Derek Lang left the ball not long after his meeting with Lady Miranda. He had enjoyed the interlude far more than expected, having set out to comfort a young lady on the verge of tears. Lady Miranda had surprised him by her ability to rally quickly despite her real agitation. Derek knew he was not mistaken about her distress. The emotions that had sent her scurrying into the garden were all too familiar to him though their exact cause was unknown. He wasn’t fond of parties and had taken up smoking just to have an excuse to vanish to the veranda when crowds grew too thick.
The girl intrigued him. She had enjoyed their bantering; too, if he felt certain, at least until her swain retrieved her. Derek planned to call on her tomorrow to see if he could find out what had been bothering her.
T
