Henry approached the settee with a feeling of dread and presented his primroses. “Lady Caroline, how lovely to see you again.”
“Lord Thetford. An absolute delight.”
He sat beside her. After a moment, she leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, “Pray tell me, my lord, which part of I never want to speak to you ever again taxed your understanding?”
“I’m here to apologize.”
“You chose an excellent venue for it, while I am in the midst of entertaining forty-three gentlemen callers.”
“How was I to know there’d be such a crush?”
“So, you expected I would be unpopular. How flattering.”
Well, that had come out wrong. Again. Fortunately, yet also very unfortunately, he was saved from having to reply by a young man with a shock of orange hair, who rose to his feet. “If I may,” he began, blu
