by Claudy Conn
“Ah, but you were the one who caught his eye and his kisses,” Georgie said and laughed.
“That is because you preferred his older brother as I recall. While Tommy was kissing me in the back of the store, you were busy doing I don’t know what, with his brother.”
“Ah Douglas! Yes, handsome older Douglas and I have never had a better kiss,” Georgie sighed.
“Tarts, that is what we are,” Star said and laughed.
“Ah, tarts do have so much more fun. I haven’t been kissed in an age…” Georgie said wistfully.
“You are right. I should like to be kissed by the dashing Sir Edward,” Star said suddenly.
“Indeed, I noticed, but Star, honestly, I must say he is most definitely a man who would leave you broken-hearted. You realize that, don’t you?”
Star nodded and beamed wistfully, “Yes, but it might be worth it!”
“You are wrong. I do know you, and that would never do for you.” Georgie declared and grimaced. “Well, here we are.” She pulled her horse up at the barn and swung her leg over and jumped lightly to earth. Smoothing the jacket and riding skirt of her dark blue riding ensemble, she patted her hair in place and adjusted her brown top hat in a jaunty manner.
“You look wonderful Georgie, but who are you preening for? Have you already changed your mind about my brother?”
Georgie snapped a look at her, “No, did you not notice that you have guests at Berkley? They must already be up at the house.” She indicated the two horses occupying the training paddock and Star’s brow went up and her heart began racing.
Chapter Eight
MILES AND VERN looked toward the open door of the bedroom and Vern’s countenance took on a genuinely pleased smile as he greeted the newcomers. “Jules…” he said and looked past him to the striking man at Jules’ side.
Dilly appeared to be about to bolt so his lordship called after her, “Dilly, hold there, just a moment if you would.”
“Indeed, no need for you to rush off child,” Miles said with a soft smile directed toward her.
“Shut up, Miles,” Vern admonished.
“What? What did I say?”
“Dilly, would you bring up a fresh pot of…” Vern started.
“No, no,” Jules interrupted. “No need for tea, not staying that long.”
Vern nodded and with a lift of his finger allowed Dilly to hurry off, but Miles stalled this by saying, “Hold on Dilly. Just to be certain we don’t need anything?”
Vern pulled a face at him but turned to call merrily to the two men hovering still at his open doorway, “Come in, come in. The doctor tells me I am not infectious.”
Jules went forward and glanced toward Miles, as Vern offered, “You know Miles don’t you?”
Jules smiled and nodded, “Miles, yes of course.”
Sir Edward saw the wary look that passed between the two and thought, aha! Rivals for the fair Star. It irked and amused him at the same time, though he wondered why it should annoy him. It was nothing to him how many suitors she had in the wings. He shrugged this off immediately.
Edward took a position quietly standing in the background as he surveyed the scene before him and noted that Star’s brother looked enough like her to be her twin. The same cornsilk colored hair, as Jules had dubbed it. He was a handsome young man, though his face looked white and drawn from his days no doubt, in bed. He thought immediately of the young boy—boy indeed, but someone who did in fact, look like Vern and the Lady Star. Was his suspicion fancy?
Vern regarded Jules with some amusement and said, “If you came to call on m’sister, you are out of luck, Jules. She is off visiting Georgina.”
Jules clasped his hands behind his back and said, “Ah, I am sorry that we have missed her, but we are not here to visit her. You see, we have a solution to the problem, so in a manner of speaking it is she that brings us here.”
“A solution to the problem? What problem?” Vern frowned.
“Indeed, your meaning, sir?” Miles asked as he stepped forward. He was not smiling.
Vern saw this at once and snorted. He turned and waved Sir Edward closer, “I am sorry to greet you from my bed, sir. While these two battle over m’sister, may I introduce myself as I see Jules is too excited over some other matter to attend to the oversight. I am Vern.”
“Indeed, so I gathered, I am…”
Jules remembered his manners at that moment and hurriedly interrupted with an unintelligible sound and then with a wave of his hand as he offered the necessary introductions.
Dilly had been stalled in the door frame, waiting for the outcome of this. Did his lordship wish her to bring up a tray or not? He finally saw her hovering nervously about and said, “Oh, Dilly, I am sorry. It appears we won’t be having tea.”
She nodded and made good her escape down the hall and then hurriedly down the main staircase. She flew for she had any number of things that needed taking care of and not enough minutes in the day, so she grumbled to herself as she made her way. “I don’t have time to wait on swells and bloods,” she told no one in particular as she went past a collection of Berkley portraits. She was highly flustered and in something of a state when her mistress and Miss Madison came through the front door and nearly bumped into her.
