by Abby Ayles
“You cannot play if I do not join,” Lady Julia smiled widely. She much preferred backgammon to painting.
The girls got up and left as quietly as they could. They doubted anyone noticed and no one did.
They walked to the parlor, talking quietly.
“Have you seen Duke Colbourn recently?” Lady Julia asked, her voice so low Lady Annabelle had to strain to hear it. She smiled at her friend.
“He lives here, Lady Julia. Of course I have seen him.”
“But have you had a chance to speak with him?”
Lady Annabelle had to admit she hadn’t and it was a disappointment. “I do wish to speak to him, mind you,” she said firmly. “I do plan to. But… I am not sure if… it is the right thing to do. Perhaps I should allow him to come to me first.”
“You will not know him if you do not speak to him. He may think your father would not approve.”
“I think the same. I admit it has been holding me back.”
Lady Julia gave her friend a look. “Lady Annabelle! You know your father better than anyone. He listens to you when you speak to him. Ask him if he approves of Duke Colbourn. I cannot imagine he would not approve of such a fine-looking gentleman. Duke Colbourn has said and done nothing objectionable since his arrival, I take it.”
It was not really a question but Lady Annabelle shook her head anyway. “He has been a gentleman from the start.”
“Then your father will have no objection.”
Lady Annabelle thought about how often her father mentioned Lady Julia to the Duke of Cardinal. It was like he did not even know he was doing it. And it did not matter whether Lady Annabelle was around or not, she knew he was mentioning Lady Julia randomly whenever he could. He did not want Duke Colbourn in the family. He did not want him courting her.
She wondered why.
“I shall have a talk with him about it.”
Lady Julia snorted softly, making Lady Annabelle grin. “I am surprised you have not said anything as of yet. You are not like that.”
“I have been… distracted.”
Lady Julia laughed and patted Lady Annabelle on the arm, pulling it to her so they could curve their elbows around each other. “Now, Lady Annabelle, there is no better distraction than a good-looking duke!”
As soon as she said the words, the door opened and their father entered, followed by several other men. He smiled at Lady Julia.
“Did I just hear myself being called a good-looking duke?”
Lady Julia’s face colored brightly and she covered her mouth with her hand, looking down. “Oh, Your Grace! I did not know you would hear me! I was… I was merely…”
Duke Cartwright laughed, coming toward the girls. He held out his hands to Lady Annabelle, grasping her shoulders.
“My daughter, it’s good to see you this morning.” He leaned forward and gave her a kiss on both cheeks. He turned to Lady Julia and did the same.
“My almost-daughter. Let me introduce you to some newcomers to our little city. This is Lord Leonard Harcourt Balfour and his brother, Lord Gilbert Andrew Balfour. They are sons to Earl Daniel Harcourt Balfour of Beldingshire. They are residing with the Reverend here. You know Reverend Charles Stovington.”
Lady Annabelle and Lady Julia lowered into a small curtsy with each name they were given, looking at the specified individual under their lashes.
“Of course, how are you, Reverend?” Lady Annabelle said.
“I am well, Lady Annabelle. You are looking very refreshed. But I do believe you have a little paint on your dress.”
Lady Annabelle looked down, shocked that the reverend was right. She colored as deeply as Lady Julia had earlier and covered the small streak with one hand. “Oh dear!”
“It will come out,” Lord Gilbert Balfour said. He had a high-pitched tone that matched his long, hawkish face. His head was topped with a mop of curly brown hair and his eyes were deep brown to match. It was nearly impossible to tell the black of his pupils from the dark brown color surrounding them.
He smiled but it did not seem like a genuine smile and his teeth were not well-maintained.
Lady Annabelle moved her eyes to his brother, who was a little more put-together. His hair was a lighter brown but the same mop of curls his brother sported. His eyes were hazel and his face was more rounded than Lord Gilbert but Lord Leonard was heavier.
He looked stronger and more muscular than his younger brother. When he smiled, she noticed two rows of white, straight teeth.
“I am so embarrassed. Lady Julia and I were just in with the children, helping them paint. Or rather, we were painting along with them.” She smiled. When the door opened again and the Duke of Cardinal came in, her smile widened.
“I am sorry to be late, Your Grace,” he said, bowing to the Duke of Norrend with his head. “I lost track of time while exploring this fine little city of yours. You have some amazing characters here. I think Mr. Covington will fit in nicely.”
The Duke of Norrend nodded at him. He looked at the reverend. “Allow me to introduce the Duke of Cardinal, Stephen Colbourn. He is here to purchase some of my paintings. Yes, I am looking forward to meeting Mr. Covington.”
“Mr. Covington?” Lady Annabelle looked at her father.
“His colleague who is coming to assess the value of my paintings.” The way her father said the words gave her the impression he was not terribly happy about the man coming. It made her pause for a moment before she turned back to the men.
