Martha regarded him with interest. “I hadn’t thought of that. I shall certainly speak to him about it.”

Mrs. Terry pursed her mouth. “Do you really think that’s necessary? They do no harm, you know, and they do bring some prosperity to the county.”

Richard leaned back in the window seat, every inch the man of leisure, not at all the sort of person who might run another through with his sword without hesitation. “Men can die on the beach as easily as they can die in the fields.”

Martha’s head turned sharply, but the Terrys didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. Mrs. Terry never noticed anyone she chose not to, and that included everyone from servants down. Her perception was selective.

“I’m only glad Derbyshire has no such prosperity,” Richard commented, apparently bored with the subject in hand. Mrs. Terry took his opening. “Derbyshire? Is your house near Chatsworth at all?”

“Quite near,” he admitted.

“Do you see much of the dear duke?”

“You know him, then?” Gervase took the conversational baton, which gave Richard a chance to sit back and observe. The Kerres and the Cavendishes socialised, but were not close.

“We met him a little while ago.” Mrs. Terry’s tone turned to honey. “Such gracious manners.” I couldn’t think where they could have met. I’d certainly never met a duke in Exeter Assembly Rooms.

Gervase agreed without a tremor. “They spend most of their time in London. My father prefers the country, on the whole, so we see little of each other.”

“I’ll wager you prefer the excitement of the city, my lord. Mama says that we will pay Bath a visit this year. Shall we see you there?” Eustacia looked from one to the other of the twins eagerly. Either she had forgotten Richard’s reason for being here, or she chose to ignore it.

Richard shook his head. “Probably not this year. Gervase, do you plan to go?”

“I hadn’t planned it, but I might take a look. You’ll have to tell me when you’re to visit,” Gervase added to Eustacia. They were playing the girl, passing her from one to another. The sport was mild, otherwise I would have stopped it, but in all honesty I had to admit she provided a tempting target.

“Oh yes,” breathed Eustacia.

Richard stretched an arm along the back of the sofa, behind Eustacia’s carefully curled hair. “Meantime, we may go a fair way towards making Exeter fashionable. You’ll find Exeter Assembly rooms more populated than usual, at least for the next month or two.” If I didn’t know what he was doing, his arrogance would have appalled me. He was drawing Eustacia further into his trap, tempting her with the availability of fresh meat in the marriage mart.

Georgiana turned shining eyes to her mother. “May we go, Mama? Would that be possible?”

“We thought we might attend this Friday,” Lady Skerrit admitted.

“Then we shall go too.” Mrs. Terry beamed. “We have to uphold the county, don’t we?” by “the county” she meant her sort, the few families that made up her social circle. I knew she would muster her friends. The whole of the Assembly Rooms would be packed and agog. Last year in the wilds of Yorkshire I had dreamed of showing off my betrothed at the Assembly Rooms, the scene of so many frustrations and humiliations for me in the past. Now I wasn’t so sure, especially with the mischief I knew Richard was planning. I was suspicious of his motives, but also afraid I could do little to divert him from his purpose.

Morning visits were supposed to take half an hour. After that time Lady Skerrit stood, thus forcing the others to stand. “So good to see you out of mourning.” She embraced Martha warmly. If the Terrys hadn’t been there, she would have stayed longer, and been welcome. Martha left with them, to see the guests to the door.

Left alone with Gervase and Lizzie, I pleaded with Richard. “You won’t drop Miss Terry in the middle of Friday’s Assembly Rooms, will you?”

“He’s planning some game with that harpy?” Lizzie clapped her hands together in delight. “Famous!”

Richard smiled at her. “A woman with my own sense of justice.” He gave her a bow. “I shall first see how far she is prepared to take matters. If she retreats, then so will I. On the other hand, if she chooses to flirt—”

“Richard!” from Gervase.

“Oh, my dear brother, not that. Granted, I have amused myself in the past, but not with a young innocent. In any case, anything more than flirting would hurt Rose. No, I’ll not go that far. In fact, I’m not sure what I will do, exactly.” He smiled at me. “I promise I won’t let her down too badly, if she needs a set-down. And, in any case, if you hadn’t noticed, I didn’t make most of the running.” I had to admit that was true.

“She has all the tricks of the coquette,” said Lizzie. “She doesn’t need encouragement. It will do her good to receive a set-down.”

“Offer her a carte blanche,” suggested Gervase. The idea that Richard should offer her his protection without his name made Lizzie gasp in appreciative delight.

Richard laughed. “Good God, I thought I had the reputation. If I did that, her father might well call me out.”

Gervase agreed. “Once upon a time you would have done it.”

Richard frowned. “Perhaps. But she’s only silly, not malicious, and she doesn’t deserve it. My natural inclination is to ruin her, at least in the eyes of society, but I will be magnanimous and merely set her down a trifle.”

“Can it be Rose