She dusted her fingers with her handkerchief. “If a lady wished to take snuff for the purpose of being a little out of the way, which would she choose, sir?”
He smiled. “She would request either Lord Petersham or Lord Worth to put her up a special recipe to be known as Miss Taverner’s Sort.”
Her eyes gleamed. “Will you do that for me?”
“I will do it for you, Miss Taverner, if you can be trusted to treat it carefully.”
“What must I do?”
“You must not drench it with scent, or let it become too dry, or leave your box where it will grow cold. Good snuff is taken with the chill off. Sleep with it under your pillow, and if it needs freshening send it to me. Don’t attempt anything in that way yourself. It is not easily done.”
“And a snuff-box to match every gown,” said Miss Taverner thoughtfully.
“By all means. But learn first how to handle your box. You cannot do better than to observe the methods of Mr. Brummell. You will notice that he uses one hand only, the left one, and with peculiar grace.”
She began to draw on her gloves again. “I shall be very much obliged to you, sir, if you will have the kindness to make me that recipe,” she said. She realized how far she had drifted from the real object of her visit, and led the conversation ruthlessly back to it. “And you will stop Perry going to gaming hells, and being for ever with this bad set of company?”
“I am quite unable to stop Peregrine doing either of these things, even if I wished to,” replied the Earl calmly. “A little experience will not hurt him.”