The Patricia Kiyono Christmas Collection (38 page)

Lady Amelia didn’t
socialize much, preferring her own company to the social events of
the holiday season. But apparently she hadn’t been able to refuse
the entreaties of her best friend, whose talented daughters would
perform in a piano and vocal recital that evening. She would wear
the lovely gown Jeanne had carefully pressed, don the soft matching
slippers, and have her hair arranged. Jeanne enjoyed creating
elaborate coiffures and bemoaned the fact that her employer did not
make use of her talent. If given the opportunity, she would ensure
Lady Amelia’s golden tresses were the talk of the
ton
.

Perhaps tonight Jeanne’s creation would
catch the attention of a dashing gentleman who would sweep Lady
Amelia off her feet. Then the two of them could move to that
gentleman’s estate, and they could be rid of this place. Lord
Sudbury was all right, but his future bride was a dragon who’d done
nothing but undermine Amelia, changing the décor, contradicting her
orders to the staff, and even lying to the earl to make Lady Amelia
look bad. Her mistress would be better off leaving Sudbury
House.

Entering the kitchen, she inhaled the savory
smells of the delicious meal Cook prepared, and her stomach
rumbled.

“
Good afternoon,
Cook.”

“
Good afternoon, Jeanne.
What brings you — Oh,” Cook exclaimed, spying the soiled cloak
Jeanne carried. “I see her ladyship has been traipsing through
muddy sections of town again.”

“
Yes. She came back with
another satchel full of books.”

Cook shook her head. “Such a waste, a lovely
young lass like her, shut up in her room, reading and writing all
day. At her age, she should be married with a nursery full of
children.”

“
I agree. But at least
tonight she’s going to the Linden children’s recital.”

“
Lovely. Well, do your
magic and make her look beautiful.”

Jeanne sighed. Magic wasn’t needed to make
Lady Amelia beautiful. What she needed was the lady’s
cooperation.

What the devil
am I doing here?

Philip adored his nieces, but he preferred
to support them in ways that didn’t require his presence at a
social function. Laurel was a beautiful girl, and he’d heard she
was a fair singer, though she’d confessed to him she really didn’t
enjoy performing for an audience. Merilee seemed to enjoy playing
piano, and people other than her own mother had said she was quite
good. No matter, his presence ensured he wouldn’t be badgered again
for a month or so. Desiree was a good sister, but she could be a
mother bear sometimes, especially when it came to her children. As
if conjured by his thoughts, Desiree Linden, Countess of Milburn,
appeared at his side.

“
Phillip, how good of you
to come.” She took his arm and steered him toward the chairs set up
for the audience.

“
I wouldn’t dream of doing
otherwise.”

“
Of course you would.” She
chuckled. “But I’m glad you chose to come instead of closeting
yourself in your study. I’m giving you the choicest seat, right
here in the front.”

“
Marvelous. Everyone will
be able to see me.”

“
Don’t be silly. They’re
here to see the girls, not you. Besides, you’ll be off to the left,
so your good side will be all they see. You might be lucky and not
have to interact with anyone.”

“
How kind of you,” he said
through his teeth.

He settled himself in his seat, turning
sharply when someone behind him tapped his shoulder. The Duchess of
Camden bent her head to speak to him, and the feathers on her
oversized hat tickled his forehead. “Your Grace, it’s so good to
see you again. I’ve heard you were at your estate, and we assumed
you were still in mourning—”

The duchess stopped
speaking abruptly and looked toward the stage. Phillip followed
suit and saw Desiree held a crystal bell,
apparently to gain everyone’s attention.
Merilee had seated herself at the pianoforte.

“
Friends, thank you so much
for attending. Please make yourselves comfortable. Merilee and
Laurel have a lovely program for you this evening. Merilee will
open the program by performing
Sonata in G
minor
by Muzio Clementi.”

