Tyrell chuckled.
The footman, a well-trained fellow, did not take notice of anyone in the room. He carefully averted his eyes from their direction and walked hastily to the table. He picked up a bowl of custard to carry to the dining hall. The preoccupied footman stepped in front of the door concealing Emeline.
It was too perfect. Emeline saw it as a sign from God. She shoved the door forward, slamming it into the servant. It clipped his knee and shoe. Indeed, the entire toe of his shiny buckled shoe wedged underneath the door.
The startled footman, flopped out of his shoe, and fell backward. The bowl of custard flew over his head. He fumbled. He reached. He stretched to catch it. But the custard continued its journey without him. It arced gracefully up and then, obeying the laws of gravity, began its descent where it connected with the floor, and bounced up again, making a series of smaller spinning somersaults.
Remarkable, that an egg custard in a silver dish should bounce so well. With each clatter the occupants of the room were showered with plops of yellow custard. The bowl gyrated across the floor and, with a whirling metallic clank, came to a stop at Tyrell’s feet.
In the silence that followed, a triumphant giggle resonated from Emeline just outside the room.
The footman pried his shoe out from under the door and inspected his marred toe. Then he stood up, looked over the splotched mess, and groaned. “Cook will have my head.”
“Not before I catch the culprit who rammed that door open, and hang her by her vicious little thumbs.” Tyrell started after Emeline. He grabbed Fiona’s hand and pulled her with him.
Fiona called back to the footman as Tyrell tugged her through the door. “Tell Cook it was my fault. You know, blame it on the curse.”
She trailed behind Tyrell as he rushed through the dining room, set on vengeance. In the brightly flickering candlelight, Fiona caught sight of Tyrell’s splattered coat.
“Wait!” She tugged on his arm. “Tyrell wait! We can’t storm into the ballroom like this.”
He turned around and stared at her. Custard dribbled down her forehead and dappled her cheeks. Her blue silk gown was speckled with yellow blobs. Tyrell considered her for a moment. She looked deliciously comical. A grin burst across his face.
Fiona smiled back. “Don’t laugh at me, my lord. You will find that you are quite as custard-covered as I am.”
“Ah, so I am,” He chuckled as he appraised his spattered attire. Just then, the soothing strains of violins penetrated the dining room. They were beginning a waltz. The rest of the orchestra swelled behind the violins. The flowing melody compelled him to relax.
He exhaled and all of his annoyance at Emeline vanished. “Do you hear it? It’s a waltz. My waltz, I believe.” He held out his hand.
She tilted her head, questioning his sanity. “You would risk such a thing?”
“I would.” Tyrell opened his arms. “Here will do nicely.”
She stepped into his embrace and he held her close as they waltzed beside the dining table laid out with glistening silver, radiant crystal and bouquets of aromatic roses.
“Do you truly wish to marry me?” Fiona asked. “After all, I cannot promise you freedom from the wretched accidents that seem to follow me wherever I go.”
Tyrell smiled at her. “Life would be inordinately dull without a few surprises now and again.” Abruptly, he leaned down and kissed a drop of custard from her cheek.
Fiona shivered in response.
He laughed softly. “I would not have it any other way.” Tyrell kissed away another little dollop from her forehead and then lightly touched his tongue to a small portion near her mouth. He murmured. “I love you, Fiona. I’m afraid, my beloved Elf, that tranquility and solitude have entirely lost their appeal. I don’t think I could bear life without you. Marry me.”
She answered him eloquently, with a tirade of kisses.
—— The End ——
HISTORICAL NOTE
Dear Reader,
Prinny was a true eccentric. It may interest you to know that the Prince Regent actually did have a ballroom mishap not unlike the one described in Lady Fiasco. However, the real incident was so bizarre that if it had included all the elements the reader would have shaken her head in disbelief.
Visit Kathleen Baldwin’s website for more information about this story and other tidbits about the Regency era. For example, did Regency ladies ever learn to swim?
www.kathleenbaldwin.com
If you enjoyed reading this book please lend your copy to a friend, or recommend it to your readers’ group. Or better yet, write a review! Reviews help other readers discover your favorite books.
If you do write a review for Lady Fiasco Kathleen would like to thank you personally. Send an email to [email protected] Ask her for an exclusive sneak peek of Mistaken Kiss, Book 2 of the Notorious Aunt series.
