Connie (The Daughters of Allamont Hall Book 3) by Mary Kingswood Page B

come to Drummoor as my friend, which is no less than the truth. Naturally, everyone will assume that there is an understanding between you and Reggie, but there will be no need for it to be said openly. If anyone is so impolite as to ask directly, you need only blush, I shall look knowing and Reggie will deny the existence of a betrothal in the strongest terms. That will fix the idea, yet not a single untruth will be told. People believe what they want to believe. I shall write a letter to your mama inviting you to Drummoor, with just a hint about Reggie. She will get the point, I am sure.”
    Connie was not comfortable with the plan, but they sounded so certain of it, and who should be better placed to judge the propriety of an action than the son and daughter of a marquess? And Mama would forbid it if she saw anything in the least irregular about the scheme. She hesitated, torn. A visit to Drummoor would be everything that was delightful, although she had no intention of trying to prise the Marquess away from Jess Drummond, not the least idea in the world. If he should happen to tire of her, Connie would be there on the spot, but she would not interfere. Oh, but a visit to Drummoor! How enticing a prospect it was!
    “Besides,” Lord Reginald went on smoothly, “if we are secretly betrothed, you will have to come to London with us and stay at Marford House, and think how much fun that will be, eh? We shall take you about, and you must realise, Miss Constance, Hatty and Dev and I are very good ton , received everywhere. We can get you vouchers for Almacks, you know. But you will have to have a great many new gowns and such like. Hatty can take care of all that for you. What do you say?”
    Connie could not say a word. If she opened her mouth, even a little, she felt that she would burst into raptures and be quite unable to stop. Her mama could not possibly object to such a plan if she believed there was a betrothal involved, and a pretend, secret betrothal would do just as well for the purpose.
    But here her conscience prickled a little at the thought of deceiving her mother. That was not right, surely? And yet, where was the deception? Mama would know exactly where she was and with whom, and there was nothing underhand about her purpose in going to London. She had already given up any thought of detaching the Marquess from Jess Drummond, nor was she interested in securing a husband for herself. It would be good for her to mix in the upper echelons of the ton for a few weeks to gain a little town polish, and there was no more to it than that.
    So she nodded vigorously enough to leave them in no doubt of her acceptance. Lady Harriet clapped her hands in delight, and Lord Reginald beamed at her, raising her hand to his lips.
    And thus it was that Connie found herself secretly not-quite-betrothed to Lord Reginald Marford, and packing her boxes to leave for Drummoor.
    ~~~~~
    There was a short delay while a chaperon was obtained for the journey. Lady Harriet was rather cross that the Marquess had summoned her first choice in order to chaperon Jess, but she seemed to know an array of ladies suited to the purpose and willing to rush about the country at a moment’s notice. Within a few days all was arranged and they could set off.
    The journey to Drummoor lasted three days, but nothing could have been more comfortable. Connie sat beside Lady Harriet in that lady’s luxurious carriage, with Lord Reginald opposite, while the two of them chattered endlessly about Drummoor and their vast web of relations and acquaintance, and told any number of entertaining, not to say scandalous, stories of the ton . Her companions were delighted to discover that she had never been away from home before, and regaled her with every detail of the roads, the towns and villages they passed through, and the rivers and rocky hills they spied, until her head was spinning.
    The chaperon was a timid soul who said scarcely a word the entire time, merely