Free Slightly Tempted by Mary Balogh

young, green girl again.
    Green girl! Ha! Gracious heaven, she was Lady Morgan Bedwyn.
     
    SEVERAL DAYS PASSED BEFOREGERVASE TALKEDwith Lady Morgan Bedwyn again. He saw her at the Salle du Grand Concert on the Rue Ducale one evening-the famous soprano, Madame Catalini, sang there and the Duke of Wellington was in attendance-but he did not approach her since she was in the very midst of an entourage that included her brother.
    There was indeed gossip and speculation about them in the drawing rooms of Brussels, enough that several people would surely include word of it in letters home to England and it would become theon dit there too. The lady concerned was, after all, Lady Morgan Bedwyn, sister of the Duke of Bewcastle.
    His scheme was working very nicely indeed. And he was not at all concerned that matters were proceeding slowly. He was in no hurry.
    One morning when he was out riding and was cantering along the Allée Verte-a wide grassy avenue beyond the city walls, lined on both sides with straight rows of lime trees, a canal flowing beyond them on one side-he spotted Lady Morgan approaching, also on horseback, with Lady Rosamond Havelock. He was himself alone, having just parted from John Waldane and a few other of their acquaintances.
    She was looking very fetching indeed in a bright royal blue riding habit with a jaunty little feathered hat to match. She rode sidesaddle but with such grace and assurance that she might well have been born in the saddle. A discreet distance behind the ladies rode a couple of burly grooms.
    Gervase touched the brim of his hat and bowed from the saddle. Lady Morgan inclined her head graciously in return-she was playing the grand lady this morning, perhaps in response to the gossip that was still focused on them. She might have ridden on past without a word if Lady Rosamond had not spoken up.
    "Good morning, Lord Rosthorn," she called cheerfully. "Is it not a lovely day?"
    "After two days of rain it does feel remarkably pleasant to be outdoors again," he agreed.
    "How fortunate," she said as the three horses came to a stop and the grooms halted where they were, "that you chose just the evening you did for your picnic. The weather has been quite unsettled since then."
    "I trust," he said, "the entertainment was to your liking?"
    "It waswonderful !" she assured him with all the unalloyed enthusiasm of a very young lady. "We enjoyed every single moment, did we not, Morgan?"
    But that young lady, he saw when he turned his eyes on her, was looking gravely at him.
    "Do you hear any news of the French, Lord Rosthorn?" she asked. "It is said that they are indeed on their way here."
    "But you heard what Ambrose and Major Franks and Lieutenant Hunt-Mathers said last evening, Morgan," Lady Rosamond protested before Gervase had a chance to answer. "They told us we were not to worry our heads about the French. They will never get past our defenses to come anywhere near Brussels. Ah, here come Captain Quigley and Lieutenant Meredith," she cried as two Guards' officers rode up to join them. "They will givetheir opinion. Are we in danger of invasion by the French, Captain Quigley?"
    The captain looked suitably shocked. "In danger, Lady Rosamond?" he said. "When the Guards are here to protect you? Old Boney will not be allowed to set one toe over the border into Belgium without having it shot off, you may rest assured."
    "You must not worry your pretty head over such matters, Lady Rosamond," the lieutenant added. "Or over the safety of your brother or any other officer of your acquaintance. Boney would not dare attack us with the tattered remnants of his ragtag army. More's the pity."
    They turned their horses in order to ride with the ladies. But Lady Morgan had scarcely glanced at them. She had kept her eyes on Gervase, a slight frown creasing her brow.
    "May I be permitted to ride a short way with you?" he suggested, and she nodded, though somewhat absentmindedly, it seemed to him.
    They rode side by