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Lord Edon with a sword,” Mrs. Giles continued rambling after they passed Lord and Lady Edon. “But I will say that Lord Edon cleaned up his act. He doesn’t engage in scandalous behaviors anymore. At least, I haven’t heard of any. Have you, Lord Davenport?”
    Not expecting her to stop, Toby had to think over what she’d been talking about so he could properly answer her question. “No, I haven’t heard of Lord Edon engaging in scandalous activities ever since he got married.”
    “I didn’t think so. His Grace must have put the fear of the devil into him,” she replied, her expression thoughtful. “Tell me, my lord,” she continued, “what is Lord Edon really like?”
    “Mother,” Miss Giles spoke up, “I don’t see what good it does to speculate about Lord Edon. Let him be at peace.”
    “Oh, you’re so serious about everything,” her mother said with a sigh. “All winter long I’m cooped up in the country with nothing to entertain me. I come to London to enjoy myself, and part of that is engaging with others.”
    “Engaging with others is fine,” her daughter replied. “Being your own version of the Tittletattle is something else.”
    Toby’s lips curled up as Miss Giles compared her mother to the scandal sheets.
    “I have to make it a point to know who these people are,” Mrs. Giles insisted, giving her daughter a pointed gaze. “You should only marry an appropriate gentleman.”
    At that, Miss Giles’ face turned pink. “Then why not discuss only single gentlemen? Why talk about Lord Edon who is already taken?”
    “ You’re right, dear,” her mother consented. But before Miss Giles had a chance to relax, her mother asked, “Who would you like to discuss?”
    Toby noted the exasperation on Miss Giles’ face and almost laughed. But he managed to cover it up with a cough. Then, in hopes of making things easier for her, he said, “I hear Mr. Hastings is a fine opera singer. Word is he’s worth listening to at least once while in London. Have you had the pleasure of going to see him yet?”
    “As a matter of fact, I have,” Mrs. Giles said, her face lighting up. “My daughter and I make it a point to experience everything worth doing when it comes to cultural endeavors.”
    “So you know what a rich voice he has?”
    “I do.”
    He didn’t. Paying the kind of money it would take to see someone as well-known and appreciated as Mr. Hastings was out of the question. But his plan had worked and Mrs. Giles was no longer making her daughter uncomfortable. In fact, after Mrs. Giles extolled the virtues of Mr. Hastings’ voice, she went on to talk about other fine singers she’d heard in the past. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought Miss Giles appreciated his efforts, if he judged her smile correctly. And he was glad he could make the afternoon enjoyable for her.
     

Chapter Six
     
    “Regina, Lord Pennella is in the drawing room,” her lady’s maid said the next day.
    From her bedchamber window, Regina glanced up from the book she was reading. “I’ll be down in a moment.”
    H er lady’s maid offered a nod and shut the door. She put her book aside and rose to her feet. She went to the mirror and checked her reflection, just as she had the day before when Lord Davenport visited. As Lady Seyton suggested, she wore a dress that showed a hint of her cleavage. It was a ridiculous thing to aim for, but Lady Seyton insisted it was to get the gentleman to think about marriage.
    “A lady who is suitable for marriage does well to remind the potential husband that he’ll have fun trying for the heir if he chooses her,” Lady Seyton had said.
    Even now, Regina had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. The little she had gathered in her lessons boiled down to the gentleman’s need for praise and lovemaking. That was about it. How Lady Seyton considered this worthy of money, Regina could only guess. But she had an impressive history of success with her patrons, so she couldn’t argue