Lady Ballingcroft was now quite happy and, with a kiss for Hugh and another for Aldridge, left the room on Mrs Barlow’s arm. “And Bally will never know he has been Aldridged?”
“He will suspect, my dear, when you start practicing the new tricks you have learned. Did I not tell you?”
“I had no idea.” Lady Ballingcroft’s awe made Hugh smile long after they descended the stairs and moved out of earshot.
Aldridge came back shaking his head. “What a fool Ballingcroft is, Overton. And what a surprise he will have when next he approaches his wife, and she expects to participate in the act.”
“The man should be thanking us for his Aldridging,” Hugh observed. “I take it that means being cuckolded by Aldridge.”
“‘Aldridging,’ indeed. When did I become a verb, Overton? How Rose will laugh when I tell her. Although I imagine she has already heard.”
“You tell your mistress about your amorous adventures?” Hugh asked. He hadn’t kept a mistress in years, in part, because the opera dancer he’d spent a small fortune on before he joined the army would have hurled every vase and ornament in the place at his head, if he’d done such a thing. Yes, and then demanded he replace them.
Aldridge just laughed. “Speaking of which, we must be up and about, my lad. I’ve arranged to encounter today’s two ladies in Green Park.”
Hugh groaned. “Mercy, Aldridge. Can’t you just leave me to sleep? I’ll play my part tonight, but…”
Aldridge shook his head. “Can’t be done, Overton. I have another engagement tonight.”
“Well, take me on this other engagement then. Surely we can find a couple of light-heeled ladies…”
“This is not that kind of an engagement, Overton. I’m taking a little girl and her friends to Astley’s Amphitheatre. It’s her 10th birthday, and I promised. Ah. Martin, thank you.” Aldridge took the mug his valet handed him. “Here, Overton, it set you right yesterday.”
“It’s noxious,” Hugh complained, but downed the evil liquid, because Aldridge was correct. It had cured his hangover yesterday.
“It was thinking of Astley’s that gave me the idea, actually. Have you ever done it on horseback, Overton?”
Hugh’s head was suddenly full of erotic images. “Never. Is it even possible?”
“Oh, yes. With co-operation. We did agree to two different ladies and two different positions a day, and no repeats.”
“Yes. For a week. I think Hackenburg intended us to find four different ladies between the two of us.”
Aldridge’s lazy smile showed his supreme indifference to Hackenburg’s intentions. “He didn’t specify.”
“Twenty-eight conquests would better prove the morals of the ladies of the ton are no better than the morals of the gentleman,” Overton suggested.
“Fourteen in pairs, each willing to take on two comers, proves it better. And only four more to go. Thank you, Martin. Leave it to me, now. I’ll get the baron cleaned up.” The servant had set up a bath, filled it, and laid out linen towels and a new bar of soap.
“I’ll do my best not to let you down, Aldridge. Only one more day to go?”
