<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>Hugh knows enough about women to realize that one is likely to swoon at the first sign of unexpected emotion.  He's seen it happen even to women with constitutions sturdier than the average quarter horse.  Still, that hadn't prepared him for the feel of her soft lips against his own, and her arms clinging to him as she started to go limp in his arms.  It brought forward an unexpected rush of protective emotions from him, as well as a kind of perverse sense of pride at having affected her so.  Certainly he holds her most tenderly as she recovers.<br/><br/><em>“My Lord...”</em><br/><br/>It's one of those "My Lords" that could be interpreted in a number of ways, most of which would have been perceived to be highly inappropriate to the circumstances.  But luckily, despite a pronounced flush to her skin, she does not quite pass out, and the tension of the moment is broken by the sound of masculine laughter much too nearby for Hugh's liking.  He quickly looks around to assure that they remain unobserved, and Lady Katherine seems to recover quickly.<br/><br/><em>“We...we should not tarry any longer.”</em><br/><br/>if there is a bit of longing in his eyes as he hastily nods his head in agreement, well he had really not been prepared to react so strongly to his intended, considering the differences in their circumstances.  She pulls away as reluctantly as he lets her, which at least gives them a chance to regain a bit of composure. be for reappearing beyond the column.  He finds himself temporizing again for their audience, with laughter.<br/><br/>"Why yes, Lady Katherine,  I remember the very one with the extravagantly ruffled multicolor feathers.  It looked most indignant to be caught out in the rain."<br/><br/>Dinner thankfully seemed to proceed quickly.  They both display their most impeccable manners, and cast occasional shy glances at one another.  At one point he holds her hand under the table in between courses, while they dutifully listened to the conversation about them.  Luckily nobody really cared if they partook of the discussion, other than odd answers here and there.  Actually learning more about one another had become something intimate enough to be reserved for the garden tomorrow morning, or so it seemed to Hugh , at least.  And dessert was actually sweet and tasty enough for them to smile broadly at one another over their dishes, without drawing undue attention.<br/>