<strong>Hugh, Baron Covington</strong><br/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/03/Geraint_Baron_Hugh_Covington_Av.jpg)</div>Given that he doesn’t have need for much talking, other than the initial greeting and pleasantries, Hugh has quite enough time for his eyes to flick toward the entrance, fairly often.  Now that he’s committed to this course, he finds himself not resigned to marriage, as he might have expected, but somewhat intrigued by it.<br/><br/>He knows of no particular reason why there had been that flicker of interest between himself and Lady Katherine, though it had been mutual.  They hardly had a chance to talk at all, and their correspondence since then has been hardly revelatory.  There are always expectations of even the most casual meetings, and perhaps it had been that neither of them was quite what the other expected.  In a social setting where so much is formalized and prescribed, the unexpected is often the most memorable, either in the positive or the negative sense.  And an openness to the unexpected can be downright intriguing.<br/><br/>Nothing might have come of it, of course, if he hadn’t been pressed to marry, but mutual interest is certainly a nice place to start.  So a flicker of a smile crosses his face as he looks up momentarily to catch a glimpse through the doors of his betrothed reaching the bottom of the stairs a good bit before her mother does, and to see her look up almost expectantly in his direction.  At that his smile broadens considerably.  Just after that the guests with whom his mother was speaking move on, leaving the two of them alone for the moment, and giving her an opportunity to look peevishly toward the door.<br/><br/><em>“Well there they are finally;  quite a peahen the mother is, looking to shine everyone else down, and quite high in the instep as well for one punting on river Tick.  The Earl, of course, has done nothing to better their situation, hanging on the sleeve of a twelve generation old title that hasn’t been earned in eleven.”</em><br/><br/>That last part, Hugh knows is as much aimed at himself as at the Earl.  She is very ecumenical in her criticism, sparing none her bile.  But there are limits, as far as he is concerned …<br/><br/><em>“And the daughter …”</em><br/><br/>At that point, Hugh interrupts.<br/><br/>“Do cease and desist, mother; save it for your lady friends who appreciate slander.  And if you say a word negative about  Lady Katherine, I swear that I will embarrass you in public.”<br/><br/>Lady Covington sniffs and harrumphs, but also stops, knowing that her son is dead serious in his words.  And she has a bright smile on her face, which is not entirely insincere, to greet the two ladies.  She knows after all that The Lady Kent has to be polite to her as well.  Hugh, of course, is closely watching his betrothed, as the two women talk.<br/><br/><em>“Lady Covington. Your home is precious. Such a charming country estate. I have found that with The Lord Kent's business affairs it is far too rare that we visit our own.”</em><br/><br/>The Lady Covington answers without the slightest hesitation.<br/><br/>“Oh thank you Lady Kent; we do quite adore it ourselves, but we have the same problem with not being able to visit often, so we’re pleased to have our son managing it so well for us.  I do hope that Lady Katherine will like it here as well.<br/><br/>“And don’t both of you look lovely tonight …”<br/><br/>Hugh is barely listening to the conversation, given that his attention is entirely captured by the suddenly shy Lady Katherine, of the beautiful blue eyes.  Of course he doesn’t see those until she looks up, so he has to content himself with following the elegant line of most appealing flesh down her elegant and graceful neck to where it finally disappears deep within the spectacular décolletage offered by her bright yellow dress.<br/><br/>When the situation allows, he takes her hand in his in greeting, and gently holds it and her eyes for several moments longer than strictly necessary.<br/><br/>“You grow lovelier by the day, Lady Katherine.  Your eyes are the most amazing shade of blue, and yellow quite becomes you.  I quite look forward to conversing with you tonight, and over the course of this week.”<br/><br/>He is not sure, of course, what to make of her turban, but she makes it look good upon her head.<br/>