Jane stifled the urge to remind the woman that Upton had invited Jane first and Mrs. Langford was, in fact, coming along with them. Jane turned in a frantic circle searching the riverbank. Wasn’t there someone else with whom she could row? Confound it, again. Daphne had already set sail with Owen Monroe and Lord and Lady Moreland were together. Jane watched in growing terror as one by one each boat set out until there were none left except the one she was standing in front of. Upton stared at her with a boyish charm Jane wished she hadn’t noticed.

“It’s quite all right.” Jane backed away from the grassy bank. “I’ll just sit under a tree and read. I’ll be perfectly fine, I assure you.”

Mrs. Langford looked eager to accept this excuse and opened her mouth to no doubt issue an appropriate reply when Upton interjected.

He held a hand out toward Jane. “Please, Miss Lowndes, come with me.”

It was that last word that was Jane’s undoing. If he had said come with “us,” Jane surely would have refused, but he had said “me,” clearly indicating to Jane that Mrs. Langford was the interloper.

“Very well,” Jane replied softly.

If Mrs. Langford was at all affected by Upton’s choice of words she didn’t let it show. Instead, she smiled her obsequious smile and held out a hand to allow Upton to help her into the small boat.

Jane waited for Mrs. Langford to get settled, complete with a false attempt at tripping and falling into Upton’s arms, something Jane couldn’t help but roll her eyes at. Upton had seen the widow do it. That shameless woman obviously didn’t care. Jane gazed back at the willow tree along the bank with real longing as she mentally counted off the ways in which this could be any worse. There could be ants. Or water snakes. Or two Mrs. Langfords instead of one.

Upton turned to Jane and held out his hand. “May I help you?” He said it in such a charming voice that Jane momentarily forgot Mrs. Langford was there.

Jane braced her hand against Upton’s strong warm arm and allowed him to help her onto the wooden bench in the back of the rowboat. Upton had maneuvered them so that he sat in the middle, facing Jane. Mrs. Langford was perched in the bow of the vessel, craning her neck to get Upton’s attention. Jane sighed. Very well, perhaps she could suffer a turn or two around the lake and then she would go in for her afternoon nap, and later there would be teacake. One must always look upon the bright side, mustn’t one?