Debutantes Don’t Date (13 page)

As it turned out, Jasper was unable to escort Grace the night of the dinner. In fact
he arrived so late, he almost missed the dinner entirely. He spent the afternoon wrestling
Philip from their club and then enjoyed the first hours of the evening trying to sober
him up enough to make an appearance. What possessed Philip to get so inebriated on
the day of his mother’s dinner party he would never know.

“I hear you’re going to sing for us tomorrow, Grace.” He managed to corner Grace by
the bookshelf in the drawing room after the men returned from their cigars and port.
Jasper had been trying to talk to Grace all week, but she deftly eluded his every
move. She was either out or busy whenever he called upon her. He decided he needed
to tell her about the money he’d settled upon Lady Anne before she found out from
someone else. And with the state Philip was in tonight, Jasper wouldn’t be surprised
if he announced it before the evening ended. Philip never could keep a secret. He
wasn’t sure why he’d told Philip in the first place.

“What? What are you talking about? I’m not singing. Your sister is hosting a musical.
I don’t suppose it’s
The Sound of Music
, is it?” Grace smiled up at him.

Looking down at her he couldn’t seem to recall why it was a bad idea to give in to
his desire and kiss her. He stepped forward and crowded her into the bookcases. They
were standing so close they were practically touching. Oh the scandal! He laughed
out loud. If everyone only knew what kind of scandal they had been partaking in last
week in the library!

“The Sound of Music? What are you talking about Grace? My sister is hosting a music
recital and she is expecting you to sing.”

“What?!” Several heads turned their way at her outburst. “I can’t sing,” she whispered.

“Well, she thinks you can, she’s already sent the invitations and I’m afraid your
name is front and centre as the singer. Don’t you know
any
songs?”

“Of course I know songs. I know lots of songs; unfortunately I just can’t sing them.
Besides, no one would know any of the songs I know anyway. You have to tell your sister
I can’t be her singer.”

“Oh no, you are not landing me with that job,” Jasper chuckled. “I’m not going to
be the one to do that. You’ll have to tell her yourself.” Jasper smiled down at her
stricken face, but there was no way he was going to break the news to his sister that
her party was doomed to fail. Her parties never failed.

A piece of hair fell across Grace’s face. Before she could sweep it aside, he couldn’t
help but reach out and gently brush it back behind her ear. She leaned her face into
his palm and her lips parted. His thumb found its way to her lips and stroked the
full bottom one. A sigh escaped from her lips and a bolt of desire shot straight to
his groin.

“Can’t you two control yourselves even in public?” Neal’s voice broke the trance.

Grace jerked away from Jasper and bumped into the bookshelf, knocking books to the
floor with a loud thud.

Neal reached out and grabbed her arm to steady her. “Come with me, Miss Lancaster.
Bingham, you stay here, I think it would be best if you stayed away from each other
for the duration of the evening. We will be leaving in an hour, so I hope you can
manage that much.” He turned with Grace and led her from the room and into the hallway.

“What am I going to do with you? Victoria seems to have fallen in love with you so
I can’t get rid of you. But can’t you show some restraint?”

There was something in Neal’s eye that Grace could relate to. “You love her, don’t
you?”

“Who?”

“Victoria of course.”

“She
is
my wife.”

“That I know. You didn’t answer my question though. Do you love her?”

Neal turned away from her and ran his hands through his hair, making it stand on end,
something that totally didn’t suit his usual perfect appearance. “Yes,” he whispered
into the stillness of the hallway, “I’ve always loved her, but she can’t stand the
sight of me. Do you have any idea how horrible it is to be trapped in a marriage where
your wife hates you?”

“She doesn’t hate you. She just doesn’t know why you are such a grump all the time.
Do you always have to be in a bad mood?” Grace touched his arm lightly so he would
look at her.

“I can’t be any other way with her. She doesn’t understand me and that causes me to
be the way I am. I used to be joyful. I wish I could be that way again, but it is
not to be. I’m trapped in hell with the woman I love. I know she feels trapped too,
but there is nothing I can do about it. There’s no way I will ever let her go.”

