by Tamara Gill
Sarah bit her lip. She did not think there was a tender bone in Lady Anna Bramlett’s body, but she was not about to say that out loud. All she would say was, “True.”
Later that morning, after breaking her fast downstairs with her parents, Sarah made her way to the library. Last night’s festivities and the need to be lively already this morning had taken a toll, and she wished for some quiet time to revive her spirits. She wandered the shelves, running her finger along the spines and stopping now and again to read a title. After a long search, she found a volume of Shakespeare’s plays and settled in to read.
***
Edward finished his morning coffee, listening to the other gentlemen as they complained about the rain that had sprung up overnight, ruining their planned day of riding. There were only three of them. “The rest are probably still sleeping. It is early to be up if one is following town hours,” Edward whispered under his breath. Bored with the conversation around him, he set his empty cup on the table, rising and wishing the others a good day. Uncertain about how he wished to fill the morning, he walked down the hall, thinking to get some exercise indoors before going to the billiards room.
As Edward walked past the library, he glanced in. He stopped and backed up three paces. There, on a high-backed chair near a window, was Miss Payne. A feeling he did not expect or understand gripped him, and he found that he was unable to walk away. Instead, he entered the library, leaving the door open.
“Good morning, Miss Payne,” Edward greeted with a bow. “How are you this fine morning?”
Sarah had startled at the sound of his voice. He was not surprised, because she had seemed deeply interested in the book she was reading. She leaped to her feet and curtseyed awkwardly.
“Good morning, Your Grace.” Sarah’s lips lifted in a small smile as she darted a glance at the door.
Edward noticed the relief on her face to see the open portal, and it made him happy. If she had been a fortune hunter, she would not have cared about being alone in a room with him. He smiled. “May I join you here?”
Sarah bit her lip, but nodded. “Yes, sir, you may.” She waited, unmoving.
Edward moved toward the chair next to hers. “Please, be seated.” He waited for her to sit before taking his own seat. “What are you reading?”
Sarah had stooped to pick up her book from the floor where it had fallen when she jumped up. As she sat, tome in hand, she replied, “Shakespeare.” She settled in her seat, arranging her skirts and clasping her hands together, the book under them. When he said nothing else, she looked up.
Edward grinned. “Which one?”
Blushing, Sarah replied, “As You Like It. It is a favourite of mine.”
“So you prefer Shakespeare’s comedies?” Edward settled back in his chair, elbows on the arms with fingers woven together over his flat stomach, and his legs crossed at the ankles.
Sarah lifted her chin, looking past Edward at something over his shoulder. He resisted the urge to turn and discover what it was. “I enjoy all of Mr Shakespeare’s works,” she said. “I find, though, that some situations call for particular plays.” She glanced at him, then looked down at her lap.
Edward tilted his head as he watched her. “I agree with you.” He paused, waiting for her to look up. “You told me last night that you also enjoy a novel now and then.”
“I do. Sometimes, one needs something completely frivolous to help her regain her equanimity.” Sarah’s chin rose, and she looked directly at Edward for the first time since he had entered the room.
With a grin, Edward agreed. “I confess to having read a novel or two myself, though I do not often have the time to read now that I should like to have.”
Sarah blinked and bit her lip again. In a soft voice, she replied, “I heard that you recently came into your inheritance. I am so sorry for your loss. It must be very difficult to lose a parent.”
After the coolness of almost every interaction with this fascinating young lady, Edward felt that he was finally seeing into Sarah’s soul. He was eager to learn more. “Thank you. It has been the worst experience of my life so far, but thankfully, my father had trained me well and allowed me to assist him in recent years. When the time came that I had to take over, the transition was far smoother than it could have been. The business part was much easier than losing my father, indeed.”
“That was very wise of him to prepare you so well.” Sarah paused to give him a moment of reverence. “Tell me more about your estate. This house party is the first time I have been out of London for more than a day trip, and I confess to some curiosity about how Thornwood compares to others.”
“My estate is of a similar size to this one. The manor house is older and laid out in a bit less of an orderly fashion than Thornwood. It is beautifully decorated, though. Not with the garishness of so many great houses but with elegance. I am rather proud of my heritage.”
Sarah smiled. “You should be!”
“Since you asked about my home, allow me now to inquire about yours. Did you say you live in London?” Edward thought he should like to make her smile again. She was a very pretty girl, but she glowed when she smiled.
“I do. We live near Cheapside on a quiet street full of townhouses. My father is a silk merchant.” Sarah looked down again.
Edward’s brow creased at Sarah’s reaction, but quickly realized the difference in their status made her shy of him. He wondered if that was the reason she was not more welcoming. “Cheapside is quite the elegant place to shop,” he said, trying to put her at ease.
“Yes, it is,” Sarah lifted her chin, “and my father does very well. He has the respect of his workers and his fellow tradesmen.”
Edward tried to hold back a grin, though his lips twitched with the effort. She is full of fire when she defends her family, he thought. To Sarah, he said, “I do not doubt you. You are finely dressed; as well-dressed as Lady Anna or any of the other young ladies present. That alone tells me that your father is very successful. You are proud of him, and that is as it should be.”
