Had she really not noticed how his gaze was focused on her? “The way Lord Montagu looked at you.”
Eleanor frowned at Alice. “How did you hear her?”
“I did not.” She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I knew what she was going to say because I thought the same thing.”
“I will be very surprised if he can tell us apart.” Eleanor snorted lightly. “A great many people will not be able to do so.”
She had a point. Then again, if he was the right one, he would be able to see the difference. Even if they did look almost exactly alike, they were not identical twins. “It is a shame we are past the age of pretending to be each other.”
“But if he can.” Madeline looped her arm with Eleanor’s. “It means that he sees you. That you are not just some young lady.”
“Perhaps.” Eleanor did not sound convinced. “We shall see. Remember neither Louisa nor Charlotte married the first gentlemen they met.”
“Very true.” Alice took her twin’s other arm. “But simply because they did not, does not mean you will not.”
“As I said, we shall see.” Clearly Eleanor was not willing to be convinced.
“He must have the funds to support a family,” Madeline mused. “Otherwise, Matt would not have introduced him.”
That was a very good point. None of them had thought about that when they had made their list.
“I am not falling in love at first sight.” Eleanor pressed her lips together. “He has many more qualities to meet.”
“So it begins.” Strolling in front of them, Matt groaned.
Grace patted his arm. “They have become shrewd ladies.”
Alice grinned as she exchanged looks with her sisters. Grace seemed certain of them, but Matt needed more convincing.
He helped them all into the coach and took the seat next to Grace. “What did Lady Bellamny say? I remember Louisa telling us she thought she’d look at her teeth.”
“Not much,” Madeline began to tell him, and Alice and Eleanor added to what she said.
In the coach light, Grace’s smile could be seen. “I think it was a matter of like recognizing like. I was very proud of the way the girls held their own under that gaze. Most of the young ladies would have started weeping.”
“More than one of them did have tears in their eyes. One was weeping.” Alice glanced at her twin. “What was her name?
“Melissa,” Eleanor said.
“Yes, that was it. Then another one, she and her friend want to marry gentlemen who live close to each other so that they will not have to be apart, was dabbing away tears as well.”
Grace took a breath and let it out. “Either Miss Tice or Miss Martindale. Their older sisters wanted the same thing.”
That was interesting. “Were they successful?”
“As it happens, yes they were,” Grace said. “You should ask Henrietta about them. One set of Martindale-Tices came out when she did.”
It would be nice if they could ask her. “We haven’t seen her since last summer.”
“Dotty has invited us to Easter dinner.” Grace said. “You will see her then.”
Alice would be glad to see both of them. It would be almost like when they were children and lived in the same neighborhood.
“I shall look forward to it,” Eleanor said. “It’s nice to have so many people in Town we already know.”
“It is,” Madeline agreed. “Even if they are not coming out at the same time.”
Eleanor yawned. “I do not know how I will stay awake during the entertainments.”
Grace chuckled. “You will have so much to do during them that you will not be tired until you get home.”
“Just remember we leave after supper,” Matt added. “That worked well with your sisters, and now we have even younger children in the house to consider.”
So far, everything was proceeding as it hoped it would. Then it occurred to Alice that Lord Montagu could now introduce them to the gentleman on the gray horse.
* * *
Alice rose early the next morning, excited that she might meet the gentleman who rode with Lord Montagu. She met her sisters in the corridor, and they went down to their mares.
She stopped short at seeing all three of their grooms with horses as well. “I thought only one of you were to come with us?”
“We were all ordered to be here.” Robertson helped her mount.
Matt must be worried about something. Once they were ready, they headed toward the Park, but Lord Montagu was not there. So much for him being able to rise early. Still, even though it was cloudy, the morning was lovely.
“What do you think happened to them?” Madeline asked.
There was only one reason for them not to be here. “Obviously, they could not get out of bed in time to ride with us.”
