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.Why would a man allow himself to be seen with so common a horse?""What does it matter, if it gets him where he needs to go?""My dear woman, it matters a great deal.How can a man be thought to have good taste and breeding if he is not discerning about horses?"For the next ten minutes, while inclining his head from time to time at passersby, he continued on about his impeccable taste in horseflesh, frequently mentioning the various members of the aristocracy who had tried to buy his horses.Catherine deemed horses as interesting as roosters and wished herself back at Number 17 with the competent Mr.Steffington, who never bored her.When she eventually returned there, Mr.Longford once again claimed her hand."Pray, may I call upon you again tomorrow?""Tomorrow I shall be extremely busy." She still hadn't dispatched that letter to Mr.Christie.Mr.Steffington wasn't going to be happy when he learned of her omission.Not paying attention to Mr.Longford's rambling, she started drafting the letter in her head while smiling vacantly at Mr.Longmouth—er, Mr.Longford.Felicity had told her that her brother and his friend referred to Mr.Longford as Longmouth.But not in front of him, of course."Will you be at the assembly tomorrow night?"Unconsciously, she wondered if Mr.Steffington danced.She knew his brother did.When she realized Mr.Longford was awaiting a response, she said, "I beg your pardon.What was that you asked?""I asked if you would be at tomorrow night's assembly." He did not look happy.She had told Felicity she would meet her there."Yes, I believe so."* * *There was a distressed look on Mrs.Bexley's face when she swished into the library, apologizing."You must forgive me for leaving you here to do all the work whilst I was traipsing across Bath."He would hardly call suffering Longford's company traipsing happily around the city.The poor woman earned his respect for putting up with the walking soliloquy.Then he thought of what Elvin had said about her that Season she came out.Was she a fortune hunter? That would explain why she bestowed her attentions on Longford.The man was obscenely rich.He stiffened as he looked up to address her."There's nothing to forgive.What you do with your time is nothing to me."She stood statue still, a pout on her face."There's more to confess.I forgot to dispatch that letter to Mr.Christie."He didn't like to stare at her, but it was really quite remarkable that her frock was that same blue/green as her eyes.Remarkable eyes.Snapping out of his momentary stupor, he said, "I hope you don't believe I would try to tell you what to do.It's just that it would be helpful to learn if anyone has approached Christie.""Of course, you're right.After all, it was number two on our list."Our list? He did not like being associated with anything so frivolous as a woman's list, but he would not protest.He shrugged."It looks as if number one is much more time consuming than at first thought."She came to sit across from him at the big desk."That's because you are likely doing what you told me not to do."He chuckled."I confess, I have veered off course when something interesting catches my eye.""It's only natural to do so." She lifted up October 1st."You'll be happy to know I would not allow myself to go to bed last night until I finished August.""I am not happy to learn neither of us has found anything to bring us a single step closer to the culprit.""There is that." She read on for a moment, then addressed him."Do you dance, Mr.Steffington?"What in heaven's name had brought up that subject? He regarded her from beneath lowered brows."Do I dance?""Yes, that's what I asked."He shrugged."I suppose I do.I'm a bit rusty."She thought perhaps if Mr.Steffington were to ask her to dance, she might cast off the last of her mourning."Why do you not come to the assemblies anymore?"He did not answer for a moment."If you must know, I'm not very good at dancing.""Oh, I see.You don't like to do anything if you can't be the best at what you're doing!"How could she possibly know that about him? They'd only been in each other's company the last four and twenty hours."I wouldn't say that." Even if it was the truth.He was not going to act like an arrogant ass, like Longford."You shouldn't let it bother you if you're not a great dancer.With your height, it shouldn't matter to any woman.Has it escaped your notice that ladies adore having tall men for dancing partners?""But ladies do not adore having their feet trampled."She giggled.He was growing to like the tinkling sound of her frequent laughter."Pray, madam, what is so funny now?""I was picturing you stomping on a lady's feet." She shook her head."I know it's not funny, but I seem to have a perverse sense of humor."That very perverse sense of humor suddenly struck his funny bone, and he began to laugh.She clapped a hand to her mouth."What's wrong?""I keep going back to number one because.as you said, it's much more interesting than reading a list of Latin verbs.However, I need to put the interesting work aside for a few minutes in order to compose a letter to Mr.Christie." Then she opened a drawer, took out pen and paper, and began to draft the letter.He was struck by the excellence of her memory.She had remembered him referring to Latin verbs the previous day.He knew few people who remembered things as well as she.This young woman whom he at first thought to be empty headed wasn't nearly so vacuous as she presented herself.As he continued reading into September, she scratched out a letter [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]