CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The next afternoon Giff strolled to Worthington House so that he and Alice could take her high-perched phaeton to the balloon ascension. Alice's carriage was parked outside the house. It had been joined by Lady Evesham's landau as well as what he assumed to be Lady Worthington's landau. It was the largest one he'd ever seen. He strode up to the open door and was greeted by a crowd of ladies and children.

"St. Albans." Lady Evesham smiled and held out her hands. "It is good to see you again."

"My lady. I am delighted to see you."

She signaled to two children who were speaking with Gideon and Elizabeth and appeared to be the same ages. "Anna, I would like to introduce you to Lord St. Albans. St. Albans, my eldest daughter Lady Anna Finley."

The girl made a credible curtsey. "I am pleased to meet you, my lord."

Giff bowed. "It is my pleasure, my lady."

"And this is my son Lord Finley."

Giff held out his hand. "My lord. I'm pleased to meet you."

The child took his hand. "I'm happy to make your acquaintance."

He greeted Ladies Mary and Theo, Gideon, and Elizabeth, as well as Lady Worthington, and, finally, Alice. "Will we try to place the carriages all together?"

"Matt arranged to have our travel carriages taken to the Park to save the places for us." She glanced at the corridor on the left. "Here he comes." Alice scowled at him. "You are late."

"I am." He shook his head slightly. "I do apologize." Worthington cut Giff a wry glance. "You, however, are on time."

He took Alice's hand and tucked it in the crook of his arm. "I have noticed Lady Alice is always prompt. A trait I greatly appreciate."

"Wise of you." Worthington surveyed the rest of the group. "It is time to depart."

Maids and footmen who had been standing off to the side helped their charges into the carriages, then took their own places. Giff was slightly surprised at how orderly it all was. Then again, he was certain that having eleven children to move around made being orderly important. He helped Alice into the phaeton, then climbed up on the passenger side. "How is this going to work?"

She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I am not exactly sure. Matt has been receiving reports all morning. We have baskets of food because we are arriving early. I was told to follow the landaus."

Giff imagined the park full of carriages and people, and he was not disappointed. Rather than go through the crowd, landaus went around and were guided into place by grooms. As soon as they arrived, the large traveling coaches departed, leaving them more than enough space for their carriages. "That was a well-executed scheme."

"It was." Alice tilted her head as if thinking. "I assume our former military men came up with it."

"That would make sense." He wondered what else the former soldiers did.

A curricle driven by Lady Kenilworth joined them. She glanced at Alice. "I am glad we made it in time."

Kenilworth rode his hack with Hugh riding in front of him. He gave Giff a rueful look. "Nothing is a secret in this family."

Chuckling, Alice glanced around. "Where are Dotty and Merton?"

He shrugged. "They are supposed to be here." Kenilworth scanned the gathering and pointed. "Across the way."

The Mertons were walking toward them. Once they arrived, they took seats in Lady Worthington's carriage. "This is much better than attempting to bring our own," Lady Merton said as she settled into the landau. "I remember wondering what you were going to do with such a large carriage after everyone began to leave."

"It is true that I do not use it much these days," Lady Worthington said. "Oh, look. The balloon men are here."

"They are called balloonists, Mamma," Gideon said.

"Thank you, dear." She smiled. "I would not wish to be incorrect in my terminology."

Hugh frowned. "I thought they were called argonauts?"

"That too," Gideon agreed. "But balloonist is used more often."

"Gideon is correct," Arthur added. "I do like argonauts better."

Giff placed his lips next to Alice's ear and felt her react to him. "How often do they get together?"

"Often enough to be friends. Although, Gideon and Hugh are closer. They were all born within a few months of each other."

Giff glanced around again. "I thought we'd see Rothwell here."

Alice gave him a sad look. "Louisa sent a note. Poor Alexandria wasn't feeling well this morning. She tried to hide it."

"Of course, she did. She has as much pluck as the rest of her cousins." He was sorry for the little girl that she'd miss the event. "I hope they have another one soon so that she can see it."

