Victoria narrowed her eyes. What the devil was he up to?
“Lord Macclesfield!” Lady Hollingwood said, just a touch breathlessly. “Do not tell me that you are acquainted with Miss Lyndon.”
“I am well acquainted with Miss Lyndon.”
Victoria wondered if anyone else could hear the double meaning in his voice. She itched to let her temper loose and tell him exactly what she thought of his games.
Lady Hollingwood turned to Victoria with an accusing expression. “Miss Lyndon, you did not tell me you were acquainted with Lord Macclesfield.”
“I did not know he was a guest, my lady.” If he could lie, confound him, so could she.
“We grew up together,” Robert added. “In Kent.”
Well, Victoria conceded to herself, that much was not entirely untrue. She may have moved to Kent at the age of seventeen, but she had certainly done some growing up while there. Deception and betrayal had a way of doing that to a person.
“Is that so?” Lady Hollingwood asked, looking terribly interested and just a little bit baffled that her governess might have once moved in the same circles as an earl.
“Yes, our families are great friends.”
Victoria coughed so hard that she had to excuse herself to get something to drink.
“Oh, no, allow me,” Robert said grandly. “I can think of nothing I'd rather do.”
“I can think of many things I'd rather do,” Victoria muttered under her breath. Stomping on his foot would be nice, as would dumping a glass of wine over his head. She'd already done that once with a basin of water, and it had proved most enjoyable. Wine had the added bonus of being red.
While Robert was off procuring Victoria a glass of lemonade, Lady Hollingwood turned on her. “You know Macclesfield?” she hissed. “Why didn't you tell me?”
“I told you, I didn't know he was a guest.”
“Whether or not he is a guest is irrelevant. He is beyond influential. When I hired you, you should have informed me you were—Oh, hello, Lord Macclesfield.”
Robert nodded as he held up two glasses. “Lady Hollingwood, I took the liberty of obtaining lemonade for both of you.”
Lady Hollingwood simpered her thanks. Victoria said nothing, well aware that if she opened her mouth, she'd say something unfit for polite company. Just then, Lord Hollingwood came by, asking his wife if it was time to go in to dinner. “Ah, yes,” Lady Hollingwood said. “I merely need to introduce Miss Lyndon to Mr. Hornsby.”
“Perhaps I might escort Miss Lyndon to dinner,” Robert said.
Victoria's mouth fell open. Surely he realized what a dreadful insult that was to Lady Hollingwood. As the highest ranking gentleman in the party, it was his duty to escort the hostess.
Victoria snapped her mouth closed just as Lady Hollingwood opened hers in consternation. “But…but…”
Robert offered her a warm smile. “It has been so long, and I'm certain Miss Lyndon and I have much catching up to do. Why, I haven't even the slightest knowledge of how her sister fares.” He turned to Victoria with an expression that was so concerned. “And how is dear Eleanor?”
“Ellie is fine,” Victoria ground out.
“Is she still as impertinent as ever?”
“Not as impertinent as you,” Victoria retorted. Then she bit her tongue.
“Miss Lyndon!” cried Lady Hollingwood. “How dare you speak to Lord Macclesfield in such a tone. Remember your place.”
But Robert was only chuckling. “Miss Lyndon and I have always spoken frankly to each other. It is one of the reasons we so enjoy each other's company.”
Victoria was still kicking herself for letting him goad her into her previous retort, so she held her tongue, even though she really wanted to declare that she did not enjoy his company in the least.
Obviously at a loss, Lady Hollingwood looked as if she didn't know how to handle this irregular situation. She certainly did not appear to be even remotely pleased at the thought of her governess claiming the highest ranking guest as her dinner partner.
Victoria, who had quickly realized that this slight might escalate into a dismissable offense, interceded. “I am certain it is not necessary that the earl and I sit with each other. We may—”
“Oh, but it is necessary,” Robert interrupted, flashing the ladies a debonair smile. “It has been an age.”
“But Lady Hollingwood's seating arrangements—”
“We are not such an inflexible group. Mr. Hornsby will be happy to take my place near the head of the table, I am sure.”
Lady Hollingwood turned quite green. Mr. Hornsby was not and never would be a person of importance. But before she could object Robert had called over the gentleman in question.
“Percy,” he said in his most amiable tone, “you wouldn't mind leading Lady Hollingwood in to dinner? I would be much indebted to you if you would agree to take my place at the table.”
Percy blinked. “B-b-but I am m-merely—”
Robert gave him a hearty whack on the back as an interruption, sparing him future stutters. “You'll have a smashing time. Lady Hollingwood is an astonishing conversationalist.”
Percy shrugged and offered Lady Hollingwood his arm. She accepted it—indeed, there was nothing else she could do without insulting an earl—but not before she threw a furious glance over her shoulder at Victoria.
Victoria closed her eyes in agony. There was no way Lady Hollingwood was going to believe that this disaster was not her doing. It didn't matter that Robert had done all of the talking, that he was the one who'd been so insistent. Lady H. would find a way to pin this on the governess.