Lord Gregory inclined his head, then disappeared through the hedgerow. She watched him turn to the left, which was the direction she would go. Indeed, she could just make out the top of his hat over the shrubbery. He couldn’t see her, however.

“Are you still there?” he asked a moment later.

Evie smiled to herself. “For a while. Until I need to turn toward the house.”

“I see. There is an assembly in town day after tomorrow. Will you be there?”

“I don’t know.” Evie didn’t really want to go, but Heloise would continue trying to convince her that it would be engaging. In the end, Evie would likely attend in order to please her sister.

“It will be my first social event since my father died,” he said in a lower tone that made her have to strain a bit to hear him. “Except for my brother’s engagement ball in London and his wedding breakfast at Witney Court. Those don’t count, however, as I wasn’t actually looking forward to attending them.”

She wasn’t sure if she ought to encourage him or not. “Only go if you’re ready.”

“I appreciate you saying that.” Indeed, she heard the warmth in his voice even though the hedgerow separated them.

Evie heard a horse’s hooves from the other side of the hedgerow and looked over to see a white female rider approach Lord Gregory.

“What do you have there, Gregory?” The voice belonged to a young woman and carried the cultured tone of London High Society.

“We found a puppy in the hedgerow. I’m going to determine if he belongs to anyone. Poor thing needs food and water, I think.”

“Who is ‘we’?” The question was haughty, almost accusatory.

“I met your new neighbor. Well, their guest anyway. Are you there, Mrs. Renshaw?”

Evie froze. She didn’t want to be part of that conversation. It was nearly time for her to turn toward the house anyway. Except she didn’t go. Instead, she edged closer to the hedgerow so she wouldn’t be seen over the top by the rider.

“Where is she?” the young woman asked.

“She was on the other side of the hedgerow, but she must have continued on her way to the house. I told her we’d invite the Creightons—and her—for…something. Dinner, perhaps?”

“I’m not sure Cliff is ready to do that.” The young woman, who must be Lord Gregory’s sister-in-law, sniffed.

“He seems ready to attend the assembly in a few days.” Lord Gregory sounded strained, almost…irritated.

“Yes, well, that’s different from entertaining. Honestly, Gregory, don’t you know anything about these new neighbors? His father was in trade, and she was his mistress before they wed.”

“How would you know that?” Now he definitely sounded annoyed.

“My mother told me in a letter after I informed her who our new neighbors were.”