The balloon began to fill. Hugh leaned forward, but his father caught him. Gideon climbed to the coachman's seat clearly intent on keeping his promise but wanting the best view. Elizabeth and the Evesham children joined him.

"Look, Papa, look!" Hugh pointed his finger at the balloon. "It's almost full."

"So it is. Thank you for telling me." Kenilworth kept a tight hold on his son.

Giff imagined the children Alice and he would have and events like this where they joined their cousins and the rest of the family. His hand inched over to cover hers. But he stopped. It was too soon. She required a little more time. He stifled a sigh. At least he was here with her and her family. That had to be enough for now.

Alice watched as the balloon filled and the balloonists climbed into the basket. What would it be like to rise up in the sky and fly? She put her hand down on the bench, touched St. Albans's hand then removed hers. She had to remember that even though he was spending time with her, it was just as a friend. He had another lady in mind to be his wife. "Is it not marvelous?"

"It is." He was staring up at the balloon as she was. "I wonder if someday they will take passengers up. Perhaps not to fly, but to just look at the view."

"I think I might like to fly. Think about being able to see everything from above."

"You have a point. It would be interesting."

The balloonists gave a signal, and the men on the ground started detaching the lines from the stakes in the ground.

"Blast it, Hugh!" Con bellowed.

"There he is." St. Albans caught the reins of her brother-in-law's horse. "Go straight ahead."

"Come back here!" Con shouted.

Alice's heart stopped. Hugh dodged his way through the shallow crowd. Her brother-in-law had been right. "They should have put a lead on him."

St. Albans held her hand. "You see people letting Kenilworth through. He'll get to Hugh in time."

Her nephew jumped for a loose line that was being pulled up into the basket. Con caught him mid leap. Hugh stared up at the balloon and started to cry. "I wanted to go, Papa. I wanted to fly."

"That lad's got a lot of pluck," a man said. "You'll get there boy. Give it a few years."

Con handed Hugh into Charlotte's landau and came over to St. Albans. "Thank you. He's going to give me gray hairs."

Gray hair? Hugh was going to do more than that. "He's going to give us all heart attacks." St. Alban's released Alice's hand and she missed the comfort and warmth. "What did you make him promise? He would never break one."

Con racked his fingers through his hair. "I didn't. I told him he could ride with me. I thought I'd be able to keep hold of him. I'll never do that again."

Alice stared up at the balloon. "You know, you cannot really blame him. I would like to fly as well."

That was the second time she'd mentioned it. St. Albans nodded as he looked up. "I would too." He took her hand again. "Maybe one day we'll be able to."

"Do it before you have children," Con growled. He mounted his gelding. "I'm going home to have a large brandy. That child has taken years off my life."

The balloon sailed toward Greenwich, and Alice hoped it did not accidentally go out to sea. That would be dangerous. Once it was out of sight, people started to leave. "We did not even have time to eat anything in our basket."

St. Albans glanced at her with a frown. "You're right." A gleam entered his eyes. "Let's drive the phaeton over toward the Serpentine and have an al fresco luncheon."

"That is an excellent idea. Do you want to invite the others?"

"Yes, let's do."

"Charlotte, we have a basket and are going to the Serpentine to have an al fresco luncheon. Pass the word down to everyone else."

"That is a lovely idea. We have a basket as well. It will also give the children a chance to run around."

Soon they were all gathered together. Blankets were laid out as well as food, wine, ale, and lemonade. Alice watched St. Albans speaking with her brothers-in-law. That, of course, was not surprising. He knew most of them.

Charlotte came up. "He really is very nice."

"He is." Alice had to agree. Yet, she needed to disabuse her sister of the notion that he was interested in her. "Unfortunately, he is planning to wed another lady."

Charlotte's eyes widened. "Who would that be?"

"I do not know." Alice linked her arm with her sister's. "Let us eat before the children leave us nothing but crumbs."

Her sister laughed. "They can be rather ravenous."

