Belgrave Square - Anne Perry [80]
“Kindness,” Emily corrected. “I admire kindness, Miss Morden. The ability not to take advantage, to find generous pleasure in someone else’s success, even when you are not finding particular success yourself. That takes a truly fine spirit, don’t you think?”
“I was not aware that I was being particularly kind.” Odelia frowned, a spark of suspicion in her eyes.
Emily’s hand flew to her mouth in a delicate gesture of embarrassment.
“Oh—your own hat is charming. I simply meant your generosity in admiring Miss Hilliard’s hat with such candor.”
Charlotte stifled a giggle with difficulty, and avoided meeting anyone’s eyes.
Both James Hilliard and Fitz looked a trifle puzzled.
“Are you enjoying the exhibition?” Fitz asked quickly. “Have you seen anything you would buy?”
“I like the roses over there,” Charlotte answered instantly, struggling for anything that would fill the silence. “And I thought some of the portraits were very fine, although I am not sure who they are.”
“The woman in the white gown with the lace is Lillie Langtry,” Fitz said with a broad smile.
“Oh is it?” Charlotte was interested in spite of herself, and the pucker of disapproval between Odelia’s brows did nothing to discourage her. “If it is a good likeness, then she is very lovely. Have you met her?”
“One meets everyone sooner or later. Society is very small, you know.”
“Do you not find that, Mrs. Pitt?” Odelia asked with a spark of interest.
There was no purpose in lying; she would only be caught in it and look even more foolish. And she did not hunger for social rank enough to pretend to it.
“I did before I was married,” she said with a candid stare. “But since then I have spent far more time at home with my family. I only departed from it this season to be what help I can to Emily, in the circumstances.”
“Very generous of you,” Odelia said politely, having established a certain superiority. She linked her arm in Fitz’s and leaned a fraction closer to him. “I am sure she will feel greatly eased in her mind for your company. It is something of a disadvantage that the selection of a candidate should occur just now, however I am sure it will not influence a decision.” She lifted one slender shoulder slightly. “You have met many of the most important people. I saw you with Lord Anstiss at the opera. Such a fine man. Most of us will never know how much he gives away to all manner of deserving causes. Some of the artists here are only able to exhibit at all because of his patronage, you know.”
And the conversation moved to the much safer subject of Lord Anstiss’s benefactions in many fields, Fanny and James Hilliard joining in where a pleasant but uninformed opinion was acceptable.
Charlotte glanced at Emily and saw with a flash of understanding that she was equally bored. Fitz caught the look.
“Who cares?” he agreed with a laugh. He turned to Fanny, and her face flooded with relief and humor. “Let’s talk of something more fun,” he said quickly. “What is the latest scandal? There must be something entertaining?”
“I don’t know of anything,” Odelia said with regret. “It is all a matter of who may marry whom, and unless you know them it is all very tedious, and probably quite predictable anyway.”
They moved a few steps to the next picture without looking at it.
“There is the matter of Mr. Horatio Osmar,” James said tentatively. “That seems to have elements of the ludicrous about it.”
“Horatio Osmar?” Fitz seized on it. “Isn’t he a minister in the government? Do tell us: what has he done? Or, to be more accurate, what do they say he has done?”
“He used to be a junior minister of sorts,” James corrected.
“Oh dear—I should know that, shouldn’t I?” Fitz said ruefully. “What about him? Is it money?”
“Nothing so dry.” James smiled. It was a gentle, diffident and very warm expression which lit his face, giving him a charm he had lacked before. “He was arrested for indecent behavior with a young woman—on a park bench!”
They all burst into laughter, making several heads turn and causing a few elderly ladies to frown and mutter to themselves on the