“Lady Forsythia explained all this in a book? Hasn’t she gone through four husbands already?”
Eloise nodded. “All of them rakehells until she came along and tamed them.”
“Killed them is more like it, for not one survived beyond their fifth year of marriage,” Daisy muttered, trying to stem her rising panic. How long had Eloise been thinking of this? And how was she to dissuade her from pursuing this doomed and dangerous plan? “At the very least, Lady Forsythia herded each unsuspecting gentleman into an early grave.” She swallowed hard and gave a sad shake of her head. “No, it’s a terrible idea. I will never agree to reform your wastrel grandson. Put the notion out of your head at once.”
Eloise laughed lightly and reached out again to pat her hands, which were now clasped and resting on her lap. “Gabriel isn’t so bad once you get to know him. The two of you got off to a bad start, that’s all. Think of it this way, your next encounter couldn’t possibly be worse.”
Daisy tried to muster enthusiasm for the knave, truly she did. But couldn’t. She had problems of her own and didn’t need to pile his atop them. She cast Eloise a polite but dismayed smile. “I doubt he and I shall ever meet again. We Farthingales have been your neighbors for over three years now and have never run into him before. I wouldn’t have met him except for Harry’s escapade. I’m certain he has every intention of avoiding me as well.”
She hoped that was his intention, for she couldn’t possibly be seen in his company. He was completely unsuitable for her, and he rattled her in ways she did not quite understand yet. Perhaps Lady Forsythia’s book would explain why he made her feel so very uncomfortable. Not that she had any intention of reading it, but every time she thought of Gabriel, heat inexplicably shot into her cheeks. And her heart fluttered. Out of anger, no doubt. Even now, her entire body was growing hot at the mere mention of him.
Out of anger, she assured herself.
She would get over her ill feeling toward the bounder in a few days, for she was never one to hold grudges, even though he’d clearly been in the wrong. He’d also been arrogant and rude. He believed her to be a foggy-headed husband hunter with little polish and no sense of style.
What would he think of her when he learned of The Incident?
Why should she care? Indeed, she didn’t. She let out a huff and straightened her spine, now quite put out. Who was he to cast judgment upon her when he was unfit to move about in civilized society?
The carriage came to a stop at the opposite end of the park. “Ah, here we are,” Eloise said, drawing Daisy out of her thoughts.
Daisy lowered the window and stuck her face out. A light breeze tickled her nose. She noticed an imposing gray brick townhouse that appeared to be impeccably maintained. “This can’t be Lord Hornby’s residence. There isn’t a soul on the street.”
“Goodness, I meant to tell you, but it slipped my mind. Gabriel is to join us.”
“Now? Here? This is his home?” She tried to keep the dismay out of her voice, but knew she’d failed. She had expected the man to reside in a den of iniquity. After all, he had a horrid reputation. But to reside in this magnificent abode?
“Yes, this is his London residence. Of course, his seat is in Derbyshire.”
Daisy turned to her companion. “I’m curious about that, for you’ve never really explained how he acquired his seat. Certainly not through the Trent line, for he’s the younger son. And there are so many rumors circulating about it that one doesn’t know quite what to believe.”
“Is it important? He’s quite enterprising—acquired the Derbyshire estate and title all on his own.”
“But how?” Probably by cheating at cards, Daisy mused. Or doing the Prince Regent some wicked favor to earn his gratitude. Hushed up a royal scandal, no doubt.
Eloise sat upright and quirked her head. “How odd! You know, I’m not certain how it came about. The news spread quietly one day that he’d been made Baron Summersby and given a charming estate to go along with the title. Gossip has it that he saved the life of an unnamed royal offspring, or perhaps it was some other royal relation. The point is, Gabriel must have rescued someone important, although the details were never disclosed.”
“No doubt from a seedy establishment filled with cardsharps, cutthroats, and women of ill repute.” Daisy closed her eyes and stifled a sigh of exasperation. “Is there a reason you asked him to join us tonight?”
Eloise’s diamond earrings gleamed as brightly as her eyes. “I didn’t. He asked to accompany me.”