his kindness in not making his thoughts known the way Lord Crenshaw had.
“Shall we take a walk one night, when the moon is new?” he suggested. “We can search the sky for another such visitor. It would go some way toward convincing Miss Wilson that we believe her.”
That would be fun, she thought, but kept it to herself since it would be terribly inappropriate.
“We would invite the others, naturally.”
Lord Jess sounded as though he felt his reputation would be threatened if he was alone with her.
“Any guests that you think might be sympathetic.”
She gave him a searching look and found only polite suggestion in his expression.
“Which would mean neither Lord Crenshaw nor Mrs. Wilson.”
“Exactly, I see we are like-minded in that.”
She looked away from him and he laughed.
“Now why should the suggestion that we think alike make your color rise?”
“Because I cannot think of anything further from the truth. Not that I mean that as an insult. But our experience of life could not be more different.” And I am curious about you. Too curious for my own good.
“Don’t you think that the countess intended for this party to give you some familiarity with people whose lives have been very different from your own? Mrs. Kendrick, Lord Belmont.”
“Practice. I told Cecilia this is practice.”
“Life in a city like London will be filled with new adventures every day.”
She could not restrain a smile. “It will be so much fun.”
He smiled into her eyes. “I wish I could see it through your eyes. It’s been too many years since any of it was new to me.”
Lord Jess served himself from a platter on his right, and Beatrice found herself relieved that he had looked away. For a minute she had thought she could read his mind. He seemed to feel regretful, to wish that life could be different.
“You will have to make a decision quickly on a gentleman’s suitability. Your advisers will not always be readily available.”
Now he sounded like a tutor. It was patronizing and she would have none of that. “And I suppose you are the type I should avoid, my lord?”
“Only in London, Miss Brent. Here I am as safe as your maiden aunt or the countess would not have invited me.”
“Then, yes, my lord. I should love to scan the night sky for unusual stars. It would be fun.” Her enthusiasm was tempered to a ladylike timbre, but she really did want to do it. And she did not want company when they did. Just the two of them, the night sky, and a million stars.
“I do not think your sister would be inclined to go,” Lord Jess said in a considering tone, “but I am sure Lord Destry would, and Mrs. Kendrick and Lord Belmont.”
“Mrs. Kendrick and Lord Belmont would be perfect company.”
Lord Jess speared a bite of duck with his fork. “It will have to be late in the evening when it will not interfere with any plans the countess might have.”
“But that’s ideal as well. I noticed last night that there is a new moon and it will have set by then.” Beatrice thought the plan perfect, but then realized that one element was not in their control. “The weather must cooperate and that is always a challenge.”
“You think visitors from beyond earth are discouraged by a little summer rain? We can search from the protection of the summer house if the night is wet. Or are you afraid that it might be boring?”
The smile that tilted his lips was a silent dare. She decided he was teasing. And she was not up to his weight in that arena. It was best to change the subject. “Why do we even need to consider visitors from another existence when our own writers can conjure up the fantastical for us? Have you read Frankenstein?”
“Never heard of it,” he admitted blithely. “Is that terribly crass of me?”
“Not at all, my lord.” He was still teasing her. She was sure of it. His tone made it sound like being crass was something he would love to be accused of. “There were only five hundred copies printed. In three volumes.”
“You are a bibliophile and a student of art?”
“Yes, my lord,” she said, making her eyes go wide. Then she leaned closer to him. “Now you will be convinced I am a bluestocking?”
She did not wait for an answer but straightened in her chair and went on. “My sister and I have read the first volume, but when I tried to