Passion's Song (A Georgian Historical Romance) (19 page)

“
No,” she said shortly. “You may
send the bracelet to number five Albemarle.”

“
Very good, madam.” The clerk kept
his face expressionless, for he had no intention of offending Lord
Hartforde’s newest mistress. Neither did he miss the way Lady
Shorington’s ears pricked up at the young woman’s instructions. No
doubt all of London would know about this before the week was
out.

“
Thank you.” Isobel nodded to Lady
Shorington as she left.

In the days that followed, the bracelet would gain
in value until it was whispered it had cost hundreds of pounds and
that the purchase included earrings worth hundreds, a brooch worth
thousands, and (only occasionally) a necklace of diamonds and
emeralds that was nearly priceless.

I

Isobel was often at Hartforde House because she was
frequently out late with Faircourt, and Julia insisted on those
occasions that she stay to supper. In addition, the two spent a
great deal of time planning the ball to celebrate Julia’s
engagement to Lord Burke. Isobel was not unaffected by seeing Lord
Hartforde so often, but she found it impossible to tell Julia what
a fool she had been. To make matters worse, she never knew how she
ought to act around him. She had meant to take her cue from his
behavior, but he did not seem to be able to make up his mind from
one day to the next how he would behave toward her. At first he was
cold and distant, and when she got over her hurt at his unconcern,
she affected a similar attitude, only to have him engage her in
conversations that showed him capable of great solicitousness. When
she got over her suspicion at his being so agreeable, he took to
teasing her unmercifully. She discovered it was when she was most
determined to be pleasant that he could be counted on to send her
into a rage. She was often beside herself at his penchant for
making her angry, but when he left her alone, she found herself
near tears at his neglect. But it was the times he was pleasant
that she found unbearable, because they only made her realize how
fond she could become of him.

One afternoon he came into the drawing room, where
she and Julia were busy choosing a pattern for Julia’s gown. He
apologized for interrupting them but said the engraver had sent
over several samples of invitations and he was taking the
opportunity to show them to his sister. Julia looked through the
samples and declared she had seen a design in a magazine somewhere
that she wished to compare to them.

“’
Tis in my room.” When Isobel got
up to follow her, she said, “Stay with Hartforde, Isobel, I shall
only be a minute.”

She sat back down, confused because she did not know
where to look or what mood to expect of him.

“
Is there something the matter,
Miss St. James? You seem all afluster.”

“
There is nothing the matter,
sir.” She raised her eyes to his and was immediately incensed at
his smug look. She picked up one of the pattern dolls and devoted
herself to its examination.

“
Are you always so ill at ease
with a gentleman?” he asked.

“
I am never ill at ease with a
gentleman, sir!” She put down the doll and stood up. “What could be
taking Julia so long?”

“
She hasn’t been gone so very
long.”

“
Indeed, she has!” There were a
few moments of silence, while Isobel paced around the
room.

“
Have you named your dog?” he
asked finally.

Isobel immediately flushed scarlet. He looked as
though he had no recollection of what she could not forget. Every
moment of that afternoon was burned into her memory. “Oh, yes,” she
replied when she was sure her blush had faded and she could face
him again. “I named him almost immediately.”

“
Pray tell, what was your
choice?”

“
Why, my lord, I had you for my
inspiration, so the choice was easy. I named him Beast.” At that
moment Julia came back into the room and Isobel was spared his
response.