Phillip prepared himself for an hour or two
of boredom, schooling his features into a polite show of interest.
Just as Merilee raised her hands to place them on the keyboard, he
felt the air stir to his right, and the aroma of roses assaulted
him. He glanced in that direction and beheld a vision of loveliness
seated beside him. She wore a fetching gown of midnight blue satin,
and her honey blond curls framed her heart-shaped face. She nodded
a silent greeting to him then directed her attention toward the
stage. Phillip dutifully turned his head as well, but his thoughts
remained on the woman beside him. It was the woman from the
bookstore. Where was her husband?

~~~~

Amelia kept her
eyes focused on the performer, though she barely
he
ard a note from the pianoforte. She kept
her mouth closed, breathing deeply as her heart calmed to a steady
beat. Edward’s insufferable fiancée had, as usual, not been ready
to leave at the appointed time, so Amelia had taken a footman and
hired a hackney, arriving at the last moment. She’d tossed her
cloak at the surprised butler and scooted to an open seat at the
front, sitting down just before Merilee began to play.

The man beside her was a distraction. She’d
only caught a glimpse of him before the music started, but she was
certain it was the same gentleman from the bookshop. She felt her
face heat. Why on earth would she have such a reaction to a
man?

The music stopped, and the people around her
applauded politely. Amelia, embarrassed to be daydreaming, lifted
her hands to do the same. But she realized the gentleman beside her
was later than her to clap his hands. Perhaps he also had wayward
thoughts.

Merilee rose from the bench and executed a
prim curtsey then reseated herself at the bench. This time, she
played a gentle introduction for her sister’s vocal solo.

Though she kept her eyes forward, she knew
the singer was more to the gentleman’s liking. He sat up
straighter, and his facial features lifted from its boredom into
pleasure. Was it the song itself, or was it the performer who
caught the man’s fancy? Laurel was almost seventeen now and would
probably be ready to enter society in the next season. But if the
man next to her had set his sights on her, she might be married
before ever having one.

A jab to her midsection had her massaging
it. Had she eaten something unsettling? She scarcely remembered
what she’d consumed. She’d been so distracted by her new story she
had simply eaten what was placed before her. Surely that was it.
Indigestion made much more sense than jealousy over a young girl
garnering the attention of the handsome man next to her.

The song concluded, and the audience
applauded politely. Desiree announced a short intermission, and the
guests rose to chat and partake of the sumptuous refreshments
spread on the banquet tables. Amelia wasn’t particularly hungry or
thirsty, but she rose, needing to stand and use her legs. As much
as she loved writing, it caused her to sit for long periods of
time. She didn’t enjoy the small talk — it bored her. But she put
on her public face, for her friend’s sake. If nothing else, perhaps
she could get some ideas for her next book.

“
Excuse me,
miss.”

She spun around, and locked eyes with the
handsome gentleman who’d been seated beside her. To meet his gaze,
she had to look up — farther, it seemed, than she had that
afternoon. In his formal dress, he looked quite dashing. “Yes?”

“
I believe you dropped
this.” He held out a satin scarf. She’d forgotten she’d removed it
during the recital.

“
Thank you, sir. Once
again, you’ve come to my aid, saving me from my
clumsiness.”

“
I was in the way. I should
know better than to stand in one spot in the bookstore.”

Amelia put a finger to her lips. “Shh. My
brother doesn’t approve of me frequenting that shop. It’s not in a
fashionable area of town.”

He nodded. “I understand. Incident
forgotten.”

Desiree, ever the hostess, appeared
suddenly. “Phillip, I see you’ve met my dear friend, Lady Amelia
Partridge. Amelia, this is my brother, the Duke of Bartlett.”

Phillip bowed deeply. “How do you, do, Lady
Amelia?”

Amelia curtseyed. “I’m honored to meet you,
Your Grace.”

“
I’m surprised we haven’t
met before. Have you and my sister been friends for a long
time?”

Desiree chuckled and touched his arm,
causing him to turn his attention back to her. “How diplomatic,
Phillip. You can see Amelia is closer to Laurel’s age than mine.
Amelia is a fellow member of the Ladies’ Literary Society, and
she’s been a boon to us. She has a way with words and has written
our newsletter and other promotional tracts for our
organization.”

Phillip turned back to Amelia. “Very
impressive, Lady Amelia. The Literary Society is one of my sister’s
passions, and anyone who forwards their cause is a treasure.”

Amelia’s face warmed, and she scolded
herself. She was normally immune to flattery, but the duke’s praise
made her feel almost giddy. Why was she acting like a lovesick
silly schoolgirl? She managed to keep her voice from rising to a
giggly pitch. “Thank you. I’m honored to be associated with such a
worthy cause.”

“
May I fetch some
refreshments for you ladies?” Phillip offered.

Desiree nodded. “Thank you, Phillip. I would
love some tea.”

Amelia shook her head. “Nothing for me,
thank you.”

As soon as Phillip left, Desiree laid her
hand on Amelia’s arm. “Thank you so much for coming, Amelia. Laurel
and Merilee both look up to you.”

“
How kind of you to say so,
Lady Milburn.”

“
Please call me Desiree.
Let me introduce you to another friend of mine, Lady Diane. Well,
it’s something like that. She’s French, and I can never pronounce
her name to suit her. I understand you speak her
language…”

Lady Dionne, betrothed to the Earl of
Warwick, stood off to the side of the room, next to her fiancé. The
beautiful young girl brightened considerably when Amelia began a
conversation in her native tongue.

