Page 28 of The Bridal Quest

"I have no doubt of that," Francesca replied. "And, you know, once the other young women are there, you would not have to be around him a great deal. He will doubtless spend most of his time talking to them, and they will all be eager to capture his interest."

"I suppose." Irene's smile slipped a little.

"I do wish you would come as my assistant. You would get to be away from your sister-in-law, and if you would like, you could bring your mother with you, as well."

"Mother would enjoy it, I am sure," Irene said, looking thoughtful.

"Of course. Both Lady Pencully and Lady Radbourne will be there, and though they are older than she is, I think that she would enjoy their company. Lady Odelia can be quite entertaining. And it would be a great help to me."

"Really?" Irene turned a penetrating look on Francesca.

"Oh, yes," Francesca answered honestly. "I think that your presence would greatly enhance the possibility of Radbourne getting a wife. I have not dealt with him, really. Certainly not in the way he deals with prospective brides. You have. You know all the things he does that irritate and offend. You can direct us in exactly where he needs to improve. Moreover, your presence will take a great deal of the burden from me. You can introduce him to the other girls when they arrive, and assist me in setting up situations where he can talk to them. It is always much easier if one has more than one chaperone, after all."

"Yes, of course it would be. Though I refuse to try to influence any young woman to accept his suit. I cannot in good conscience recommend him to anyone, particularly a young and vulnerable girl."

"Oh, no, I would not suggest such a thing!" Francesca answered, looking horrified. "The last thing that he needs for a wife is a weak girl. She must be strong, and well able to deal with him and his family. In any case, it would be quite wrong to try to persuade someone against her will. But allowing him the opportunity to endear himself to a woman is quite another thing."

"I see little likelihood of that," Irene said in a skeptical tone.

"Perhaps not. But I think it is worth a try. I cannot help but feel a trifle sorry for the man, given the horrible things that have happened to him over the years. Torn from his family, forced into a life of poverty and neglect. It is a wonder he even survived, much less that he was restored to his title and inheritance. And of course, that inheritance cannot make up for the fact that he grew up not knowing his mother and father. So much of his life has been stolen from him."

Irene felt a tug of sympathy in her heart. "You are right. It must have been very hard. No doubt it is wrong of me to be so critical of his manners and address. I should look beyond them. They are, after all, the result of things beyond his control." Her gaze turned thoughtfully inward.

"True." Francesca looked over at her companion. "So tell me, will you come with me to Radbourne Park? It would be such a favor to me."

Irene turned to her and smiled. "Yes. I think that I will. I should like to help you, as long as it is made clear to Lord Radbourne that I am not one of the girls competing for the honor of becoming his wife."

"Of course," Francesca agreed quickly. "I shall make it perfectly clear to him and to Lady Odelia."

Irene's smile widened. "Very well, then. It is settled."

The carriage had reached Irene's house and stopped. Swiftly they agreed to meet again to make arrangements for the actual journey after Francesca had discussed the whole affair again with Lady Pencully. Then Irene climbed lightly down from the carriage and, with a little wave of her hand to Francesca, went up the front steps of her house and in the door.

Francesca watched her as she walked away, her brain busy with plans. She had told Irene the truth: she would make it quite clear to those involved that Irene had no intention of agreeing to marry Lord Radbourne.

Of course, that would not be the end of the matter. His lordship was not one who readily accepted defeat. And given Irene's detailed description of the man she professed to dislike, Francesca was inclined to think Irene was not really aware of the workings of her own heart.

Francesca did not mean to apply pressure to Irene to marry the man. But that did not mean she could not present the younger woman with ample opportunity to change her mind.

She gestured to her driver to take her home. It was time to get to work.

Chapter Seven

The heavy old carriage rolled along the road, carrying the three women into the village of Wooton Beck. It was a quiet little town, with a village green, an unremarkable stone church, and rows of shops and cottages that marched up the rising slope. It was significant, however, to the occupants of the carriage, because only a mile or so past Wooton Beck lay the sprawling home of the Bankes family.

Lady Odelia had provided Francesca, Irene and Lady Claire with her own carriage for the journey. Although old-fashioned, it was well-sprung and luxurious. No effort had been spared to provide for their comfort. There was a basket of food and drink if they became hungry or thirsty. And there were lap robes to lay across their knees if it became too cool.

Irene glanced across at her mother, who was napping, her head nestled into the corner of the carriage, and wondered whether she ought to wake her. Lady Claire, she knew, would want to have enough time to put herself to rights before she met Lord Radbourne and his family. Still, she hated to interrupt her slumber. Between the excitement of the coming visit and the added work of getting ready for it, Irene's mother had been missing sleep the last ten days.

In Irene's opinion, there had been little need for the multitude of preparations that Lady Claire and the others had so enthusiastically embraced. First, there had been the apparent necessity for new clothes. Irene had argued against it, pointing out that she had ample garments, but her mother and, somewhat to her surprise, her sister-in-law had agreed that she could not face the house party without at least two or three new frocks.

"You must have a good evening gown—one that hasn't been seen time after time this past Season," Lady Maura had insisted, her interest diverted for the moment from her plans for her upcoming baby. "And a few new day dresses, as well. Do you not think so, Lady Claire? We cannot have Irene looking dowdy at Radbourne Park."

Irene had been so shocked by such a generous gesture from her brother's wife that she had agreed to the trip to the dressmaker's shop, and Humphrey had been so pleased at the sight of his little family basking in such seeming harmony that he had opened up his purse, giving Lady Maura free rein for their purchases.

Of course, Irene had quickly realized that Lady Maura's eagerness to get rid of her troublesome sister-in-law through marriage lay behind her sudden burst of goodwill, but it had nevertheless been pleasant indeed to go on an outing with Maura in which there was almost no verbal sparring between the two of them. Francesca, when told of the trip to the mantua makers, had decided to come along, and her presence had, of course, enlivened the excursion. Somehow, amidst all the laughter and chatter and unaccustomed bonhomie, Irene had found herself purchasing far more than she usually did and, moreover, purchasing dresses that were softer and more attractive than those she normally wore.

Francesca had insisted that only the gold satin ball gown would do, and indeed, Irene had been so swayed by the soft golden glow of the material that she had at last agreed, though she insisted that there be only one row of festooned flounces, not three, around the bottom of the skirt and that the low neckline be raised an inch. Then there had to be soft dancing slippers to match and a gold-tissue wrap to drape around her bare arms, not to mention ribbons and flowers for her hair.