Wed in Disgrace (Convenient Arrangements #3) - Rose Pearson Page 0,43

little courage.

Taking in a deep breath, she nodded, and Miss Jamieson stepped forward at once. Delilah put a small smile on her face and what she hoped was an air of interest before walking alongside Miss Jamieson towards the group of gentlemen. It did not take long for one of the gentlemen there to step aside and greet Miss Jamieson warmly, although Delilah did not know who he was either. Very quickly, she found herself introduced to a good many gentlemen, as well as Lady Oldham, who was standing next to her husband. She tried her best not to show any particular interest in Lord Robertson, greeting him as she had done with every other in the group.

“I am sure, Miss Jamieson,” Lord Robertson began before anyone could speak, “that you have heard of the dire situation that befell me only recently?”

Unable to hide her smile that came from seeing two or three gentlemen roll their eyes at this remark, Delilah saw Miss Jamieson putting on an expression of affected surprise.

“I have heard of it, Lord Robertson,” she said, her tone very grave indeed. “Although I do not think that my friend here, Miss Mullins, has heard a single thing about it.”

Lord Robertson’s eyes flared wide, and he looked at Delilah, his arms spread. “Then allow me to tell you at once, Miss Mullins,” he said, cutting across the middle of the group to stand directly in front of her. By turning away just a little, Delilah was able to garner a little privacy from the others who, clearly grateful that Lord Robertson was now distracted, began to speak of other things almost at once.

“Miss Mullins, I must tell you of the great tragedy that almost befell me only a short time ago,” he began, in a most dramatic fashion. “I was at an evening assembly and I—”

“Do you speak of Lord and Lady Fotheringham’s evening assembly?” Delilah asked quickly, praying that this would make Lord Robertson all the more amenable. “I was present that evening.”

Lord Robertson’s eyes widened and he pressed his hand to his heart. “Indeed?” he said, looking greatly shocked. “Then I am very surprised that you have not heard of what occurred, Miss Mullins. Someone struck me very hard whilst I was waiting to meet with a...a friend.”

This was precisely what Delilah had wanted to hear. “A friend?” she said, hoping that she was coming across as entirely innocent. “Do you mean to say that someone struck you whilst you were within the great hall itself?”

Lord Robertson hesitated, then shook his head. “I was waiting in another, smaller room,” he said slowly. “I had my back to the door and when it opened, I made to turn about, expecting to see her—expecting to see my friend.” Flushing just a little, he tried to smile. Clearly, there would be no hesitation in expressing to the gentlemen of the beau monde the sort of lady he had been waiting for, but it would be more than a little impolite to express it to a lady of quality!

“And instead, someone struck you?” Delilah questioned as Lord Robertson nodded gravely. “Goodness, how awful. Were you badly injured?” She moved a trifle closer, hoping that he would think her very eager indeed to hear all that was being said.

This appeared to help Lord Robertson a great deal, for he nodded and leaned a little closer, as though he had to speak quietly for fear of being overheard. “I bled a great deal,” he said with a shake of his head, one hand reaching up towards the back of his head as though he expected to still find blood there. “Thankfully, a surgeon was called and with a few days’ rest, I made a recovery. A miraculous one, I believe, given just how badly injured I was!”

“You must have had a great many people praying for you,” Delilah murmured as Lord Robertson nodded sagely. “I cannot imagine just how terrible a situation it was.” She shook her head, feeling the question buzzing in her mind but as yet being unable to find the words to ask it.

“I am only glad that I am recovered now,” he said with a dramatic flourish of his hand. “Although I confess that what has made it all the worse is knowing that I shall never be able to identify who did such a thing to me!”

Delilah sighed heavily and shook her head, one hand pressed lightly against her heart as though she were in some sort