her aunt comfortingly in between greeting the arriving guests. “Those little clouds are just here to give us some shade, so our skin doesn’t freckle.”
“If we get one drop of rain, your uncle is going to bolt for it,” Adelaide complained.
Georgiana snickered at that. It was common knowledge Jonas disliked tea parties, however much he enjoyed balls and other events. Just as she was about to remind her aunt of a past tea party when her uncle had been miserable, another guest was seen arriving.
“Hmm … I see someone has caught your eye,” Adelaide teased as soon as she recognized Lord Bartlett as the new arrival. “I think I must mingle with the guests who are already here. This gentleman is one you may greet yourself.”
She blushed at the insinuation but didn’t deny it, as her aunt left departed. In fact, Georgiana barely even glanced at her aunt leaving, her eyes solely on the man walking up to her.
“It is a pleasure to have you here, Lord Bartlett. I wasn’t sure if you would enjoy such a garden party as this. I own I am rather pleasantly surprised to see you here.”
“I was pleased to receive an invitation,” he replied, smiling broadly. “As for my presence being somewhat surprising, I can’t say I have ever been to such an event before, so I thought to take up your aunt’s kind offer and see for myself what they are like.”
“Hmm, well, I quite enjoy tea parties myself, but I don’t know if you will or not. I suppose we will have to wait and see.”
“If you like them, I suppose they must be enjoyable.”
Georgiana tilted her head to the side, scrunching up her nose. “I don’t know about that … my aunt loves these parties, but my uncle avoids them as much as he possibly can …. Ambrose seems to like them, though, so you might, too.”
“Perhaps…” he glanced back to see that no one else was arriving just then. “Perhaps you could show me what your favorite parts of a tea party are?”
“Well…” Georgiana debated accepting. Her aunt had left her there to greet the guests, but most of those invited had already arrived.
Then, she spotted Ambrose. “Ah! Just one moment,” she said before darting away towards her friend. “Ambrose, could you do me a favor?”
“If I can. What do you need me to do?”
“I know you don’t technically live here, but I think you are close enough to count. Would you mind greeting the last few guests as they arrive? I think there are only one or two left, and they might not be coming anyway, so all you have to do is wait a little while near the side gate where they will enter.”
Ambrose smiled at her. “Alright, on one condition. You have to tell me what you are so excited about.”
“Excited? I am not excited about anything,” she replied and felt her cheeks begin to blush.
“Are you sure? Because you tend to ramble when you are excited. So, what are you up to this time?”
“Oh, fine,” she retorted, eager to get it over with before Walter began to think she was neglecting him. “Lord Bartlett has just arrived, and he has never been to a tea party before, so I want to … introduce him to what they are all about. Will you do that for me?”
Ambrose had blinked, clearly surprised, his mouth hanging open for a moment before he closed it. “Um, I suppose—”
“Thank you, Ambrose!” she said, as she quickly darted away back to where Walter was still waiting for her. “I am sorry for leaving you like that, but I am now free to show you what a tea party is like, if you are still interested.”
“That sounds wonderful,” he said and offered her his arm.
“Well, to start with, one of my favorite parts is the lovely little teacups Aunt Adelaide brings out solely for tea parties. My uncle declares them far too dainty for men to use, but I think they look beautiful! My aunt gets new ones fairly often, either when some get broken, or when a new design she likes comes out…”
Walter had listened with attention, even if he did not seem to understand why a tea party warranted all the fuss. He was much more interested in the anecdotes scattered throughout her explanations.
Georgiana was startled out of her thoughts by a knock at her bedchamber door. “Come in,” she said turning to face Lucy, who stood in the doorway.