Part 33 (1/2)
”I fear that my visit this day is not a pleasant one. Your-” He nodded toward Meredith then.
”Our grandniece.” The snowy-haired pair replied together.
”Of course. Your grandniece suffered a tremendous fall less than thirty minutes past, and I am convinced she did sustain some degree of injury.” With great boldness, he reached out a hand and laid it, comfortingly, upon Viola's bony arm. ”You see, she fell from a hot air balloon, through an oak tree.”
Both aunts snapped their heads around to Meredith.
”Are you injured, dear?” Aunt Viola asked.
Meredith opened her lips and, to her great relief, her teeth were no longer marching. ”No, Auntie. I am perfectly well. This gentleman cus.h.i.+oned my fall with his body.”
”Oh, how gallant you are, Lord Lansing!” Her aunt Let.i.tia exclaimed. But then, she took note of the man's earth-marred coat and grimaced. ”I do hope young Meredith did not cause you any distress, my lord. I daresay, she is a spirited gel and is always getting up to some mischief or another.”
Meredith softly groaned her displeasure, but quieted when her aunt Viola gave her a hard, covert pinch.
”Why after all you've been through, my lord,” her twig-thin aunt Viola began, ”you must come inside and join us for a restorative.”
”As much as I would enjoy joining you, madam, I am afraid that another pressing matter requires my attention.”
No doubt, Meredith mused. Pressing a certain French courtesan to a mattress would be her guess. Oh, she knew his sort all too well. No matter, Giselle would tell her all about it the next morn.
Then, Alexander Lamont pulled a visiting card from a concealed pocket in his dirt-encrusted coat and pressed it into Meredith's hand.
”Should you have further need of my services, Miss Merriweather, please do not hesitate to send for me.” He flashed her a brilliant, knee-weakening smile.
With a nod to her and to each of her aunts, Lord Lansing the rake bid them all farewell, leapt upon his ma.s.sive horse and galloped from the square.
Her elderly aunts released pleased sighs.
Aunt Let.i.tia caught Meredith's shoulder and hobbled along beside her toward the door. ”My, he is a handsome devil, isn't he?”
”Indeed he is,” Meredith murmured. ”But then, they always are.”
”Still, I feel I must caution you against forming any sort of connection with the gentleman, for I have heard rumors that in truth he is no gentleman at all.”
Aunt Viola wrapped her thin fingers around Meredith's upper arm, but as they entered the house and turned into the parlor it was her sister she addressed. ”What a thing to say, Let.i.tia. You must have heard, Lord Lansing has reformed. And you know what the ladies say... a reformed rake makes the very best husband.”
”Nonsense!” Meredith exhaled her breath. ”I for one do not believe it for a moment.”
Aunt Let.i.tia widened her faded blue eyes then shook her head at her sister, who winced when she took her meaning.
”Of course a good, sensible gentleman, like your Mr. Chillton, dear Meredith, should always be a lady's first choice.” A wisp of a giggle slipped through her lips then. ”I only meant that a reformed rake, might know how... well... to please his wife.”
Aunt Let.i.tia chuckled heartily at that, until she toppled back against the settee beside her sister and gasped for breath.
Finally, as the two elderly ladies quieted, Meredith crossed her arms over her chest and raised her chin proudly.
”That may be, Auntie, but I am afraid no woman will ever know for certain because there is no such thing as a reformed rake.”