Chapter 16

Letty peered around the column of the Daughtrey family's supper box to observe Vander's approach. David had announced that he would collect Vander and meet them there, and surely enough, there they were, strolling up the path with their heads bent together, laughing at some joke understood only by the two of them.

Vander wore stone grey breeches and a black tailcoat. Truly, no one looked half so handsome in black evening wear as Vander, with his glossy black hair and golden skin perfectly offset by his snow-white linen…

Beneath the table, Emily squeezed her hand, a gesture Letty gratefully returned. Only Emily knew how hard this was, having to match Vander with another woman.

Especially when the woman she was to introduce him to was as exquisite as Beatrice Haddington Barnet. Letty didn't know why she hadn't thought of Mrs. Barnet immediately. She was perfect for Vander in every way. Sophisticated. Clever. In possession of a fine wit.

She was a widow, but she was a young, beautiful widow with brown hair and sparkling green eyes. She was just jaded enough for it to be fashionable rather than tiresome, and she had a worldly air about her Letty was sure Vander would find appealing. There was nothing he could find objectionable about Mrs. Barnet. Absolutely nothing.

Letty felt a horrible foreboding that tonight, Vander would be spending the evening with his future bride. And she would be the one to make it possible.

Emily squeezed her hand again as David and Vander approached the table. They were the last to arrive. The supper box was enclosed by wooden walls on three sides and topped with a roof to keep out the frequently inclement English weather. A plain wooden bench lined each of the walls. Letty's parents were seated to her left, she and Emily were squeezed in along the supper box's back wall, and they had left the right bench open for David and Vander.

"Switch places with me, Letty," were the first words out of David's mouth. "I want to sit next to Emily."

"And good evening to you, too, brother," Letty muttered, sliding around the table.

She made it to the opening and started to stand, but her skirt must've snagged on something because she stumbled as she attempted to rise. David was making eyes with Emily and didn't even notice.

But Vander surged forward and caught her beneath the arms before she could fall face first in the dirt.

"Sorry, Letty," David said cheerfully. "That was my fault. I seem to have trod upon your hem."

Vander swiftly removed his hands from the more intimate areas of her anatomy—more's the pity—but offered her his hand before she could sway. "Are you all right?" he murmured, brown eyes creased with concern.

"I'm fine." Other than the fact that she'd just made a cake of herself in front of the man she'd been in love with for most of her life. "Thanks to you."

"Good." Vander placed his other hand on the small of her back to help her back onto the bench, and Letty shuddered.

Emily was giving David a reproachful look. David grinned, not seeming to notice. "So, how many chickens do you think we'll have to order to get an entire bite?"

He was referring to the portions at Vauxhall, which were notoriously small. While her family began debating what to order, Letty nudged Vander with her elbow. "I think you'll like the woman I've arranged for you to meet tonight," she whispered.

Vander dropped his voice low. "David said earlier that the ball at which you'll have to choose between your suitors is on Tuesday. Is that true?"

"It is. Regarding the woman to whom I'll be introducing you—her name is Beatrice Haddington Barnet, and—"

"I don't want to talk about Beatrice Haddington… whoever she is," Vander muttered.

Letty gave an annoyed huff. "I presumed that you might have some interest in her, which is why I went to the trouble to arrange an introduction."

Vander gave her a baleful look. "That's not what I meant. Of course, I'm grateful for your help. But I've got until the end of the month. You've only got three more days! Are you any closer to figuring out who you're going to accept?"

Letty squeezed her eyes shut. "I am not."

She could feel his breath hot on her ear as he whispered, "We've got to do something."

She gave him a sideways look. "What, exactly, are we going to do?"

"Well, for starters, we can—"

"What are you two talking about?" They both jumped at the sound of David's question.

"Nothing!" they replied in startled unison.

David grinned lazily. "It certainly sounds like nothing."

The waiter appeared, and Letty's father ordered a variety of dishes.

Vander took advantage of the distraction to lean in to Letty's ear. "If you've only got three days, it is imperative that you determine which of them will be more tolerable."

Letty sighed. "I'm not sure it matters. At this point, I doubt I'm going to find marital bliss with either of them. Maybe the best thing is for me to accept that and look elsewhere for my personal happiness."

Vander was studying her in a way that made her want to look away. "Is that what you want?" he whispered.

She gave a startled laugh. "Of course not."

His brown eyes bore into hers. "What do you want?"

