moment to know that Miss Blair was distancing herself from him fast. Her curtsy was stiff; she wouldn’t look him in the eye and she almost jerked her hand away from his after the perfunctory kiss on the back of her palm.
“Lord Dunraven, a pleasure to see you this evening,” the Viscount said.
“It’s Millicent’s first evening here at Almack’s,” Lady Heathecoute said. “We were so delighted to get the invitation for her to attend.”
“I can’t imagine anyone you suggest would be denied entrance, Viscountess.”
“So kind of you to say, my lord.”
Chandler turned to Miss Blair. “Welcome,” he said and bowed again. “I hope your first evening here meets with your expectations.”
“On all accounts, sir. I’m happy to be here and I’m enjoying myself.”
“Millicent knows it is not the building that makes Almack’s the place to be seen in Town on Wednesdays. It is the people who frequent it that makes it the most important addition to her first Season in London.”
“Of course, you’re right,” Millicent added. “And I do appreciate all you and Lady Beatrice have done in obtaining the invitation for me.”
“I hear you are helping with the search for the Mad Ton Thief,” the viscount said to Chandler, clearly bored with the direction the conversation had taken.
“It’s more that I insist on staying well-informed of the progress that is being made by those on Bow Street and the authorities.”
Lord Heathecoute lifted his chin a little higher, making his sharp nose appear to be pointing straight up. “I heard they have been going door to door, questioning everyone like common criminals. It’s reprehensible the way they are treating all of us as if we are suspects.”
“You forget, Heathecoute, one among us is a criminal, and they are only doing their jobs.”
The viscount continued to demand Chandler’s attention when all he wanted to do was talk to Miss Blair and find out what was wrong with her.
At last he was able to turn to Millicent and say, “May I have a dance, Miss Blair?”
She refused to let her gaze meet his but softly answered, “Yes.”
Chandler looked up to her ladyship and said, “There is a waltz coming up. Has she been cleared to dance it?”
“My, yes. We’ve been most select in our care of Millicent, and she has been afforded all the opportunities as if this was her coming-out Season.”
Millicent lifted her hand and he took hold of her card and signed his name. Afterward, he took a quick moment to turn it over. The back was blank. But of course it would be, he told himself. He had settled for himself last evening that she was not involved with the Mad Ton Thief. She was merely writing down names and facts about people in order to better remember them. Names and titles could be confusing to anyone new to Town.
When he was finished, he bowed and said, “I shall return at the appropriate time and claim your hand.”
“Can you believe it?” Lady Heathecoute said to her husband in as hushed a voice as Millicent had ever heard her speak. “I do believe Lord Dunraven is smitten with her.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” the viscount answered, surveying the dance floor. “He’s never been smitten with anyone in his life, and it’s not likely that he will be with her.”
“She is lovely. And this is the second time he has sought her out and asked her to dance.”
Lord Heathecoute sniffed loudly. “What of it? It’s the third time Sir Charles Wright has asked her.”
“Sir Charles Wright tries to dance every dance no matter who the young lady is. Lord Dunraven does not. Even given his reputation, he’s very choosy.”
“Maybe she has caught his fancy for now, but I’m sure that will soon fade. It always does with him. Don’t worry. I’m certain the earl has no intentions of being leg shackled anytime in the near future. He’s having too grand a life to settle down to the country with a wife and family.”
While the Heathecoutes talked about her as if she weren’t present, Millicent tuned them out and turned away. She was glad she hadn’t told them that Lord Dunraven had asked to call on her several times and she’d refused him. It was best she kept that information for her aunt alone.
If Aunt Beatrice had reason to suspect the viscount and viscountess wanted to take over the column, Millicent should be careful and not discuss anything of importance with them until she had cleared it with her aunt.
She couldn’t deny that Lord