“Why Dilly, whatever has you so flushed?” Star’s brow was up high as her eyes scanned the hall for a clue.
“Naught, but Oi will say this to ye, Miss Star. Oi cares fer ye and the young lord. That’s why Oi stays on, otherwise Oi would go to Mrs. Quigly, who thinks Oi would do as ‘er own personal maid.”
“But Dilly, I don’t understand. Do you wish to leave us? Have we burdened you with too much work?” Star stole a quick glance at her friend, but if Miss Madison had an answer, it wasn’t written on her face.
“No, don’t be thinking that. Why ye and the young lord ‘ave been good to me, ye ‘ave. ‘Taint that, but it makes me uneasy to serve ‘imself and ‘is friends abovestairs, it does. It would be more fittin’ if there was a serving boy to do that.”
Dawning lit in Star’s eyes and mind. No doubt Miles was up to some devilry with Dilly for she was a pretty little thing, and he was an outrageous flirt. Over the years, she could not help but notice that about him. She knew him well and though he meant no harm, she also knew to someone like Dilly, he could be intimidating.
Exchanging a knowing glance with Georgie, she patted Dilly’s shoulder and said, “Dilly, I do promise that as soon as we can, we shall bring in the additional help you need. You are perfectly correct. ‘Tis time Vern looked about for a valet to handle such things.”
Satisfied, Dilly sniffed and allowed a quick curtsy before she headed toward the kitchen and Cook.
Chapter Nine
“I WON’T HAVE Miles and Vern teasing that child. Why, it is the outside of enough. We can’t afford the servants we have, let alone another,” Star said in a hushed aside to Georgina and chewed her bottom lip.
“Now Star, Vern is not the sort to dally with a vulnerable girl like Dilly and Miles, well,” she smiled, “Is Miles. He can’t help himself, can he?”
“Indeed. Yet lately, he seems to think I might be open to his dalliance,” Star frowned.
“Well, as to that,” Georgie smiled wickedly, “Miles is infatuated with you. I say infatuated because in my opinion that is all that it is and I don’t want your head turned by him.”
“Take a damper!” Star fidgeted with her fingers. “Miles, indeed. That is like my saying that Vern has a tendre for you—Miles and I would never suit.”
Georgie frowned. “I don’t know if it is quite the same thing. Vern wants to marry me because he likes me and thinks he would be comfortable with me as his wife and because the joining of our two estates would get him out of financial trouble. Miles wants to marry you because he openly adores you and thinks that he might be in love. He isn’t, but he thinks he is.”
“I quite agree. Miles adores every maid in town. He can’t help himself. He loves women. When we we
re young he once told me that he thinks each and every one of us, tall, thin, fat, skinny, all hold a mystery he needs to unfold. Can you imagine?” She laughed out loud as they reached the top step and turned at the landing toward her brother’s room.
“Star, don’t go raking them down until you have calmed yourself,” Georgie cautioned.
“Do I not look calm?”
“You look like you are about to toss them into the gallows and throw away the key,” Georgie giggled.
“You know Georgie…things are dire. There is something I haven’t told you,” Star started to say, thought better of it and bit her lip. Her brother had been hobnobbing with common thieves—a pack of criminals, giving them information he should not have been. The horror of it had her on edge. How could she tell Georgie such a thing? She was irritated with him. She knew he had done it, foolishly yes, but because he had been desperate.
She walked into her brother’s room and saw Sir Edward, profoundly dashing in his buckskin riding jacket, sitting beside her brother’s bed and in close conversation with him. Why, oh why did Sir Edward have such a whirlwind effect on her? It was as though the air had been wrenched from her lungs and withheld just out of reach. The sensation left her giddy.
“Star!” Vern exclaimed on a merry note. “You are back and in time to hear the good news.” Vern’s smile widened as he found Georgie stepping into the now overcrowded bedroom. “Hallo, Georgie, come and give an ailing man a kiss.”
“Hallo, brat,” Georgie said and blew him a sisterly kiss.
He eyed her and said softly, “I shall have to teach you to do better than that.”
“Oh, you don’t have to teach me, dearest. I fancy I rather know the knack of it better than you realize…but there is always the when and the who to be considered before I display my talents.” Tongue in cheek she started to turn away, but for the beseeching tone of his voice which called after her.
“Georgie, ah Georgie, you drive a man wild. You…you know I mean to have you, don’t you?”
Star, in spite of the present company, snorted and for her transgression, received a brotherly glare. Star rolled her eyes at him.
