pickings in the bouquet. "Well, I never," she
announced, as she looked from Riley's hand to the collection of roses beneath her imperious nose.Mason and everyone else watched the formidable matron, awaiting her verdict."Well, I've never been so touched." She sniffed a couple of times and then, much to Mason's amazement, a flurry of tears fell down the stony cheeks of the dragon of Ashlin Square.
Mason wouldn't have believed the sight if he hadn't witnessed it first hand. Riley had made anotherconquest. He was beginning to think there wasn't a heart in London she couldn't win.Just so long as it wasn't his.Cousin Felicity fished out another handkerchief and handed it to the lady. "Our Riley is such a thoughtful, kind girl. And so brave in her distress."
Lady Delander nodded as if she didn't trust herself to respond.
"Mother, are you all right?" Del asked.
"Of course I am," she snapped at him, shoving the thorny bouquet into his arms and turning toward Riley,
her waspish features immediately softening. "Roses. You picked me a bouquet of roses. You sweet child." Lady Delander glanced back at Del and frowned. "Not even my own son is capable of such kindness."
"I'm just so sorry I was unable to complete my task," Riley said, heaping on the regret and adding a sorrowful expression to her downcast features. "There are ever so many lovely blooms out there, but after my mishap, I grew too timid to attempt to reach them."
"I would only be too happy to-" Del began to say, rising to his feet and reaching out to take Riley's hand.
"Oh, do shut up, Allister," Lady Delander told him, slapping away his outstretched hand. "Go sit over there. Next to Lord Ashlin," she bade him, as if he were a lad of six, instead of twenty-and-six. "And you," she said to Riley, "shall sit next to me."
Mason watched, wondering if he wasn't dreaming, as Lady Delander, the arbiter of fashion and manners, settled the most notorious woman in London down next to her and began fawning over her as if she were a Princess Royal.
"Now we must get you vouchers, my dear," Lady Delander began. "And invitations to the right social events. Lord Ashlin, whatever were you thinking last night in not bringing your cousin to Mrs. Evans's musicale?"
"Well, I...I just didn't think she..." he began.
The Dowager shook her finger at him. "Oh, don't bother with your excuses. I know exactly what you were about last night and why you came alone." She turned to Riley. "Men! When you are my age, you'l know all their tricks." The Dowager snorted. "Look at Lord Ashlin, sitting over there playing quite the innocent, when he spent the entire evening wooing Miss Pindar."
Miss Pindar? Riley glanced over at Mason, trying to buoy the sinking feeling in her heart.
Why should she care if he'd spent his evening looking for a wife? He'd made his intentions to enter the Marriage Mart very clear.
So why had he lied to her and told her differently? Not that it really mattered to her.
Oh, but it did, much to her chagrin.
"You'd best not dally, Lord Ashlin," Lady Delander lectured. "With Miss Pindar's fortune, someone will carry her off to Gretna right under your nose if you don't offer for her immediately."
Mason mumbled something polite, but it wasn't the denial Riley longed to hear. If only he'd tell the nosy old hen he had no desire to wed the impossibly rich and probably beautiful Miss Pindar.
"Though I must admit," Lady Delander said, continuing her speech as if it were being delivered to the House of Lords, "I usually don't condone marrying into the merchant class-it's unseemly. But in Miss Pindar's case, I would make an exception."
Riley wondered what virtues the estimable Miss Pindar possessed to make even Lady Delander drop her rigid standards.
"Besides," Lady Delander was saying, "I think you make a handsome couple. Almost as handsome a couple as Allister and your dear cousin."
At first Riley was still too irritated over the lady's revelation to register her comment, but then it sank in. Had the lady just referred to her and Lord Delander as a couple?
Eh, gads! She and Cousin Felicity's plan had gone far better than they had hoped. They had thought that their story of her being orphaned and raised by Hindu natives might pique the Dowager's interest in her, but exclude her as unfit material for a daughter-in-law.
Obviously the bouquet idea had been too much.
Aggie always said she liked to overplay the second act.
Now she had not only to remain in the woman's good graces, but extricate herself from a marriage she
didn't want.
Before she could even come up with an inkling of how to do this, the Dowager started planning Riley'supcoming Season."-It is imperative that you meet everyone. The vouchers I'll secure tomorrow, and you'll need to accompany me on my Tuesday and Thursday calls so I can introduce you to all the right hostesses. And don't accept any invitations without my approval."
At this boon, Riley shook her head. "I fear I cannot accept your kindness."
"Whyever not?" the lady snapped, momentarily reverting to her usual crusty self.
"Because I am not here in London for my own cares, but to help my cousins prepare for their Season. I fear I haven't the time for my own pleasures."
She hoped Mason knew that comment was meant more for him than for their company.
Miss Pindar, indeed! Well, if he wanted someone to kiss, he could just take his pleasure with his eligible, rich nonpareil.
"Stuff and bother, girl," Lady Delander declared. "I will have my way on this."
Riley smiled and shook her head. "I was raised with the understanding that one repays one's good
fortune before seeking one's own happiness. And Lord Ashlin has bestowed upon me a safe haven in
these perilous times.""Utter nonsense," Lady Delander said. She stared at Riley for a moment and then added a "harumph."When Riley shook her head again, the lady's thick frown creased even deeper into her florid face. "Well,you are a determined thing, so we will just see that Lord Ashlin's nieces are presented posthaste." Thelady turned to her brother. "George, have your secretary send around a new invitation to yourmasquerade for Lord Ashlin, and include his nieces and dear cousin here."