Sarah seemed to deflate a little, becoming less rigid and easing the grip she held on the little volume in her hands. “Thank you, sir.” She took a breath and quietly blew it out. She wondered if the duke was being sincere or merely polite. He seemed very interested in her, which made her uneasy. She decided she needed to bring his soon-to-be betrothed to his mind. “Lady Anna is very fashionable. She has a good sense of style.”
Sarah could see that Edward was surprised. His brows flew up for a moment, but he recovered himself quickly.
“That she is. I believe fashion holds a high importance in her life.”
“As it should. Every young lady wishes to look her best at all times.”
Edward held up his hands and spoke with a barely-concealed chuckle. “I am certain you are correct.” He paused. “You are fond of Lady Anna? You have not known her long.”
“No, I have not,” Sarah admitted, “but she has been very kind to someone she has never met who is not of her circle. That says quite a bit about her, in my opinion.”
“I can see that it does,” Edward replied.
The couple talked for another hour, discussing in depth many of the things they had touched on in their brief conversation in the garden the night before. As they parted to prepare for the night’s entertainment – a ball – they each left with different thoughts, Sarah scolding herself for continuing to be attracted to a gentleman who was on the cusp of being engaged to another, and Edward vowing to get to know Miss Payne better.
Chapter Five
That evening, as Sarah waited with her parents to be announced to the ball-goers, she nervously smoothed the skirt of her best ball gown. She loved the blue in the trim of the white dress, and knew it matched the color of her eyes, making them brighter.
Sarah had spent the entire afternoon berating herself for the feelings she was developing for Edward. She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering what she had decided as she dressed. �
��I will meet some of the other gentlemen tonight and put the Duke of Amblingshire out of my mind and my heart forever. I will smile and laugh and make at least one of the others notice me.”
She opened her eyes again to see that she and her parents were next to be announced, so she took a deep breath, stood as straight and tall as her petite frame allowed, and pasted a pleasant look on her face. Then, she followed her parents into the room.
Almost immediately, the gentlemen began flocking to her side, asking for dances. Sarah did as she had planned, and allowed herself to be charming and witty. She was soon located by Lady Anna, and the pair shared the attentions of the gentlemen until the first dance was called.
Before her partner could claim her, Edward appeared at Sarah’s side. He bowed. “Do you have any dances available, Miss Payne? Perhaps the supper set?”
Sarah shook her head, a pained expression crossing her face. “I am sorry, sir, but all of my dances are already taken.” Her partner arrived to claim her, nodding a greeting to Edward before whisking her away.
Edward clenched his jaw. He had been too slow in approaching Sarah and had lost his chance. He was disappointed, but knew he felt more than that. He had not liked it at all to watch another gentleman lead Sarah to the dance floor. Knowing he would be even less pleased to actually watch them dance together, to see her smile at her partner when the ones she threw in his direction were so rare, he moved to the other end of the room and asked another young lady to dance.
Thankfully, there were two lines for dancing, and he would not have to pass Sarah as they went up and down. He made an effort to engage his partner in witty banter, but half his mind was thinking about Sarah. If I cannot spend time with her, I cannot become better acquainted with her, he thought. I will attempt to speak to her between sets. He began to regret his hasty decision to remove himself from her vicinity.
After his dance, Edward returned the young lady to her chaperones, smiling at her and thanking her for the dance. Once the social niceties were complete, he excused himself and pushed through the crowd to find Sarah again. More than once, he found that he was forced to apologize to someone when he bumped into them. He was hailed by several of his friends, as well. Those he merely waved to, promising to return to speak to them later. As his circuit of the room neared its completion, he spotted her near a door that was open to the gardens. He redoubled his efforts to weave his way through the crowd.
Having finally reached Sarah’s location, Edward was dismayed to see that a half-dozen other gentlemen had reached her first. His lips pinched together and his expression dark, he attempted to push his way between a couple of them, to no avail. Having finally had enough, he used his most commanding voice to spur two of the younger, untitled men to move aside. “Make way, gentlemen.”
“Here now,” one replied, turning with a scowl. Seeing who had spoken, the young man’s eyes grew wide, and he tugged on his friend’s arm. “My apologies, Your Grace.” With a bow, the pair moved away from the crowd surrounding Sarah.
Edward was mildly amused at the looks of longing the two young bucks had tossed over their shoulders at Sarah as they walked away. He did not dawdle once they moved, however, but instead slid into the space their absence created before anyone else could move into it. In the end, his extraordinary efforts were in vain. By the time he reached Sarah’s side, the musicians had begun playing again, and her partner for the set was leading her away. Edward took a deep breath, puffing out his cheeks as he exhaled. Suddenly, he brightened, recalling that his name was on Lady Anna’s dance card for this set.
Anna was easy enough to find. She was waiting for him a few feet away, her own crowd of admirers thinning as they scattered to claim their dance partners. Edward bowed to her, saying, “I believe this is our dance?”
Lady Anna lifted her chin and tucked her hand under Edward’s extended elbow. “It is. I was not concerned about missing our dance; I knew you would come for me.”