A week or two afterward, Isobel was surprised to
receive from Alexander a letter and a small packet. Being too well
bred to send any missive to her via the post, he had sent a servant
to Redruth to give them to her directly. The servant thrust the
letter and packet into her hands and, saying only that his lordship
did not require him to wait for an answer, left before she could
refuse to accept such an impertinent delivery. She knew she ought
to send back the package and letter, but she found she could not.
There was only one possible reason he would risk such a breach of
propriety. He was hopelessly in love with her and the letter was a
declaration of the condition of his heart. The packet had to be
some token of his love—a lock of hair, perhaps. She opened the
letter with trembling hands. The letter read:

My dear Miss St.
James,
Enclosed you will please find the articles I promised to return to
your possession. I would also enclose a bank draft in satisfaction
of our wager, but a notice from a certain jeweler’s was received
here t’other day which appears to make that unnecessary.
The items returned were in residence in one of my riding jackets,
and I do confess to you I had forgotten them until they were
recently discovered by my valet, who is now convinced, no doubt
along with yourself, I am an adventurer of the first degree. I have
left him to this belief in consequence of my unwillingness to
apprise him of the innocent manner in which I came by them, as I am
certain the telling of it would not sound so innocent by half as it
was in whole.
I beg your gracious indulgence to allow me to inform you that I
personally supervised the laundering of the silken items herein. I
assure you, you may wear them again without further ado on your
part. I remain ever your humble, obedient, and, of course, beastly
servant.
Hartforde

The day after she received his packet she had the
misfortune of seeing the letter’s author, and when he greeted her
his eyes were sparkling with mischief. She summoned all her dignity
and, taking her hand from his, said, “You have never been humble a
day in your life, my lord, and I should never allow you to be my
servant, even were I in need of another one. As for being beastly,
the appellation must surely have applied long before ever I gave it
to you. And furthermore, I would have you know, I threw them
directly into the fire!”

Julia looked at the two of them and wondered why her
brother looked as though he could barely restrain himself from
bursting into laughter and why Isobel was turning a particular
shade of scarlet. “Shall we go, Isobel?” she said, half afraid the
young woman might do her brother some harm.

“
Yes.”

II

It was so obvious Julia was in love with Lord Burke
and Lord Burke loved her back that Isobel could not help but feel a
little envious. Whenever Julia talked about Charles, a dreamy
expression came over her, and Isobel wondered what would it be like
to be in love with someone who loved her back.

They were both determined Julia’s engagement ball
would be the event of the season. The two spent hours planning
every detail. Julia rebuked her brother every time he complained of
yet another expense.

“
I shall only be engaged once!”
she would say. “To think you would begrudge your only sister such a
little thing!” Alexander would grumble good-naturedly and accuse
her of plotting to ruin him, but he would always relent.

Isobel spent the day of the ball with Julia fretting
over last-minute arrangements. The musicians arrived late in the
afternoon after Julia had spent the previous hour agonizing over
whether they would arrive at all.

“
Oh, for heaven’s sake! Would you
stop all this worrying?” Isobel laughed after her friend consulted
with her butler for the third time about the correct quantity of
wine. “Everything is going to be just fine. I’m sure your brother
has seen to it there will be food and drink enough; he’d not dare
do otherwise! He knows you’d never forgive him if everything isn’t
just so.

“
I only want this to be
perfect!”

“
I dread your wedding if this is
the way you act at something as simple as your
engagement.”

At Julia’s request, Isobel stayed with her while she
dressed, but at last she warned Julia that unless she were to go,
she would still be wearing her muslin day dress when the guests
arrived.

“
Send someone to get your gown so
you may change here,” she suggested. “Won’t you please
stay?”

“
Oh, all right!” Isobel shook her
head. A maid was sent to fetch her gown, and Julia penned a quick
note begging the earl’s forgiveness for keeping Isobel with her.
Bridget arrived with the gown and a short reply from the earl,
stating that he expected to dance with Julia in return for allowing
his daughter to stay.

III

Isobel did not finish dressing until nearly eleven
o’clock. As she walked down the hall she could hear music from the
ballroom rising above the hum of conversation. She paused at the
door, debating whether it was proper to go in unaccompanied.
Several men immediately approached her and she frowned to see Lord
Strathemoore was not among them. She had especially commissioned
Julia to see that he was standing by so she might not walk in
alone.

