Page 13 of To Follow her Heart

Kitty leaned back and regarded the massive brown bear with a frown. From her position—standing on a chair—before the great beast, she looked down at Harriet.

“I can’t get his cravat right,” she said, shaking her head.

“Here, let me have a go. I’ve done Henry’s before now. He says I’m better than his valet.”

Kitty laughed and climbed down. “You do know this is supposed to be my dare,” she said, giving her hand to Harriet as she took her place. “I feel like I should take another one.”

Harriet grinned. “Only if I can claim this one is entirely mine.”

“Oh, no, that won’t do,” Kitty said, wagging a finger at her. “You don’t get out of it that easily. I have all the dares packed safely away and the bear is only borrowing the top hat. You’re going to pick yours before we leave here.”

“Ugh,” Harriet said, pulling a face.

Kitty chuckled and watched as Harriet’s deft fingers made short work of the cravat.

“Oh, I say, Harry, your brother is right. What a splendid job!”

Harriet jumped down and they stood back to regard their handwork. “He does look rather dashing,” she said with approval. “I do like the rakish angle of his hat, too. If St Clair was a bear, he’d look just like that.”

Kitty snorted and unfolded a hideously garish waistcoat of violet and yellow stripes. “Would he wear this monstrosity?”

Harriet chuckled. “Lord, no. He’d rather die than commit such a crime against sartorial elegance. Henry, however, has no taste whatsoever.”

She arranged the chair to the right of the bear. “You’d best bring that chair to other side, Kitty. Even with the all the ties at the back of the waistcoat undone, we’re going to have the devil’s own job getting it on him.”

“Never mind that, what about his pantaloons?” Kitty asked, before dissolving into giggles.

Harriet bit her lip, laughter dancing in her eyes. “We’ll have to figure that one out when we get to it.”

“This is going to take a deal longer than I’d anticipated,” Kitty admitted, looking at the clock. “I think I’ll have to cut the pantaloons in half and sew them onto him.”

They’d already missed most of dinner, as wrangling the shirt on had been nigh on impossible. In the end they’d cut it up the back and pinned it back together. That Harriet had thought to provide a sewing kit for the affair showed her superior intellect in Kitty’s opinion.

“Good,” Harriet said, looking like she was thoroughly enjoying herself. “I’ve no desire to go back, and I’ve done nothing like this before in my life. If you think I will leave the job half done, you don’t know me very well. We’ll just have to say the headache you lied about turned into a megrim and you stayed to look after me.”

Kitty sighed and gave a sad shake of her head. “Harriet Stanhope, now you’re telling lies as well as behaving like a hoyden. I do believe I’m leading you astray.”

Harriet snorted and climbed back onto the chair with the hideous waistcoat clutched in one hand. “Oh good,” she said, her tone somewhat defiant. “It’s about time someone did.”

***

Jasper looked up as his butler, Temple, sidled up to him and gave a discreet cough. The men had just returned to the ladies after their port, and his mother was serving tea.

“Mr Derby and his party arrived half an hour ago, my lord,” the man said in an undertone. “I have had them all seen to their rooms and they requested not to join the guests at this late hour. However, Mr Derby is desirous of seeing you as soon as is convenient.”

“Oh?” he said, surprised. “Very well, I’ll come at once.”

Mr Derby was a rather humourless devil and no doubt wished to give his apology for their late arrival in person. Not that a broken axel was anything anyone could have foreseen, but it gave Jasper an excuse to leave his guests and search for Harriet. Neither she nor Kitty had returned to the dinner table, which was most out of character for Harry. He hoped she was all right.

He was unhappily aware he’d upset her, though he’d not meant to. Not that it made a difference; she always took offense whether or not he was deliberately provoking her. Admittedly, sometimes he couldn’t help himself, and riling her was so easy. He far preferred it when she was furious and raging at him, though, it was better than being ignored. Her indifference cut him far deeper than any angry words ever could, though he’d never admit that to another living soul.

“I had him shown to your study, my lord,” Temple said as Jasper got to his feet.

Jasper nodded his understanding, apologised to his guests, and went to deal with Mr Derby.

On entering his study, he was a little taken aback to find not only Mr Derby and another young man he did not know, but… but….

“Good heavens,” he said.