Tony took herself off to the kitchens to avoid her cousin. The amount of food that had been prepared took her breath away. Most of the food dishes were English, but there were silver trays of sweetmeats and other exotic delicacies for those with an adventurous palate. Actually Savage and John Bull had argued over the food. John Bull contended every dish should be English and Savage adamantly insisted his guests would expect Eastern dishes. A compromise had been reached.
Tony sniffed the spicy aromas appreciatively. “It smells sinful in here.”
“I told Excellency this stuff would insult his guests,” John Bull said with regret. “This is a very suspicious occasion.”
“Auspicious,” Tony murmured.
“That too,” John Bull agreed.
“Can I help?”
“Ah, yes indeed, your lordship. If you would be so kind as to help with the inspection. You will know better than I if the uniforms pass muster in your exalted country.” He opened a door to an adjoining room where a dozen men were in various stages of dressing themselves in livery. Tony felt her cheeks warm at the scene before her, but bit her lip and averted her eyes from those who had not yet struggled into their satin breeches.
The livery was a tasteful shade of gray with snowy stockings and black shoes.
John Bull sniffed. “I ordered scarlet with gold braid, but Excellency countermanded me.”
Tony would have loved to agree with John Bull, telling him Savage had made the wrong choice, but as usual Savage was right and it was galling. “I think you may trust his judgment.”
“Ah, not always,” John Bull said, handing out white gloves, then directing the footmen to take the silver trays out among the guests. “Sometimes he keeps very bad company and takes reckless risks. It is high time he gave up smuggling and settled down.”
Smuggling? Ohmigod, that explains so much about him!thought Tony.His ships, his wealth, his scar!
“If you are finished dissecting my character, I’d like your aid,” Adam drawled.
Tony said lightly, “Strange, you are usually so self-sufficient. Don’t you agree, John Bull?”
“Ah, yes, he insists on self-serving.”
“I’ll just bet,” Tony said with narrowed eyes.
Savage ignored the insult. “Since husbands and wives detest each other’s company, I thought you might entertain the Earl of Oxford, while I—”
“Serve the Countess?” Tony cut in suggestively.
“I wouldn’t have put it so crudely, but I would like to be private with her for about half an hour. Be a good chap and show Oxford the horses.”
Tony was furious. Savage was proving himself as disreputable as his looks suggested, and the bloody Countess of Oxford already had a shocking reputation. She furiously told herself that she was not in the least jealous, but when the pattern repeated itself with Tony entertaining Lord Grosvenor, the Earl of Huntingdon, and Lord Shelburne successively, she was seething.
It seemed the elegantly gowned ladies developed an insatiable curiosity to be shown the bedchambers while their spouses fairly galloped to the stables. Savage was a lecherous swine with the audacity to put horns on his noble guests right beneath their noses.
Tony was incensed that Savage found so many women attractive. But perhaps that wasn’t it at all. Perhaps he was driven by a need to assert his power over men who were titled. Was this just another way of showing contempt?
Tony had no more time to speculate as four carriages arrived together. Rosalind and Lady Jersey had arrived. She also recognized Georgiana Devonshire immediately and swore not to let Savage be alone with London’s reigning beauty. However, when she entered the house she saw that he was in deep conversation with half a dozen gentlemen and it was up to her to entertain Georgiana and the other ladies.
Frances Jersey cried, “Anthony darling, I swear you’ve grown a foot since last we met. Don’t tower over me, dear boy.” Her voice lowered to a suggestive whisper. “I’ve come to catch a glimpse of his concubine.”
“Kirinda is not a concubine, Lady Jersey,” Tony said stiffly, feeling a misery inside her heart.
Frances reached up to pat Tony’s cheek. “Such an innocent boy.”
Georgiana and Lady Jersey exchanged such amused glances, that Tony concluded Lotus Blossom was indeed Savage’s concubine. How bloody naive could she be?
Tony led the way to the elegant dining salon with its gracefully curved walls covered with rose silk. At each end was a carved Adams fireplace set into a wall of mirrors, which reflected the crystal chandelier over and over again. It held three hundred pale pink candles lightly scented with rose.
Georgiana caught her breath. “Oh, I must do a room in rose; it’s like living in a flower.”
Frances Jersey tapped her with her fan. “You have a very indulgent husband, Georgiana. Not only does he turn a blind eye to your little peccadilloes, he keeps you in the lap of luxury.”