“I do agree that we have some terribly odd people in our city,” she said, keeping her voice light. “Is your colleague also an eccentric?”
“I think some might consider him that, yes. He’s very artistic and it makes his movements… quite fluid, you might say.” As he was talking, he was removing his hat and gloves, handing them to Mary, who appeared out of nowhere. The other men were already holding their hats and gloves in their hands. Mary collected them all, taking the reverend’s cane, as well.
“It is only for show,” he said, smiling at Lady Julia and Lady Annabelle. The girls smiled back.
“Shall we go in the parlor?”
“Father, we were going in to play a game of backgammon. We will be at the card table and will not bother you.”
The Duke of Norrend shook his head. “You are no bother, my dear. Thank you for your consideration.”
The girls looked at each other. Lady Annabelle wondered if her friend was thinking the same thing she was. There were three eligible suitors in the house at that moment. Was her father setting up this meeting for her, Lady Julia and possibly Lady Joanna?
They turned and went to the door. Before they reached it, Mary, who was dusting nearby, took quick steps to get in front of them and opened it for them. Lady Annabelle smiled at the young woman as she passed.
The girls went directly to the table. As she passed the tall mahogany shelves on her left, Lady Annabelle reached out and grabbed the backgammon board, which sat by itself in the corner where she always left it.
On any given day, there was a good chance she and Lady Julia could be seen sitting at this table, playing a game of backgammon. It was one of Lady Julia’s favorites. Not to mention, she was a terribly good strategist, causing her to win most of the games they played.
Lady Annabelle did not mind. She enjoyed seeing her friend happy.
The older men went to stand at the bar, where the Duke of Norrend proceeded to make a small glass of brandy, offering a drink to his guests. The reverend declined. The Duke of Cardinal also took a small glass of brandy from his host. Lord Gilbert and Lord Leonard looked longingly at the bottles lining the wall but both shook their heads, not offering an explanation of their refusal.
“This is Lord Gilbert and his brother Lord Leonard Balfour,” the reverend said, his eyes directed toward the Duke of Cardinal. “They are my apprentices.”
“Lord Leonard is his apprentice.”
Even from across the room, Lady Annabelle could hear the indignation in Lord Gilbert’s
voice. Her eyes darted in his direction, instinctually wanting to catch the reaction of the other men and see the look on Lord Gilbert’s face.
He’d noticed the reaction his words got and immediately looked ashamed. “I mean, I am here in support of my brother’s decision,” he said quickly. “And to see if it is also the life I would like to lead.”
Duke Cartwright and Duke Colbourn eyed the young man for a moment. Lord Leonard chuckled without humor. “It seems my brother was not forthcoming about his dislike for change.”
Lord Gilbert looked at Lord Leonard gratefully. “This is true.” He turned his eyes to the other men. “I am not fond of change. Not at all.”
He gave them a weak smile.
Lady Annabelle looked over the table at Lady Julia, whose ears were as in tune with the men’s conversation as hers were. She could tell by the look on the pretty girl’s face. Her eyes were on the pieces of the game in front of her but her shoulders were lifted and she was tense from concentrating.
“Lady Julia!” Lady Annabelle hissed to get her friend’s attention. Lady Julia looked up with her eyes but did not move her head. Her hands were frozen on two game pieces. “If you do not move soon, your muscles will freeze and you will be a statue. A pretty statue but a statue nonetheless!”
Lady Julia’s face broke into a smile and she relaxed her shoulders. “I was just listening to…” she moved her eyes to the corners, bobbing her head in the direction of the men at the same time.
“I was, too. We should not eavesdrop.”
“His Grace told us we could come in,” Lady Julia leaned forward, whispering. “And besides, they are not discussing robbing the Queen’s bank, are they?”
Both girls giggled, covering their lips with their hands. They started the game and soon Lady Julia was winning as usual.
“I do not know why I continue to play this game with you, Lady Julia,” Lady Annabelle tried to sound whiny but failed. Lady Julia laughed.
“Because you love me.”
“When you are right, you are right,” Lady Annabelle grinned at her.
“Oh dear, it looks like you are losing quite badly, Lady Annabelle.” The Duke of Cardinal’s voice made them both look up and realize he was standing at the table, his hands folded behind his back, an amused look on his face.
Chapter 7
Lady Annabelle’s heart flipped in her chest. It beat rapidly for a moment before she got the adrenaline rush under control. She smiled at him. “Lady Julia is a master at this game, Your Grace. I rarely beat her. If I do, it is probably because she is tired and needs to be in bed.”
“Apparently today is not that day.” The Duke of Cardinal lifted one hand and saluted Lady Julia. “My hat is off to you, dear lady. You are very good at this game. I shall remember to decline any offers to play you may send my way.”
“And I shall remember not to send any offers your way, having previously been told they would be declined.” Lady Julia sounded amused, grinning at the man. Lady Annabelle denied the streak of jealousy that split through her. She kept the smile on her face and watched the exchange between the two.