She looked away then, afraid that he would see the answer in her eyes. You, Vander. Always you.

"Nothing I'm likely to get in the next three days," she finally answered, still not meeting his eye.

From across the table, her father boomed, "And bring us one of those cheesecakes. That should get us started."

She and Vander jerked guiltily apart. The waiter was heading toward the kitchens, but Vander grabbed his sleeve before he could retreat. "We'd also like a bottle of champagne," he murmured. "Unless Lord Baldridge ordered one already?"

"He did not, Mr. Beauclerk."

"Then bring us one. And I'll take the bill," Vander whispered.

The waiter looked surprised. "For the champagne, sir?"

"For everything," Vander said firmly.

"Yes, sir," the waiter said, departing with a bow.

Letty poked him in the arm. "My father won't like that."

"If you'll keep your voice down, it is my hope that he won't even notice."

"He might not, but it's the principle of the—"

"So, Vander," her father said in his booming voice. "David tells me you're training to take over your father's business."

Vander sprang to attention. "That is correct, my lord."

The conversation turned in other directions. Then the food arrived, and Vander filled Letty's glass with champagne before her mother could object. When her mother frowned, he turned to her at once. "May I fill your glass, Lady Baldridge?"

"Oh, er…" She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but Vander's smile was so charming, she apparently didn't have the heart to chastise him. "That would be lovely."

Letty ate Vauxhall's famous ham, sliced so thinly it bore more resemblance to a spiderweb than a piece of meat, and chickens so small a whole bird fit in the palm of her hand. At least there was bread and butter enough to fill her stomach. They spoke of Vander's work at his father's company and David's upcoming trip to Colchester to canvass for votes.

"I thought your father and I would accompany him as far as Chelmsford," Letty's mother said. "It will give me a chance to drop in and visit my Aunt Agatha. Won't you come with us, Letty?"

She hastily set down her wineglass. "I'd best stay in Town, don't you think? What with Lady Sunderland's ball looming on the horizon."

Her mother's lips tightened. "Then you still haven't made up your mind?"

"No. I'll do so by Tuesday. I'm just trying to make the most informed decision I can."

Her mother was shaking her head. "It should be the easiest decision you'll ever make."

"Well, it's not," Letty muttered under her breath. Beneath the table, Vander nudged her with his knee. When she looked up, his eyes were sympathetic.

"My mother can act as her chaperone," Emily offered. "There's a rout at Mrs. Ridley's house tomorrow, and Lady Napier is hosting a Venetian breakfast on Monday. Lord Throckmorton, Mr. Strickleton, or both are likely to be in attendance. I know Mama won't mind."

"Thank you, Emily," Letty said.

"That's very kind, Emily," Letty's mother said. "Thank you."

By then the sky had darkened to midnight blue and the first stars were starting to glint through the trees. Around the grove, Vauxhall's waiters were setting down their trays and taking up positions along the strings of lamps hanging overhead.

"The lamp lighting! It's about to begin!" Emily exclaimed. She poked David in the shoulder. "Let me up! Let me up! I can't see a thing from in here."

Vander and Letty slid out of the supper box so Emily and David could make their own way out. Even Letty's parents, who had probably visited Vauxhall a hundred times, stood and strode onto the broad gravel path to watch the show.

On cue, tiny sparks broke out all around the Grove, like fireflies. The sparks turned to trails of golden light as they raced up carefully positioned wicks until each one reached its destination: glass lamps of red and yellow, green and blue. Oohs and aahs went up from the crowd as thousands of lamps sparked to life throughout the garden until it felt like being inside of a kaleidoscope. Within two minutes, the lighting was accomplished, and a scattering of cheers and applause broke out from a few of the surrounding supper boxes.

Beside her, Vander grinned. "That never gets old."

"No," Letty agreed. "No, it doesn't."

"David and I are going to go watch the Cascade," Emily announced.

"Oh, that's right!" Letty turned to Vander. "That's where we're to meet with Mrs. Barnet."

She could just make out Vander's groan, barely audible over the crowd surrounding them, which was still exclaiming over the colorful lamps.

He offered Letty his arm. "Shall we, then?"

"David," Letty's mother ordered, "you're to keep a close eye on your sister."

David cast his eyes heavenward. "Yes, Mother."

They trailed after Emily and David. It felt so nice, wandering the paths on Vander's arm, enjoying the cool night air and the rainbow of colors glinting in the trees overhead. It struck Letty that she would've been perfectly content, were it not for the knowledge that her idyll with Vander would be ending in a few short minutes.