“Well, how about helping me then?” She deliberately injected a light note into her
voice, trying to sweeten him up so she could get her way.

“You? I thought I already was. I am giving you a place to stay am I not?”

“Yes, and I thank you for that, but you will be helping Victoria too.” Grace bounced
hopefully up and down on her toes.

“Oh very well, what is it that you want?”

Grace took a big breath and let out in a rush, “I can’t be Victoria’s singer tomorrow.”

“What? How is that helping Victoria? She needs you to be the star of her show. She
said she told you a week ago.”

“I’m afraid I mustn’t have been listening. That’s why Victoria and I both need your
help. There must be someone else who could be her star. Someone who every hostess
covets?” Grace crossed her fingers and prayed there was someone else…anyone else.

Neal looked at her intently before he answered, “You.”

“Me?”

“You are the someone that every hostess covets. Everyone wants to meet the woman who
brought Bingham to his knees. Someone who obviously still makes him forget where he
is even after the scandal you two caused when you met.”

“But I don’t know any of your songs. They’re just not something that anybody sings
back home.”

“Even better then, sing something from home. Something different, that no one else
has heard before. You’re not getting out of it. Victoria needs you and therefore so
do I.” Neal turned and stalked back into the drawing room leaving Grace standing alone
in the hallway.

A song from home, huh, but which one?

“I hope you don’t mind, Jasper, I invited Lady Anne and her brother.” Victoria caught
him just as he entered her house.

“Does Grace know?”

“She’s the one who suggested it. She also said she’ll only sing one song because she
doesn’t know any songs from here. But she’s going to sing one from her home! Don’t
you think it’s a great idea? She’ll be a hit! It’ll leave my guests starving for more.
This is going to be the music recital of the year!” Victoria danced around the entrance
with glee.

Jasper didn’t have a chance to comment on Grace’s brilliance before she bustled off
to ensure the last-minute details were to her satisfaction before her guests arrived
later in the afternoon. He should have been helping but he found himself unable to
concentrate long enough to do much more than wander from room to room and get in everyone’s
way. Hoskins had already asked him to move three times this morning as the maids carried
overflowing flower vases into the drawing room. He felt like an imbecile. He couldn’t
keep his mind off his fiancée.

Grace was still trying to decide which song to sing. She couldn’t think of any that
would be acceptable. It was frustrating because she knew so many songs, but right
now her mind drew a blank. Surely there was something she could sing? She sat at the
piano racking her brain for inspiration. Her fingers ran across the keys remembering
a simpler time when she had time to play. At one stage of her life it was her passion,
but she hadn’t touched a piano since she lost her family; she didn’t have time. She
was too busy numbing the pain and making ends meet. Her plan to accumulate enough
money so she could move to Paris and disappear into the crowd had been disrupted just
short of her goal by travelling here. She vowed to herself the day she buried her
Mom, Dad and her brother Jacob that she would never become so close to anyone again
that she could be hurt if she lost them. But getting accidentally engaged had put
a slight spanner in the works. She wanted to help Victoria and felt responsible for
her happiness today. It was not a good sign. Grace couldn’t risk her emotions again,
especially when she was sure she wouldn’t be staying forever. If she arrived here
all of a sudden, who’s to say she wouldn’t leave just as quickly? She didn’t want
to put anyone else through what she’d experienced when she lost her family. At least
she’d made Victoria aware that if she disappeared she would not ever be found.

“Grace, that is beautiful.”

Grace jumped a foot off the bench, almost missing it on the way back down. She turned
around to see her new friend Anne and a strangely dressed gentleman. She supposed
he was dressed in what was the latest fashion of the time. Yikes!

The fashion was interesting to say the least. He looked absolutely ridiculous. His
collar was so high she didn’t think he could turn his head and the lace and ruffles
coming from his sleeve would put Captain Jack Sparrow from
Pirates of the Caribbean
to shame. Thank God the women were not expected to dress as flamboyantly as that.
Grace found it hard enough to wear corsets and garters let alone feathers and excess
lace.

