The next day, Robin joined Daphne to wait for suitors. She didn't expect anyone for herself, of course, since she had danced with no one besides Sherlock Holmes, and he most certainly wasn't going to court her.
Daphne, however, should have had men lining up down the street. Sadly for her, though, no one materialized when it was finally a proper time to begin calling. She sighed and flopped down on one of the sofas, glancing at her mother.
"Anthony's absolutely ruined my chances," she declared. "No eligible man could get close enough for me to speak to them and decide if I even wanted to marry them. He had a reason to be against every single one."
"I'll talk to him, dear," Violet soothed her, sitting down beside her and hugging her gently.
"Oh, but I'm being horribly rude," Daphne moaned, glancing at Robin now. "Robin, did you meet anyone you liked? Anyone who might call?"
"Hardly," Robin replied. "Though now that I've made a public appearance and the rumor is circulating that your mother is providing my dowry, that might change. Don't worry about me, Daphne. I'm quite sore with Anthony for being so strict with you. You should have all of the say in who you marry, quite frankly. It's your life, not his."
"Try telling him that," Daphne muttered as her brother strode into the room with his characteristic arrogant swagger.
Anthony grabbed several biscuits and turned to the women. "I didn't expect Robin to get the first caller of the season. Congratulations, cousin."
Robin blinked in surprise. "Pardon?" she asked, entirely confused.
"There's a man here for you. It's that fellow you danced with last night. The detective. Sherlock Holmes."
Robin stood up quickly, her eyes moving to the door as she waited for him to enter. "Sherlock Holmes is here to see me?" she wondered incredulously.
"Is there something objectionable about him?" Anthony questioned her. "As we discussed yesterday, he's from a good family, and he's quite wealthy. He doesn't seem to have any of the usual bad habits, either. Gambling, women. He's slightly eccentric, of course, considering his odd profession for a gentleman, but that hardly makes him unsuitable. I can tell him to leave if you like, though."
"No, no," Robin quickly corrected him. "I was just under the impression from our conversation last night that he wasn't particularly interested."
Anthony shrugged. "Well, as I said, he's eccentric. Perhaps you misread him."
At that moment, Sherlock Holmes appeared in the doorway. He bowed rather stiffly and announced, "I am here to call on Miss Ballard, if she will permit me."
Robin nodded and felt herself flush. "Of course, Mr. Holmes."
She was sure he had some other purpose for being here. There was no possible way he was calling on her as a suitor.
"Let's adjourn to the study, Anthony," Violet suggested. "I have some things to discuss with you. That's where I will be if you need me, Robin."
Robin knew what Violet meant. She thought the detective might make an offer of marriage that she would need to negotiate. Robin simply nodded, not wanting to dash her hopes just yet.
"I'll be in my room if anyone calls for me," Daphne decided demurely.
Robin smiled to herself. They were all very graciously leaving them alone to talk. Which was probably good, considering that she had no idea what he was going to say.
She would marry him if he asked. She wouldn't be able to resist. But she was being very careful about actually wishing for that. As far as anyone knew, Sherlock Holmes was not looking for a wife.
And even if he was, it was unlikely that he would choose her. He could choose anyone.
As soon as everyone else had left the room, Robin gestured to the sofa. "Please have a seat, Mr. Holmes. May I get you some tea?"
"Please."
"Help yourself to biscuits," she told him, "unless you prefer me to serve you."
He chuckled softly. "I am perfectly capable of selecting my own biscuits, thank you."
He sat and she poured two cups of the licorice tea she preferred. "Might I suggest an orange slice instead of a lemon slice, Mr. Holmes? It complements the flavor well."
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt me to be adventurous," he admitted.
She dropped in the orange slice and handed him his cup, biting her lip slightly as their fingers touched. She sat down across from him, smoothing her dress under her first.
"I am not foolish enough to think you are here to court me, Mr. Holmes," she began, getting the thought out in the open immediately. "What can I do for you?"
He finished his sip of tea and nodded. "You are correct, Miss Ballard. I am not here to court, as I never intend to marry anyone." He licked his lips and swallowed. "I am here to talk about what we discussed last night."
Robin smiled. "To be honest, Mr. Holmes, I'm shocked that you even remember my name. I was made to understand that you don't recall anything unworthy of your notice."