It should not have made her jealous and she chided herself gently for it. Lady Julia would never flirt with the duke knowing how she felt about him. The girl was not even looking at him anymore, she was staring down at her cards and the duke was looking at Lady Annabelle.
She looked down at the board to see Lady Julia had taken one of her pieces. She was laughing. “Oh dear,” Lady Annabelle said. “I was distracted.”
“You may have been distracted, my dear, but I still got the piece,” Lady Julia replied. She looked at the Duke of Cardinal. “If you would like to pull a chair to the table, my lord, you seem to be a good luck charm for me.”
The Duke of Cardinal laughed. “I have no prior commitments. However, decency keeps me from sitting at the table with you, as three is not as good of a match-up as four. In addition, this is a two-player game. To reiterate, it would not be the decent thing to do.”
“Would you like to play a game with us, my lord? Perhaps a different one?”
The Duke of Cardinal smiled at her. “Playing a different game is a better idea.”
“How about a walk in the garden?” The voice behind the Duke of Cardinal was not as familiar. The Duke of Cardinal turned and they saw Lord Gilbert standing behind him, having left the Duke of Norrend, his brother, and the reverend by the fireplace on the other side of the room.
“I am a bit tired from walking around the city all day,” the Duke of Cardinal confessed. Lady Annabelle scanned his face. He did not look tired. She suspected he did not want to take a walk with the young man. Her eyes slid to Lord Gilbert’s face, who looked up at the Duke of Cardinal with no look of intimidation. He smiled.
“Perhaps another time then. Shall I join you for a match-up of four in a game of Cribbage?”
It looked like they would not be able to keep Lord Gilbert from joining their group. Lady Annabelle felt guilty for not wanting to add the young man and gestured to the chair to her left. “Please join us, Lord Gilbert, Duke Colbourn. I will get the Cribbage box.”
She left them to decide what type of Cribbage game to play and went back to the shelf, searching for the box. When she found it, she turned and almost ran into Lady Julia, who was bringing the backgammon board to the shelf. “Here’s the box.” Her voice betrayed her disappointment. “We did not even get through one game.”
“You would have won anyway, dear,” Lady Annabelle laughed. “That was not in question.”
Lady Julia shook her head, replacing the game where Lady Annabelle had taken it from. “It was not the winning that I was looking forward to. It was the playing.”
“I am glad you like the game so much, Lady Julia. I am sorry the men decided to join us.”
“Oh, it will be all right.” Lady Julia gave her a smile. “I am just being a child. Maybe I am tired.”
They both laughed at her reference to the Duke of Cardinal’s earlier words.
“I do hope that Mr. Balfour does not think I am to be matched up with him simply because you are with the duke,” Lady Julia said offhandedly as they walked back to the table. Lady Annabelle gave her a strange look.
“Am I matched up with his lordship?” If so, she was happy about it. But it was not the idea she was having. “I was thinking the same thing about myself.”
Lady Julia shook her head. They were about to reach the table. She gave Lady Annabelle a side glance with a smile that looked like she was holding back a laugh. “Oh, Lady Annabelle…” she giggled and went to her seat.
As they played, they kept up small talk that made the four of them very comfortable with one another. Lord Gilbert did not seem as bad as they had thought he would be, from his earlier attitude.
He laughed with them, telling them stories about adventures he and his brother had together. In contrast, Lady Julia would tell a female version of the adventure, involving her and Lady Annabelle and even her sister, Lady Joanna.
“Where is this Lady Joanna?” Lord Gilbert asked at one point, looking around the parlor as if the girl would just appear at his beckoning. Lady Julia instinctively looked around too but then laughed.
“I am not sure where she is at this moment. I suspect she will be in shortly, though.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“It is nearing time for the mid-day meal. She does not like to miss meals here. The cook is quite good.”
“You just mentioned the cook at your house is getting better,” Lady Annabelle said. “Do you think she will stay there for the meal?”
Lady Julia raised her eyebrows. “I had forgotten. I guess that is a possibility. I never know what Lady Joanna is going to do. I am her sister but I am not her keeper.”
“Tell me,” Lord Gilbert asked, smiling. “Is she as pretty as you are?”
Lady Annabelle looked at Lady Julia through wide, shocked eyes. The Duke of Cardinal stared at Lord Gilbert.
Lady Julia blushed and
averted her eyes. “I… I do not know. As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
Lord Gilbert turned to the Duke of Cardinal. “Have you seen this lady they speak of?”
“I have,” the Duke of Cardinal replied, in a guarded voice. “All three of these young ladies are a pleasure to look upon.”
The girls smiled. “Thank you, Your Grace,” Lady Annabelle said, bowing her head to him and closing her eyes briefly.
“You are most welcome. I see your friend, Lady Julia, is just as good at Cribbage as she is at backgammon.”