For insider info, sneak peeks, goodies, and to be the first to hear when her next book is coming out sign up for Kathleen’s Newsletter
at: http://kathleenbaldwin.com/newsletter-subscription
She promises no spam, she won’t sell your email, and only sends out a newsletter if there is super exciting news, or if a new book is coming out. (Not often)
Here’s a quick look at Book Two…
Mistaken Kiss, Book 2, My Notorious Aunt
A Traditional Regency Romantic Romp
(Aunt Honore is back…)
Willa is nearly blind, but she recognizes trouble when she trips over it.
The vicar’s logical little sister knows her prospects are bleak. When Willa accidentally kisses Alexander Braeburn, her dull predictable world turns upside down. Reason dictates that she should stay away from the handsome Corinthian. He’s the black sheep of their village. But how can she resist? She longs for one more taste of the most tantalizing excitement she has ever experienced. One more marvelous kiss, that’s all she wants, and then she will settle back into her dreary life forever.
Alex is intrigued. Willa’s refreshingly genuine character warms his jaded heart and makes him smile. But when her notorious aunt whisks her off to London and Willa naïvely marches into trouble, Alex feels duty bound to rescue her. Is it duty? Or is it something else that compels him to watch over the vicar’s peculiar little sister?
Available in December on Amazon
OTHER BOOKS
by Kathleen Baldwin
Diary of a Teenage Fairy Godmother
Award-winning author Kathleen Baldwin teamed up with actress/mystery writer Andrea Sisco to write a fun contemporary YA fairytale, an adventure suitable for any age. This teen fantasy romance contains strong emotions, some kissing, but no sex.
“…a story that girls and women of all ages can love … a magical world you want to explore even after this story has ended.” –Bestselling Author, Suzanne Ferrell, 5 stars
Diary of a Teenage Fairy Godmother
A Fairy Godmother is not some overgrown pixie in a pink tutu. She’s a guardian and a warrior specially trained to protect Cinderella’s descendants. Lilliana Skye is undercover at a Texas high school on her first assignment to save one of Cinderella’s troubled great-granddaughters. But everything goes terribly wrong.
Who wouldn't want their very own Fairy Godmother?
Jess Harrison, that's who. She doesn't believe in fairytale magic or happily-ever-afters. The death of her oldest brother nuked her world. Grief sucks. Jess is tough, angry, and so intelligent it’s scary. If she ever did see a mythical fairy she would probably stomp it into oblivion with her army boots.
Fortunately, Jess has another brother, but when Jake meets the new girl, he falls hard. In Jess’s universe that means trouble. Her shields go up. Code red. Weapons loaded.
Their oldest brother’s tragic accident turned Jess and Jake’s parents into emotional zombies. They avoided grieving and buried themselves in work. Jake is the only real family Jess really has left and she’s fiercely protective. She can't let her brother fall in love with a dan
gerous lunatic who claims to be a Fairy Godmother.
That's fine with Lilliana. Falling in love with a human is forbidden, not to mention … deadly.
Maybe, just maybe, if she didn’t have to protect Jake and Jess she might be able to keep her wayward heart in check. But someone from the fairy realm is trying to kill all three of them and Lilliana has to find out why before it’s too late.
Read and excerpt on Amazon
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 by Kathleen Baldwin
First Printing September 2004 by Kensington Publishing Corp.
All Rights Returned to the Author
All Rights Reserved
Revised, edited, and published under new copyright November 2013
______
Apart from a few well know public figures from the Regency era, all other characters appearing in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
This book and parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the author and publisher, except as provided by the United States of America copyright law. The only exception is by a reviewer who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Published and converted to eBook by Ink Lion Books
Baldwin, Kathleen (2013). Lady Fiasco.
Table Of Contents
Chapter 1 Coming Home
Chapter 2 Escaping Thorncourt
Chapter 3 Lady of the Lake
Chapter 4 Notorious Visitor
Chapter 5 Chasing Regrets
Chapter 6 Sea Air Makes You Blind
Chapter 7 Hens and Their Confounded Chicks
Chapter 8 The Plunge
Chapter 9 An Ogre in Brighton
Chapter 10 Treason Is a Hanging Offense
Chapter 11 Does Running Away Ever Solve Anything?
Chapter 12 Ghosts in London
Chapter 13 Improper Ballroom Etiquette
Chapter 14 A Scandal by any other Name
Chapter 15 The Soiree from Hades
Chapter 16 Decisions
Chapter 17 Lies One Tells to One’s Self
Chapter 18 To Catch a Murderer
Chapter 19 Stranger in a Pomegranate Mask
Chapter 20 Crime and Punishment
Chapter 21 Custard Shackles
HISTORICAL NOTE
OTHER BOOKS by Kathleen Baldwin
Copyright
Lady Fiasco, A Traditional Regency Romance (My Notorious Aunt) Page 21