“My dear!” said Miss Taverner, rather perturbed. “You should not have told him to go to Southampton! He is quite capable of setting out in a chaise immediately!”
“I hope very much that he may. If I had had the presence of mind I would have told him to take Henry with him. I am persuaded they would find themselves a good deal in sympathy. Henry will be even less pleased at the news of our engagement than Peregrine—and almost as hard to silence.”
“Indeed, when I think of Henry’s views on my sex I am astonished at your daring to propose to me at all,” said Miss Taverner. “I hope you are not offended by the circumstance of Perry not liking it extremely. He will when he knows you better, I promise.”
The Earl smiled. “No, I am not offended,” he said. “I was prepared for worse. I am consoling myself with the reflection that your brother’s way of receiving the news cannot be more unflattering to me than my tiger’s opinion of it will be to you, my darling!”