“
Miss St. James, at last!” Lord
Hartforde made his way to her side. “I was beginning to despair of
your ever coming down. Gentlemen, my lords, I have the honor of
escorting Miss St. James tonight.” He took the hand she had not
extended to him. “Don’t be childish, Miss St. James,” he
whispered.

“
I am not being childish!” she
snapped, wondering how it was that just the sight of him had sent
her heart pounding. Was she such a fool that she could forget for
even a moment that she meant nothing to him? His light touch on her
was warm, and she could not help remembering how those hands had
touched her once before.

Alexander covered her hand with his and led her away
from the crowd of disappointed men. Though he might try to make her
think he was unaffected, he could not pretend to himself. Her
wine-colored gown made her skin look as smooth as alabaster, only
he could not help thinking that he knew very well her skin would be
warm under his fingers. The burgundy silk swooping down from her
shoulders to tuck into the V of her bodice barely covered what
would have otherwise been an immodest amount of bosom. He had a
sudden and forceful recollection of the way she had melted against
him that day at Ashdown Grey. There was at least one difference
between her and Sarah; his wife had never responded to him as
passionately as Isobel had done. He smiled to himself; she had
positively glowed when she caught sight of him coming toward her.
She ought not to be so transparent. “I trust you remembered to put
on your shoes,” he said quietly as he led her across the room.

Isobel laughed, her smile lighting her face. She
wished he were always so pleasant toward her. “Why? Do you think I
should have worn them?” she teased, feeling a happiness out of all
proportion to the occasion.

He drew in a sharp breath when he saw her smile. As
they crossed the room, he bent and whispered into her ear, “You are
breathtaking tonight, Miss St. James.”

Isobel looked at him and realized just how badly she
wanted his words to be true.

IV

“
Who in heaven’s name is that?” a
tall, slender man dressed in gray and blue satin asked Julia. He
had watched his former son-in-law offer his arm to a woman he had
never seen before. She was quite pretty, he thought to himself,
until she laughed at something Hartforde said. No, she was
ravishing! The two looked besotted with each other.

Julia followed his glance. “She is Miss Isobel St.
James, the earl of Chessingham’s daughter.”

“
Ah! Unfortunately, I was out of
the country when she arrived in London. I understand she has been
quite a success.” He stared at the two as they approached and tried
to remember what else he had heard about her.

“
Miss St. James,” Alexander said
when they reached Julia and the duke, “may I present you to His
Grace, the duke of Mallentrye.”

The duke bowed over her hand after Hartforde
introduced her. His lips brushed the back of her hand and lingered
there just a moment too long when she straightened up from her
curtsy. He remembered hearing she was the by-blow of some affair of
Chessingham’s; the man had been quite notorious in his younger
days. “’Tis a pleasure, indeed, to meet you, Miss St. James.” He
continued to hold her hand and was rewarded with a rosy blush. “It
would be an honor to spend a day with you, miss,” he said. “And may
I be so bold as to tell you I have never seen a woman of such rare
beauty as yourself?”

“
It appears you may be, Your
Grace,” she answered.

“
Are you an American, Miss St.
James?” He reluctantly released her hand.

“
I grew up in Boston and New York,
Your Grace.” She fingered her bracelet with long fingers, not
meeting his pointed stare.

“
America’s loss is England’s
gain,” he said with a gallant bow. The duke smiled coldly as Isobel
was quickly surrounded by men who wanted to dance with her. His
eyes never left her face unless it was to dip downward to the flesh
pushing so enticingly against the neckline of her gown. She danced
once with Hartforde, and in watching them the duke suddenly
recalled someone’s remark that this enchanting young woman had
bought an expensive necklace and then sent the bill on to
Hartforde. An interesting piece of information, if it was true. How
amusing that Hartforde was so smitten with her! Would it have been
so hard to have been even half as attentive to his wife? When
Hartforde and the young woman finished their dance, the duke made
his way to where they were standing with Julia and Lord
Burke.