They came into the little clearing that housed the Cascade. The Cascade was one of the signature attractions of Vauxhall. At first glance, it looked like a simple panorama of a pretty country scene with a river and a mill. But it had some clever mechanized features, such as a belt that conveyed shiny slivers of metal round and round to give the illusion that the river was running. The mill's wheel also turned. The automation was turned on promptly at nine o'clock each night and would run for fifteen minutes. It was now ten minutes until nine, and a crowd was starting to gather.

Across the clearing, Letty spotted Mrs. Barnet. "That's her," she whispered. "Beatrice Haddington Barnet. She's standing a little ways off from the crowd, next to that elm tree. She's wearing a rust-colored gown with a gold spencer."

Letty's heart squeezed, because Mrs. Barnet looked so beautiful standing by that elm tree in the lamplight, beautiful and forlorn, and it was impossible to imagine that Vander would not be moved by her loveliness.

"Hmm," Vander grunted. "Let's get it over with, I suppose."

Letty gave him a strange look, then shook herself. A significant crowd was forming in the meadow, and she'd already lost sight of Mrs. Barnet. Vander probably hadn't spotted her. That was the only explanation for his lack of enthusiasm.

She tugged his arm and led him to the elm tree, then forced the brittle smile she'd practiced so much over the past week to her lips. "Mrs. Barnet, it's so lovely to see you. May I present Mr. Evander Beauclerk? Mr. Beauclerk, Mrs. Beatrice Haddington Barnet."

Vander made a perfunctory bow over her hand. "Mrs. Barnet. A pleasure."

Mrs. Barnet swept into an elegant curtsey. "Likewise, Mr. Beauclerk."

Vander gestured to the Cascade. "Would you like to stay and watch the Cascade? We may have a better vantage point from—"

"Letty! There you are!" Vander was cut off by Bertie Strickleton, who came bounding into the clearing.

Vander's gaze snapped to Letty. "What's he doing here?" he hissed.

Before she could respond, Bertie burst into their group. "Sorry I'm late. I know we were supposed to meet at the lamp lighting. But you'll never guess who I ran into at White's this afternoon!"

"Was it Figgy?" Letty asked with a solemnity she did not feel.

"No-ho!" Bertie punctuated this by swinging his index finger. "Good guess, though. It was Cheggers!"

"Good old Cheggers," Letty murmured.

"Good old Cheggers, indeed!" Bertie offered her his arm. "Well, he wanted to go to Manton's to shoot, so we swung by my apartments to get my dueling pistols, and then…"

Letty fixed a bland smile upon her lips as she settled in for another evening of Bertie's inane chatter.

"Say, now," Bertie said, "you don't want to watch the Cascade, do you? I'm sick to death of the thing. I must've seen it six times—no, seven. Or is it eight?"

In truth, Letty had wanted to see the Cascade. She, too, had seen it a few times, but not so many that it was no longer diverting. But she bowed her head. "That's fine, Bertie. We can go somewhere else if you like."

"Capital, capital." Bertie was already leading her away.

"Hang on," Vander said. "Where's David?"

Letty glanced around the clearing. Unsurprisingly, David and Emily were nowhere to be seen. "I imagine he's taken Emily off so they can be alone."

"But you need a chaperone," Vander protested.

Letty almost snorted. How dearly she wished an evening of intrigue and romance awaited her in the dark walks.

To be sure, Bertie might subject her to a sloppy kiss or two. But she was fairly certain she would spend the majority of the night listening to him describe his day in wearisome detail.

She gave Vander a wry smile. "Look who's suddenly concerned about propriety. Don't worry. I promise to stay out of trouble."

Vander frowned. "Letty, wait."

She didn't want to wait, didn't want to give him the chance to suggest the four of them make up their own party. The only thing worse than an evening of Bertie's company would be watching the man she pined after fall head over heels in love with Beatrice Haddington Barnet.

So, she waved over her shoulder and let Bertie lead her down the path.

He tilted his head toward hers. "As I was saying, me and Cheggers headed off to Manton's, and you'll never guess who we met there…"

Allowing her attention to drift, Letty glanced over her shoulder to nod farewell to Vander and Mrs. Barnet.

She found Vander staring back at her, his face as dark as a thundercloud.

She was left with that to ponder as Bertie led her off into the night.