A Duke of Her Own(118)

"Hiding in a blind built from willow?"

"A black coat and wig, or even a distant cousin's identity. There is a chess exhibition tomorrow in Hyde Park. As I understand it, you are a fine player in your own right. May I escort you?"

"What on earth is a chess exhibition?" Eleanor inquired.

"A demonstration," he said. "I gather that a number of England's best chess players will be pitted against each other for the edification and pleasure of the public."

"I have heard that the Duke of Villiers is the best player in England," she said, twirling her parasol.

They were almost back at the carriage.

"Not so. The top two players are the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont."

"Will they participate in the exhibition?"

"I have no idea," he said. "I'm afraid that the doings of such elevated beings is quite outside the purview of Mr. Ormston."

"In that case," Eleanor said, "I shall be very pleased to accompany you, Mr. Ormston."

"How was it?" Anne demanded the moment Eleanor entered the house. "Oh, I can see from your face that it went well! You look happy again!" She pulled her into her arms. "You see? Men really are quite interchangeable. A woman merely needs to find the one who promises to adore her without being too irritating."

Eleanor smiled at her. "He asked me to accompany him to a chess exhibition tomorrow."

"Well, better you than me," Anne said. "How utterly tedious. You didn't talk about chess with Mr.

Ormston, did you, Eleanor? He won't like it when he finds out how good you are. Men never like being beaten at games. If you play, you'll have to fudge it."

"I can do that," Eleanor said, and disappeared, rather dreamily, up the stairs.

Mr. Ormston's landau appeared the next afternoon, promptly at two. "I'm really not sure about this person," her mother said fretfully. "Anne, if you don't get away from the window, I shall bar you from this house. You'll have to ask him to tea, Eleanor. You can't continue to see this gentleman whom we haven't met."

"Oh, but you have met him, Mother," Eleanor said.

"I'm quite sure I have not!" the duchess retorted.

"It was some years ago...but of course one must make allowances for one's memory as the years pass."

The duchess threw her a glance of total revulsion."! suppose I met the man. Ormston... it sounds vaguely familiar."

"I assure you that you did," Eleanor said, smiling widely.

Mr. Ormston was waiting by the landau, of course, and handed her up with the utmost courtesy. For a moment Eleanor thought that perhaps he was even courteous to a fault, but then she decided to simply enjoy it.

Hyde Park was crowded with open carriages and gentlefolk; every person in the ton seemed to be promenading, or waving from a carriage.

Mr. Ormston didn't appear to have that many acquaintances—though he did receive a few puzzled glances—but she, of course, saw many friends.

"The chess exhibition is on Buck Hill Walk," he said as his landau came to a halt.

Eleanor climbed down, dropping his hand the moment her toes touched the ground, as was proper.

A few moments later they found themselves watching a chess match between a Russian gentleman and an elegantly-clad young courtier. The courtier looked up and gave a little start. "Dashed if I didn't think for a moment that I recognized you, sir!" he said, laughing.

Mr. Ormston bowed without speaking, which was a good idea because his voice was altogether too recognizable.

The Russian gentleman looked up for a moment and then back at the board with a faint smile.



"I'm demned if I haven't lost to you again, Potemkin," the courtier said discontentedly. "Surely not,"

Eleanor said sweetly.

The young man took a good look at her extremely fetching walking dress, with particular attention to the low bodice, and quite visibly made up his mind to smile. He would have been surprised to learn that the exquisite lady before him considered his gesture condescending.

He rose and bowed, and even brought her gloved hand to his lips. "Alas, I am already despairing,"

he said, giving a charming little shrug.

Eleanor leaned forward and said, "Queen to Rook Four, then he'll move pawn to King's Rook Three.

You take his pawn with your bishop, he will recapture. Then you play Queen takes pawn. His King is laid open and your attack is invulnerable."

The man blinked.

"Dear me," Mr. Ormston said with a glance at the sun, "it's looking alarmingly cloudy." The courtier sat down.

"You are a formidable opponent," Leopold said as they walked on. "He might still lose," Eleanor said. "If he mi splays the attack."