~~~~

A few minutes
later, Phillip handed his sister a cup of
tea.

“
What do you think of her?”
Desiree demanded.

“
Who?”

“
Amelia, you goose. Isn’t
she lovely?”

“
Of course.”

“
You two have a lot in
common. But she’s quite headstrong.”

“
I didn’t realize you had
set up shop as a matchmaker. Besides, I thought she was
married.”

“
Amelia? No, she’s happily
unattached. As you are,” she added when Phillip started a retort.
“And I think both of you would be even happier with someone to
share your interests.”

“
Put away those dreams,
Desiree. If she’s going to be happy with a man, you will need to
find someone else for her.”

“
Not
interested?”

“
Not —
qualified.”

Desiree’s brows rose, but she said
nothing.

~~~~

Amelia enjoyed her
conversation with the future countess, but her
mind was on the handsome duke across the room.
How had she not recognized him? Had the incident that caused
his scars kept him bedridden? Her curiosity was stemmed when
Desiree rose to the platform to gather her guests for the second
half of the program.

“
Dear, guests, the
performers are ready for the second half of the program. Please be
kind enough to take your seats.”

The audience members made their way back to
their chairs. But a shrill voice from the ballroom’s entrance had
them freezing mid-step. Amelia recognized the voice and winced as
everyone swiveled to see what had caused the commotion.

The Earl of Sudbury had arrived, along with
his fiancée.

“
Don’t hold my cloak like
that!” Colette’s screeching carried across the room. “Have you no
sense at all? You are crushing the fabric. Edward, we will have to
bring my servants here from France. They know how to take care of
fine clothing.”

The poor servant who’d had the misfortune to
take her cloak cringed.

“
Yes, my dear,” Edward
murmured, as if to make amends for Colette’s outburst. “Why don’t I
take your cloak for now?”

“
Never mind. I will buy a
new one when I go back to Paris. I need something to drink after
the ride in that dreadful carriage. Where is the wine
steward?”

One of the waiters hadn’t disappeared
quickly enough.

“
Ah, there he is. Please
bring a glass for Mademoiselle Colette.”

The rest of the guests, having already given
up their drinks, resigned themselves to waiting for her. The young
servant cautiously approached her with his tray, holding it as far
from him as he could.

“
This is French wine,
no?”

“
Yes,
mademoiselle
.”

Colette sipped and breathed a sigh of
satisfaction. “Only the French know how to make a proper wine.” She
took a sip, pointedly ignoring the impatient stares around her.