Grace called Charlotte away as St. Albans joined Alice. "You have an interesting family. I like them." He had fixed himself a plate and one for her then poured the crisp white wine into glasses before sitting next to her. "I'm glad they all take care of each other."

She had often thought the same. Alice took a sip of wine. "I am as well. I do not know what I would do without them."

"I have a feeling you will never have to find out." He made a sandwich out of slices of chicken and tomatoes. "You would like my family." He grimaced. "Not my father's side as much, but definitely my mother's side."

Alice grinned. "The Scots."

"Yes."

As if on cue, the duchess strode up to them. "You have had an exciting day. Who was the little boy who got away?"

St. Albans rose and helped his mother sit on the blanket. "That was Kenilworth's son Hugh. He becomes a bit excited about things."

"That is one way of putting it." Alice's tone was dryer than she wanted it to be. "Everyone thinks he is very much like his father."

"Kenilworth. Kenilworth." The duchess tapped her chin. "He would be much too young to be the Kenilworth I knew as a young lady. Although, I must say, if he does not take after his father, he takes after his grandfather."

Since none of them, with the possible exception of Matt, had ever meant Con's father, they had not considered how that kind of behavior could run in a family. "Good Lord. You must tell Charlotte."

The duchess's smile broadened. "I would greatly enjoy coming to know your family better, my dear." She waved off St. Alban's help as she rose. "In fact, I shall do so now."

His brows drew together slightly. "I wonder what she is up to?"

Alice did not understand. "Why would she be up to anything?"

He shook his head. "No reason. No reason at all. Do you think I could hire a balloonist to take us up as long as we were tethered to earth?"

Just the idea excited her. "I have no idea. You would have to find them and ask."

"I think I shall. It would be an interesting experience."

What would it be like to be married to someone who wanted to have adventures? Whoever he wed would be a lucky lady. The thought made her happy feelings dissolve. Whoever it was, it would not be her.

* * *

For the following week after the balloon ascension, Giff had danced every supper set with Alice. They met in the mornings to gallop and race their horses. He'd taken to breaking his fast at Worthington House afterward. They had gone riding in the Park several times, ate ices at Gunter's, met at Hatchards, and talked about every topic under the sun. It was time to propose. Giff decided he'd do it at Hatchards where they had their first meeting of the minds. He was to join her there this morning, but he decided they should go together. Giff feathered the corner into Berkeley Street. He hoped he was in time to offer her a ride. To ensure he didn't miss her he drove the route she usually took to the bookstore from Worthington House. He was traveling from Piccadilly toward Berkeley Square when he saw her. As usual, she was accompanied by Williams, her footman. Just as she turned on to Berkeley Street strolling toward Giff, a small boy ran out into the road in front of a coach that was traveling rapidly toward the lad. Alice said something, and her footman dashed out to save the boy. Before Giff knew what was happening, the coach stopped. The door flew open, and a footman jumped off the back of the coach, grabbed Alice and threw her into the vehicle, slamming the door behind her. She must have quickly attained the bench because he could see her through the window as the coach passed by. Unfortunately, her bonnet had a brim that hid the side of her face, and he couldn't ascertain if she had been injured. Who the devil was in the coach?

Normanby.

The idiot hadn't even bothered to hide the crest on the side of the carriage. This time, Giff really would kill him when he got his hands on the man.

Turning his curricle around, he shouted to her footman, "Inform his lordship. I'll go after them."

Giff followed the coach, keeping as close as he could with the traffic. Finally, they reached the start of the Great North Road. Where the devil was the bounder taking her? Surely, not to Greta Green. The blackguard would never be able to keep her in the coach that long without her assent. He settled back for the ride. They had to stop to either rest the horses or change them. The weather was fine and dry. Giff would wait until then to rescue her. Once he got her back to Town, he'd propose.

When he reached the first toll, he paid and handed the man his card. "If anyone comes by looking for the coach that just passed, please tell them to continue onward."

"I will do so, my lord. Good luck."

"Thank you." He started his pair again and sprung them the short distance needed to catch up to the coach.