“I haven’t played the piano for years so I am glad it sounds all right. It relaxes
me, and with having to sing today, I definitely need relaxing.” She ran her hand nervously
across the keys. Maybe she could get away with just playing ‘Chopsticks’.

“Will you be playing as well? I would happily listen to that again. What was it? Beethoven?”

“Yeah, it was. And I might play, I don’t know, I would have to talk to Lady Harrison
first. I don’t want to mess up her schedule.”

The man beside Anne obviously didn’t take kindly to being ignored for so long. “You
speak very distinctively,” he sneered insultingly at Grace.

“Oh, sorry, Robin, I forgot all about you. May I present Miss Grace Lancaster? She’s
from America. Grace, this is my brother, Lord Wester.”

“Pleased to meet you, Miss Lancaster, my sister tells me the two of you have become
fast friends.” He smiled into her breasts.

A shiver ran up her backbone and it was not nearly the same sensation as the shivers
she received from Jasper. “It’s nice to meet you.” She extended the tips of her fingers
towards him and tried to smile without breathing in through her nose; the perfume
coming from him was making her eyes water.

“The pleasure is all mine, my dear.”

Bile rose in her throat and Grace tried not to gag as his hand grasped hers and he
brought his lips down to kiss it. She quickly pulled her hand from his grasp just
before there was contact. Now she knew why women of the time wore gloves; to avoid
having to touch leering men.

“Now that we have finally met, Grace…I may call you Grace? Would you do me the honour
of joining me for a ride around the park tomorrow?” The man adjusted the front of
his trousers and gave her a slow smile.

Grace rose from her bench by the piano and stood as tall as she could and looked down
her nose at him. It was a bit of a struggle seeing as she was a good foot shorter
than him, but she managed the effect all the same. “You may call me Miss Lancaster
and I don’t think my
fiancée
would approve of me going for a drive with another man now that we are engaged. Besides,
it’s awfully cold outside; I think I would rather wait until spring to enjoy the park.
But thank you for the offer all the same.” She grasped Anne’s arm. “I’m so sorry,
but I need to borrow your sister for a while, please excuse us.” Grace practically
dragged Anne from the room.

“Anne, I’m sorry but your brother…” Grace started once they were out of earshot.

“Ah, there you are Grace.” Victoria bustled down the stairs. “You should be practising
your song. You have chosen one, haven’t you?” Victoria linked her arm in Grace’s and
swept her away with a quick apology to Anne.

“Well, not yet. I can’t think of one that would be appropriate.”

“You haven’t picked one yet?” Victoria’s voice rose to a squeak. “However on earth
are you going to be ready in time, Grace? The recital is this afternoon!”

“I know, but I have a few in mind,” Grace said quickly, trying to sooth Victoria’s
nerves. “I just need some inspiration.”

“What were you and Anne talking about? Maybe there’s a song that would suit your conversation?”

Grace smiled as a thought formed in her head. “Maybe there is one. Thank you, Victoria.”
Lord Wester wouldn’t like it but she’d just decided which song to sing.

Anne found her brother amongst the beverages. He was drinking, again. “You can be
so revolting sometimes, Robin. Poor Miss Lancaster. That was just so embarrassing.
I cannot believe you touched yourself in front of her!”

“She has that effect on me. Besides she should be used to it, she is nothing but a
whore and she should be treated like one. I will be happy to remind her of that fact.”

“How can you say that? Miss Lancaster is lovely, you just need to get to know her.”

“Oh, don’t you worry, sister dear, I intend to.”

“You stay away from her, Robin, she’s my friend and I won’t let you talk of her that
way,” Anne hissed. She poked him in his chest, making him back up into the sidebar.

“She’s only your friend because of me.” He advanced, forcing her to retreat out of
his reach.

She knew what he was capable of in one of his moods and she wasn’t about to let him
near enough to catch her, even though they were in a room rapidly filling with Lady
Harrison’s guests.

“She should be your sworn enemy, Anne. She stole your fiancée. You realise she’s just
using you to get into your social circle? If she is able to crack yours as well as
the Harrisons’, she will be the toast of the town and the
ton
will overlook the scandal she has caused.”