‘Is that so?’ she asked, as if he had just told her the weather was a little cold. ‘I must confess I am not sure what you are referencing.’
‘Though it pains me to contradict you, I am sure that you in fact do know. Is it not down to your doing that I have been invited to make no less than three marriage proposals since we last spoke?’
She could not restrain her smile. ‘My lord, I can only apologise,’ she said with all the earnestness she could muster. ‘Any thoughtless words on my part were only made to protect your reputation from any besmirching association with me.’
‘Oh, so you were in fact protecting my honour by inviting a free-for-all upon my person, by every mother and daughter in the city?’
She bit back a bigger smile; she was rather beginning to enjoy these little exchanges with Radcliffe – it wasn’t just that to be seen in his company couldn’t help but aid her standing in society, but also the pleasure of knowing that while the rest of society had to make do with Radcliffe’s polite mask, it was with her alone that he let loose his sarcastic wit.
‘Yes, I was,’ she replied solemnly.
He looked at her levelly. ‘You will live to regret this,’ he promised her. ‘I will repay you for the discomfort you have caused me.’
‘If we are going to exchange threats,’ she said. ‘It would be better that we do it whilst dancing, so that we are not overheard.’ She looked at him expectantly. ‘Aren’t you going to ask me?’
‘I rather thought it was you who just asked me,’ he said. ‘If we can call it asking.’
‘No, I asked whether you were going to ask me,’ she corrected firmly. ‘But as you’re clearly going to be difficult, I would now rather you didn’t.’
‘That suits perfectly, for my answer was going to be no. I make it a general rule only to dance with persons I like – and certainly not shameless jades.’
She bristled in offence. ‘Are you in the habit of being this rude to everyone you encounter?’
‘On the contrary,’ he said coolly. ‘I am considered rather charming by the entirety of the ton.’
‘Well, I’m sure we cannot blame them for that foolishness,’ she snapped. ‘So many of the ton being in the habit of marrying their first cousins.’
He inhaled sharply, choked on his mouthful of champagne, and then let out a coughing bark of mirth.
‘Oh, very well done, Miss Talbot,’ he told her, never one to begrudge a good hit.
‘Now will you dance with me?’ she asked.
‘Never!’ he declared, with a theatricality that belonged on the stage. Kitty turned from him with an equally dramatic flourish, suppressing a shiver of something – pique, no doubt, that he wouldn’t dance with her this evening. It was, of course, merely frustration that she wouldn’t get the accompanying boost of visibility to the eligible gentlemen present. No more than that.
She had work to do tonight, after all, and for once, it wasn’t just to do with charming the gentlemen. The Lady Patronesses of Almack’s were the highest ranking and most esteemed members of Regency society, and they each wielded extraordinary social power. An Almack’s voucher from one of these ladies would be the ultimate seal of approval – it was far more than a card of invitation, and no less than the difference between society and Society, Mr Talbot had once said. He, Kitty knew, had rather considered these parts of high society a little dull – preferring to spend his time with their mother than with the fusty ton. There was an irony in this, Kitty thought – that she was reduced to scheming to access the same places that Mr Talbot had avoided – but she was far too preoccupied to appreciate it.
To secure an Almack’s voucher, then, Kitty had several possible avenues of attack. The Princess Esterházy and the Countess Lieven she discounted straight away. Not even Kitty had the courage to speak to such high-ranking ladies. She had met Mrs Burrell, of course, at Lady Radcliffe’s dinner party, though she could not see her anywhere. She identified Lady Cowper by way of Lady Kingsbury, and spent the better part of an hour hovering on the periphery of their group, trying to be included, but it was a fruitless endeavour. Frustrated, she abandoned this and cast about again. As luck would have it, Kitty spotted the Dowager Countesses Lady Radcliffe and Lady Montagu deep in conversation with Lady Jersey across the room. Famous. She made her way across to them.
‘Miss Talbot!’ Lady Radcliffe cried. ‘How are you, my dear?’