And so it was that she considered Lord Allingham with fresh eyes when he had presented himself before her, asking for a dance. For Charlotte was quite right; Allingham was paying her particular attention and she sensed that a declaration was not far distant. She knew that she was in the very fortunate position of not having to accept his offer if she was not so inclined. Her mother only wanted her happiness and if Audrey took it into her head to refuse such a stellar match, there would be no recriminations.

But would she refuse him? She considered him now as he swept her around the dance floor. In his favor, he certainly danced very well. And there were any number of other positives.

He had an excellent sense of style.

Hi manner and address were impeccable.

And he was considered to be very good-looking, something that was not to be sneered at, given that half the young gentlemen in London seemed to have been born without chins, or very little hair (so sad, in a young gentleman) or had enormous Adam’s apples that moved about in the most disconcerting way.

Allingham had a satisfactory amount of brown hair that was always modishly arranged in the latest fashion. He did not affect the more extreme styles favored by those young gentlemen who considered themselves in the first stare of fashion, something she had reason to be grateful for as it was difficult to take ridiculously high shirt collars and exotically patterned waistcoats seriously. She also knew that her mother liked him very much and considered him an excellent match. And there was no denying that Audrey enjoyed his company for he had a rather shy sense of humor and was interested in any number of subjects she found fascinating, including a love of poetry. One did not want to spend the rest of one’s life with a man one would have no conversation with, after all.

But there were other things to be considered. Truthfully, she did not know him very well for there had been little opportunity to spend time together. It seemed quite nonsensical that a couple usually learned about each other after they were wed. A little knowledge before the marriage might save considerable heartbreak later.

Audrey did not want to end up like Charlotte and she had to wonder if what she did know about Allingham was enough. She liked what she knew of the man but she had yet to meet his sister, Constance, for Lady Greely had not come to town for the Season, having been widowed some months before. Although, if rumor was to be believed the loss of Lord Greely was most fortuitous for the man had apparently been a loose fish. Allingham had briefly touched upon his sister’s situation, dwelling more on the fact that she had a young son who had yet to reach his first birthday rather than the fact that Lady Greely had undergone a tragedy. It might be expected that her mother would be with her but Lady Allingham was very much present in London. On the two occasions that Audrey had met the woman she had found her distantly polite, which was hardly encouraging.

Allingham had certainly not mentioned a brother, wicked or otherwise and Audrey had to wonder if Charlotte had the right of it for how could there be? If there were such a creature, then he would be younger than Allingham and she could see no reason why he would have control of the family fortune.

No, clearly there was a great deal more to learn about the earl. Perhaps, she reasoned, it was too soon to be contemplating offers of marriage? She might suggest that she meet more of his family first and get to know them a little better? Actually, when she thought about it she realized he had been a little reticent on the subject of his family and she was keen to know more. She was keen to spend more time with Allingham, as well for she wished to give them both an opportunity to fall in love. The earl was quite delightful but she knew that she was not in love with him as yet, although she felt as if she might be on the brink. She didn’t want to stay on the brink, however. She wanted to fall headfirst into love, to have the world  stop for a moment when the man she had given her heart to entered the room. She wanted to feel as if he were the only man in the world and that she was the only woman that mattered. She wanted love; breathtaking, earth-shaking and utterly magical.

She suspected such ambitions might be ridiculous. Indeed, she knew that they were quite fanciful but it did not stop her from wanting the experience, no matter how unlikely it might be. The question was, could she find it with Allingham? None of the much-anticipated experiences had occurred as yet and it was making her hesitate. The idea of marriage to Roderick Allingham was quite thrilling but at the same time it was increasingly unsettling for if he did make an offer for her, what would she say? She knew what she should say. A girl would be a fool to refuse a good-looking earl who was financially solvent and in possession of all his wits. And he truly seemed to like her. There was a look in his blue eyes when he regarded her that convinced her this was not some fleeting fancy. The warmth she saw there was no figment of her imagination and it was gratifying to know that she was capable of inspiring such fervent admiration.

But it didn’t help her to decide what she should do when the time came to give him an answer.

It is all the fault of Marcus and Isabella, she thought wryly. That and those wretched romantic poets!

When the dance was over, Lord Allingham returned her to her small party and went in search of lemonade, for it was warm and the dancing had made Audrey even warmer. Lady Hathaway gave her daughter a look of gentle inquiry when he had disappeared into the crowd.

‘The two of you look very well together, my dear.’

It was her mother’s subtle way of asking a question that Audrey was sure was hovering on everybody’s lips. ‘Lord Allingham is a very good dancer,’ she observed demurely.

‘Good enough?’ Isabella asked, dark blue eyes inquiring.

Audrey hesitated, then shrugged. She so wanted him to be the one. Lord Allingham was such a perfect gentleman. ‘Perhaps. I cannot be sure but I believe he might be. Certainly, I would like to discover more.’

‘As long as you are happy, my dear,’ Eliza Hathaway said with a smile, then more shrewdly. ‘There is no rush, you know.’

Her mother was telling her that she, at least, did not have to hurry into marriage. With two of her children having made extremely advantageous matches, the fortunes of the Hathaways had gone from being in a sorry state to remarkably robust. Audrey could please herself in her choice of suitor and had no need to choose anybody, if she did not feel ready to do so. It was a luxury rarely enjoyed by girls in her situation. Even those with excellent dowries were expected to hurry into marriage as soon as a likely offer came along, for what should a woman want more than a husband? Audrey understood the sentiment behind such thoughts, although she doubted very much that Millie would agree.

‘It’s true,’ Isabella gave her an impertinent grin. ‘After my noble sacrifice of marrying Harry and Marcus’ equally noble venture into the marital state, you are at liberty to take your pick. The possibilities are endless. An impoverished music master or aspiring poet… why even a footman would do, I daresay, if one were to take your fancy. We could probably train him up quite nicely, as long as he has the shoulders to carry off a set of evening clothes,’ she added, eyeing a particularly plump gentleman that had somehow managed to squeeze his ample proportions into a pair of satin half breeches.

‘Now Isabella,’ Lady Hathaway chided, although her lips twitched. ‘I see no need to be silly about it.’

‘Of course,’ Isabella continued on cheerfully, ‘if Audrey does opt for a wealthy earl, then we can depend upon Millie to marry scandalously. Not that I doubt for a moment that she will do so. I foresee an interesting life for our youngest sister.’