“I will be the cleverest debutante who ever made her curtsey to the King!” Lynne promised and the Earl laughed.
“How can you be so kind to my family and arrange anything so fantastic?” Mariota asked him when they were alone.
“I must confess it is an entirely selfish action on my part,” he replied, “simply because I have no wish to see that worried look in your eyes or know that you are fussing over them when you should be fussing over me!”
She knew he was making light of what had involved a great deal of thought and organising and she said,
“It#s impossible to say thank you any more, so I shall just say I love you!”
“That is all I want to hear,” the Earl sighed and kissed her.
Now, as Lynne showered them with rose petals, they ran down the steps to climb into the phaeton which, drawn
