Her gloved hand covered her mouth. "Oh I do apologize. I quite thought..."

"'Tis of no matter what you thought, ma'am. I shall be delighted to aid you in any way I can. Captain Farley O'Doyle, at your service, miss. Sure and you are the loveliest lady I have had the honour of encountering this evening. What does your mama look like, m'dear? If she's as lovely as yourself, we sh'll have no difficulty locating her. In the ballroom, you say?" He placed her gloved hand on his arm, and inexorably drew her toward the staircase. "We'll just go upstairs, and pause perhaps in the tea room."

Politely, Genevra tried to regain her hand, but found it held fast. "Oh, but, I, no I had rather go directly to the ball room."

The soldier obliged her to mount the stairs at his side. Genevra had no wish to make a scene by pulling away from him, and as she wanted to gain the upper floor anyway, she saw no advantage to immediately disengaging herself from his company. Nevertheless she watched for an avenue of escape. What is an Irishman doing in a Dragoons dress uniform? she wondered, with an edge of hysterical laughter.

"Truly, I must rejoin my mother, Captain," she said as soon as they gained the upper vestibule.

"Nonsense. Now that we're here, let me obtain for you a little orgeat or negus. You look a little flushe and flustered. We don't want your mama to think you've been upset, now do we? You are Miss ...?"

"Lady Genevra Haven." As soon as she said her name, Genevra realized she had been foolish. She wondered if this unlikely soldier might be the sort of fortune hunter her mama had warned her against. And now she had given him her title and her name. He might make free of both to her disadvantage.

There was a small crowd in the refreshment room, but she had no hope of recognizing anyone she knew. Indeed she could see no one clearly at all. She thought quickly. "Perhaps, Captain--yes, please, I do think some orgeat would be very welcome."

"Come with me then, m'dear," he urged her.

"Ohhhh," Genevra pressed her free hand to her brow, and gracefully sat down on the nearest chair. "I feel quite faint, Captain."

The man had perforce to release her other arm, and he peered at her suspiciously.

"Just a little orgeat," she said again.

He seemed to recognize that he had no choice but to do her bidding. She watched his red coat disappear into the crowd. After waiting a long moment, she stood and moving swiftly, slipped from the room.

Read the first chapter of Lost in Almacks.