Edward glanced at Anna out of the corner of his eye as he hurried her to the dance line just a few places down from Sarah. The cocky smile his partner wore as she looked down her nose at those around her left him unsettled, but his concern in the matter of speaking to Sarah was so strong that he dismissed the feeling, instead focusing on situating himself and Anna as close to the other couple as he could.
Edward’s attention to his problem was such that he largely ignored Lady Anna, much to her displeasure. “What are you looking at, Amblingshire?” Anna craned her neck to observe what might be happening down the line.
Edward’s head snapped back toward his partner. “Nothing much,” he shrugged. “I was trying to count the dancers.” He hoped his deceit was not apparent to Lady Anna, though he rather thought that it was, given her skeptical expression.
The music began, and Edward forced himself to pay attention to Anna as much as he was able. He told himself that there were two sets to the dance and Sarah was close enough that he should be able to intercept her and her partner when the last dance was finished. He thought he did a creditable job; Anna displayed no more frowns and instead spoke charmingly to him every time the steps of the dance allowed them to speak.
Despite his planning, for the remainder of the ball, Edward was unable to speak to Sarah. Either she was surrounded three-deep by men, or she was dancing. Even at supper, by the time Edward got close enough, the table at which Sarah was sitting was filled up. His jaw was clenched so tightly that pain had begun shooting up into his head as he turned to find another seat, locating one next to his mother.
The dowager duchess carefully examined her son’s face as he pulled out the chair next to hers and lowered himself into it. She laid her hand on his arm and spoke, quietly enough that their table mates could not hear. “What is the matter?”
Edward took a deep breath and tried to relax his posture. “Nothing.”
“Do not tell me that nothing is wrong when the frown you wear is enough to frighten small children,” his mother scolded.
Edward sighed. “I apologize, Mother. I am simply tired.” He hated lying to her, but he also knew her desire for him to marry Anna was strong. He did not feel like arguing over the fact that he was practically chasing a young lady who was not his mother’s choice for him.
The dowager sat back and moved her hand from his arm to the edge of the table. Her sharp gaze ran over him once more, but soon her expression softened. “It has been a long night, already, I agree. You have danced almost every set. No wonder you are tired. You will feel better once you have eaten.” She sat back, then, as the footmen were bringing the soup around.
Edward’s mother was correct, of course. Once he had eaten and enjoyed a bit of conversation with those sitting near him, he was able to relax and enjoy himself more. Soon, the musicians began to play again, signaling to the ball-goers that the next set was about to commence.
Try as he might, Edward was not able to talk to Sarah at all. Finally, after the last set of the night had faded away and she had returned to her parents’ side, he was able to speak to her briefly. There was no time for real conversation, however, so he had to limit himself to an invitation.
“Will you walk in the garden with me tomorrow afternoon?” Edward was elated when Sarah agreed.
Chapter Six
Sarah wearily entered her room and allowed her maid to help her ready herself for bed. Her mind was full of the gentlemen and dances and conversations she had participated in, and her feet, though sore from so much activity, fairly danced on their own as the music continued to play in her mind. Tucking herself up into bed after dismissing the maid, she allowed her mind to wander over the events of the night.
Sarah was pleased with the way the evening had gone. She had been determined, of course, to dance with gentlemen who were not the Duke of Amblingshire, and she had succeeded in that endeavour. As she thought back, she realized that she had not even spoken to Edward beyond telling him her dance card was full at the beginning of the ball and then agreeing to walk
with him at the end.
Concerns about that agreement quickly began to overshadow the joy and happiness she had previously felt about the ball. I should not have agreed meet him, she thought. He is practically engaged to Lady Anna. She is going to be very angry if she finds out. Certainly, I do not wish to make the daughter of our host angry. Sarah chewed her lip as she considered her problem. Perhaps she will not discover it.
Sarah began to feel lighter, then she realized that it was not possible to keep Anna from knowing about it. She groaned.
As she allowed her thoughts to fill with Edward, Sarah began to experience conflicting emotions. She remembered the way her heart skipped a beat the first time she saw him in his black coat, breeches, and dancing shoes. He was such a handsome man that he turned heads wherever he went. He had an easy smile that made ladies feel special, and a charming manner that turned their heads. Sarah was not immune to that charm. She enjoyed speaking to Edward and being in his presence as much as any other young lady. She smiled in the darkness as a warm feeling filled her.
Then, Sarah recalled how much Edward seemed to enjoy being the center of attention, and the pleasant emotions began to fade. She bit her lip again, fingers playing with the edge of the sheet. Sarah did not like being the focus of everyone’s attention. Though she had learned to ignore the presence of others when she played the pianoforte, that was not possible in other situations.
Do I want to marry a gentleman who prefers the whirl of society to the comforts of home? She was almost certain she would not. Which brought her back to the planned walk on the morrow.
Though she turned the outing over and over in her mind, Sarah could not come to a decision about it. She enjoyed Edward’s company, despite everything going through her mind saying she should not. Though there was no future in it, in the end, she decided to keep her appointment with him and hope Lady Anna did not find out.