loveliest young ladies he had seen in a long time.
He wasn’t quite sure what it was that made her lovely. Was it her perfectly oval face, or her nose, which was neither too big nor too small, or her blue eyes, which were large and intelligent, or perhaps her trim figure with its small waist and rounded bosom? Was it all those things or something else entirely, the essence of the woman that shone through and set his pulses quickening? Judging by the way she reacted to her companion’s scolding she was a spirited chit, not one to be easily cowed. And then to see her again outside the Mansion House, dressed simply but elegantly, hemmed in by the hoi polloi, had made his day, especially when she responded to his salute with a brilliant smile. But who was she?
He ran up the steps and let himself into the house, chuckling at the memory. He didn’t know why, after so long, he suddenly found he could laugh again when thinking of a woman, but it felt good.
Esme woke next morning to find the sun shining and the birds singing. After a very wet winter, spring was at last on its way. She scrambled out of bed, washed in water from the ewer on the washstand, dressed in a light wool gown in a soft lime-green and hurried downstairs to greet the new day. She found Rowan sitting in the breakfast room munching toast and marmalade.
‘Good morning, my lord,’ she said, helping herself from the dishes on the sideboard: scrambled eggs, a rasher of bacon and a slice of toast.
‘Good morning, Esme, you are up betimes.’
‘Yes, it is too nice to lie abed. I was hoping I might ride today. Rosie said you could find me a mount.’
‘Croxon will hire something for you, but you are not under any circumstances to ride alone. It is not done in polite society and, besides, your parents would never forgive me if you took a tumble while in my care.’
‘I won’t take a tumble. I haven’t fallen off a horse since I was five years old and that wasn’t my fault.’
He smiled. Everyone smiled at Esme, even when scolding her. ‘Nevertheless I want your promise.’
‘You have it. Shall I go and ask Croxon now?’
‘No, I will do it. He is no doubt preparing the carriage. I shall want it today.’ He rose as Myles came into the room. ‘Morning, Moorcroft.’ The greeting was polite, certainly not jovial.
‘Good morning.’ In contrast, Myles was very cheerful. ‘Did I hear you talking about riding?’
‘Yes,’ Esme put in. ‘Rowan is going to ask Croxon to hire a mount for me.’
‘No need to trouble Croxon,’ Myles said, addressing Rowan. ‘I can save him the bother. I was going to Tattersalls to hire one for myself. I’ll do the same for Esme. We can take a ride together.’
‘My thanks,’ Rowan said. ‘I am somewhat busy today.’ And with that he left the room.
Esme laughed. ‘I don’t think he likes you, Myles.’
‘He doesn’t like what I stand for. I don’t think it’s personal.’ He helped himself to food and sat at the table opposite her.
‘Did you have a good evening?’ she asked.
‘Yes, it was a great success.’
‘Oh, that is why Rowan is so grumpy.’
‘Is he? I hadn’t noticed.’
‘We saw you going into the banquet, Rosie and I. We were standing on the pavement, watching everyone go in, and there you were. I thought you looked very elegant.’
He ignored the compliment. ‘How did you get there?’
‘In the carriage. At least as far as St Paul’s. We walked from there.’
‘I am surprised at Rosemary agreeing to it.’
‘Oh, I think she secretly wanted to go.’ She paused. ‘Myles, can I ask you something?’
‘Ask away.’
‘Is it very wrong to smile at a gentleman when he doffs his hat and bows to you?’
‘No, why should it be?’
‘Rosie said I should have ignored him. You see, we had not been introduced. He was a complete stranger.’
‘Oh, I see. Then your sister was probably right.’
‘But I’m sure he was a gentleman. We saw him going into the banquet and he was so handsome and elegant and his smile was catching. I could not help responding.’
‘I think,’ he said solemnly while trying to hide the twitching of his lips, ‘that you had better be guided by Rosemary.’
She sighed. ‘I don’t suppose I shall ever see him again, so it does not matter.’
‘Bear it in mind if you meet other men who smile at you.’
‘Oh, I am sure I shall not be tempted by other men.’
He looked sideways at her and decided not to comment. ‘What else did you do yesterday?’
‘Shopped for clothes. I think Rowan must be very rich because Rosemary did not once query the price of anything. It is all very extravagant and I feel dreadful.’
‘Because of the extravagance?’
‘Not only that, but because Lucy gave me all those lovely clothes and I shall not wear them.’ She brightened suddenly. ‘I will wear the riding habit though, if you will take me riding. You did mean it, didn’t you?’ There was a new forest-green habit, among the clothes being made for her, but that had not yet arrived.
‘Yes, but it will have to be this morning. I have an appointment this afternoon and tomorrow I must go home and leave you.’
Rosemary entered the room and bade them both good morning before helping herself to some breakfast and sitting at the table opposite Esme.
‘Myles is going to hire hacks and take me riding this morning,’ Esme told her. ‘Shall you come? We are going as soon as I have changed and Myles has arranged for the horses.’
Rosemary, who had been denied the use of the carriage that day, agreed that a ride would be just the thing to blow away the cobwebs and asked Myles to instruct a groom at the mews to saddle her horse, then both ladies finished their breakfast and went to change.
Esme came downstairs half an hour later in Lucy’s riding habit, a dark blue taffeta with military style frogging across the jacket. The matching skirt was plain and the hat was a blue tricorne, with the brim held up one side by a curling peacock feather. Rosemary joined her five minutes later and by that time Myles had returned, riding a huge mount and leading two others, one Rosemary’s own horse and another for Esme.
They mounted and set off, entering Hyde Park by a gate close to Knightsbridge barracks, and were soon riding down Rotten Row.
‘I suppose we shall be denied this pleasure when they start building the Exhibition hall,’ Rosemary said.