He smirked slightly. She tilted her head as she noticed a spot of brown in one of his strikingly blue eyes.
"I often remember even the most insignificant details, Miss Ballard. But you are incorrect if you think that you are unworthy of my notice. You're quite intriguing. I've not met many ladies as bold as you."
She narrowed her eyes, not sure if he meant his comment in a good or bad way. But she didn't ask for clarification, instead waiting for him to speak more.
But he didn't. Instead, his cheeks pinked slightly and he seemed embarrassed.
Suddenly, she laughed. He started, almost spilling his tea, the pink in his cheeks turning to red as he remembered how that sound had echoed in his dreams the night before.
She ignored his being startled and moved on. "I was correct, wasn't I?" she guessed. "You got nowhere with the ton."
"I did not," he confessed softly, clearly perturbed.
Before Robin could respond, Violet returned to the room. "Mr. Holmes, please forgive my neglecting you," she apologized. "I had other family business to attend to."
Robin assumed that Anthony had been thoroughly taken to task for his poor behavior.
"No forgiveness is necessary, Lady Bridgerton," he assured her. "Miss Ballard has taken very good care of me."
"I'm sure she has," Violet agreed. "She's an amiable hostess, Mr. Holmes, and would make an excellent match."
Robin kept her mouth shut. She couldn't bring herself to disappoint her aunt and reveal that Sherlock Holmes was not here to court her. He was the one who had paid the visit. He could tell her himself.
But, oddly enough, he didn't. He merely listened politely. Robin's brow furrowed curiously. She had no idea why he wasn't correcting her aunt's assumption.
"As you can see, Mr. Holmes, Robin is quite beautiful. She is also a very accomplished woman. She does impeccable needlework, and she is proficient on the pianoforte."
Robin grimaced slightly. While her needlework was impeccable, it was because she couldn't afford to buy clothes. She made all of hers herself, and that was hardly a selling point. She was also barely proficient on the pianoforte. She didn't have one at Norland, and even if she had, she wouldn't have had time to play it.
"She is very skilled at the running of a large estate as well. She is her father's sole heir, and their home, Norland Park, will go to her upon his death. I will be negotiating her dowry when an offer of marriage is made, and it will be considerable. And I can tell you from seeing her with my own younger children that she will make a wonderful mother, sir."
Robin drank her tea to hide her discomfort at having her praises sung, especially in front of a man who had no intention of marrying her.
Sherlock watched her from the corner of his eye. So far, none of the ladies he'd encountered in the ton had been averse to having their virtues extolled. He didn't know if she didn't like it simply because he'd made clear his intent to never marry, or if she didn't like it in general.
"I do believe all of those things are true, Lady Bridgerton," Sherlock responded graciously.
"Will you join us for luncheon, Mr. Holmes?" Violet offered, obviously hoping to extend Robin's time with him. "We would love to have you."
"That is very kind, but I am afraid I have an appointment to keep. I will be leaving shortly."
"Well, you must join us at another time. I insist upon it."
His eyes flicked to Robin. "I am happy to accept your invitation, Lady Bridgerton."
Robin frowned briefly, not at all sure what he was up to. He smiled, glad to be keeping her on her toes, since she seemed to think she understood his situation so well.
"Wonderful, Mr. Holmes. I will allow you two to say your goodbyes."
She stood and exited the room, leaving them alone once more.
"What is your intention, exactly, Mr. Holmes?" Robin inquired suspiciously.
He grinned and winked at her. "I do believe that shall remain a mystery to you for now, Miss Ballard."
She snorted and grinned right back. "You have more manners and more humor than I expected, sir."
"I'm always happy to surprise," he revealed, standing. "I shall see you again when I can, Miss Ballard."
She nodded and stood with him. "If you are having trouble with the ton, Mr. Holmes, you might want to start here."
She handed him one of their many copies of Lady Whistledown's gossip sheet. He rolled his eyes at her, but took it and tucked it into the inside of his jacket.
"Farewell, Miss Ballard."
"Farewell, Mr. Holmes."
She found herself standing alone a moment later, wondering exactly what had just happened.
She supposed she would find out later, but if she was being honest with herself, she wasn't particularly fond of waiting.