The Chocolate Debutante by M. C. Beaton Read Free Book Online Page B

God. Come. Take me to her room. I do not share your worry and so can probably guess where she is. I feel she is hiding in the house, but it is clear to me that you are panicking and cannot think clearly because you fear she is wandering the streets of London.”
     
    Harriet hesitated. “Come along,” he urged. “You must look on me as a friend of the family. After all, we have shared dinner and books.”
     
    She led him up to Susan’s bedchamber. He stood in the doorway and looked around. There was a canopied bed, a toilet table, two easy chairs, a large wardrobe, and an even larger press.
     
    As they stood together, looking around, a faint sound came from the press.
     
    “Ah-ha!” He went and opened the door. Curled up on a shelf, her face smeared with chocolate, her thumb in her mouth, and fast asleep, lay Susan.
     
    Harriet’s first feeling was of mild pleasure that this beauty should display herself to such disadvantage. She then told herself sternly that this was not because the girl had been discovered by Lord Dangerfield in such a state, but simply pleasure at finding her safe and well.
     
    “Susan!” she said sharply. “Come out of there immediately.”
     
    Susan slowly opened her beautiful eyes and blinked at Harriet and the earl. She unstoppered her mouth and grinned. “Now I am in the suds,” she remarked. She slid down from the shelf, and as she did so, her dress rode up, revealing a splendid pair of legs encased in silk stockings and embellished with pink frilly garters.
     
    “Wash your face, miss,” said Harriet, “and present yourself in the drawing room. Mrs. Courtney has already called with Charles. It’s too bad of you, Susan. You must stop eating so many sweetmeats. You will ruin your complexion and your teeth.”
     
    Susan yawned and stretched. “I never get pimples,” she said. “And my teeth are very strong. Yes, yes, Aunt, do take your beau away and I will join you as soon as I can.”
     
    Harriet’s face flamed with angry color. “Lord Dangerfield is
not
my beau, Susan. What am I to do with you? Make yourself presentable as soon as possible. Come, Lord Dangerfield.”
     
    When she and the earl were seated in the drawing room, Harriet said awkwardly, “I must apologize for my niece, my lord. As you can see, I have much work still to do.”
     
    He laughed. “And I thought
you
were the Original. I never thought to see you behave like the veriest model of society matrons.” And Harriet felt staid and old and dowdy. She made rather stilted conversation, wondering why he did not take his leave. Calls were supposed to last only ten or fifteen minutes, and the time was stretching on to a full half hour. She made rather forced conversation about who was who at the Season and saying that Lady Dancer had been a great help in introducing her to the right hostesses.
     
    “My lord,” she said at last. “I am afraid you must excuse me. I do not know what can have happened to Susan.”
     
    “May I make a guess? Asleep again?”
     
    “Surely not! I am sure she is making an elaborate toilet in your honor.”
     
    “Nicely said, Miss Tremayne. But I wager you that she is asleep.”
     
    “She cannot be!”
     
    “You will find I have the right of it. What will we wager? I know, if I am right, then you will save the supper dance for me at the Trowbridge ball. And if I am wrong…?”
     
    “Well, well, I must think of something.”
     
    “Jewels? A fan?”
     
    “No, I have enough of those. I know, you must give me your advice.”
     
    “On what?”
     
    “On a suitable partner for Susan. I have been out of the world for so long. My friend, Bertha, Lady Dancer, is very shrewd, but perhaps you would be able to spot someone unsuitable better than she. There are gentlemen of good fortune who might be cruel, or drunkards, or gamblers. Gentlemen appear to be on their best behavior when they are courting. But a man would know what they are really like.”
     
    “Done! So let