“Do you, Vern dear?” Georgie countered. “What a very odd thing to say to someone who has been a sister to you most of her life.”
“Oh do stop your bantering you two and let Vern tell us what he means,” Star said after she had made the perfunctory round of greeting the others in the room.
Sir Edward had jumped to his feet when she and Georgie had come into the room, giving her the full view of his tall, dashing self and it was hard, so hard not to stare at him. What the deuce was wrong with her? Something certainly was.
“Right, so what it means is that you two needn’t sit home tonight for lack of escort. You have three!” Vern grinned from ear to ear. He looked at Georgie, “Sad as I am that I shall not have you on my arm Georgie, I am pleased as a generous man can be that you won’t miss this ball.”
Star looked at Miles who was standing erect and proud. Jules looked hopefully her way and Sir Edward, she could clearly see, appeared completely amused.
* * *
Sir Edward had watched Star enter her brother’s room and the vision of her lively beauty hit him soundly. He discovered he was momentarily bereft of speech as he watched her with her white gold hair all windblown and making a perfect frame around her heart-shaped beautiful face and thought that she was stunning.
Jules was completely right; she did take the breath away. Why had he not immediately seen this—or had he and resisted?
Evidently a bit of a drama was taking place and he found it intriguing. Vern seemed to want Miss Madison and from where he stood, the lovely Miss Madison seemed to have eyes for his friend, Jules. In addition to this, both Miles and Jules wanted Star and this was he thought something Shakespeare would have had a very excellent time describing.
However, somehow he was being drawn into the romantic comedy, much against his will. He had meant to keep himself aloof and then what must the pretty Miss Star do but turn her dark eyes on him. Deep inside of him he felt a stirring, a flutter he did not recognize, for it had never happened before.
“What can you mean?” Star asked her brother and turned to look at the gentlemen grinning all around her.
Vern laughed and Edward made up his mind, whereas, at first he had thought otherwise, he now believed this young lord was just that, young. He was obviously in financial straits and needed immediate guidance.
He had immediately deducted that something had gone wrong with the young lords’ attempts to set his house in order. He was at first curious, but now after meeting the lad, he thought he might take matters in hand. Why he should, he couldn’t fathom.
Yet, he could see the young lord had both heart and good intentions and although he told himself none of this was his business and that it shouldn’t matter to him, for it was all a bloody nuisance, he still had quite made up his mind to help.
Miles stole Jules’s thunder at that moment by stepping up immediately and taking Star’s hand and Edward found himself narrowing his eyes as inexplicably he found himself irritated and felt the frown descend over his face.
“I am honored to be one of your three escorts tonight,” Miles said with heart felt resonance.
Jules, evidently not to be outdone, came forward and nearly wrenched Star’s hand from Mile’s grasp. He clicked his heels and Edward nearly choked with laughter. Jules glared at Miles, stared hard at Edward, and then brought his pale blue eyes back to Star’s face and said with great earnest, “And I am as well—honored that is, to be your escort.”
Sir Edward inclined his head and felt a mischievous tingle as he said, “With the pleasure of Miss Madison’s and your company, how could a gentleman be otherwise.”
Star’s eyes glittered at him and he watched her as she turned away from Jules, and answered some remark Miles had made to her.
Georgie said in an aside to him, “Neatly put Sir Edward, but not, I think, very sincere.”
Sir Edward arched a brow at her and gave her a warm smile, saying quite openly as he glanced toward Star, “Oh, but dear lovely lady, sincere enough when I think of you on my arm.”
She eyed him dubiously and laughed right out loud.
* * *
Was that jealousy coursing through her veins? Jealous of her dearest friend, Georgie? How could that be? Ashamed. She should be so ashamed. She was ashamed and yet, jealously overrode all other considerations and filled her with unmanageable emotion.
What did it matter if Sir Edward preferred Georgie to her? He did seem to prefer Georgie’s company over her own. He scarcely even glanced her way. Well, she had always known she wasn’t his style…yes, but neither was Georgie.
Star could see from the corner of her eyes that his smile seemed more than genuine as it rested on her friend’s countenance. She immediately looked away.
She tried to concentrate on what Miles was saying, yet she couldn’t help but strain to hear what Georgie and Sir Edward were speaking about.
Miles had twice to recall her attention to him.
It was most annoying for she wanted to hear what Sir Edward was saying to her friend. Faith. He was flirting with Georgie…outrageously flirting!
Miles and Jules began a light banter between them about who would be the first to dance with Star, and as they kept calling on her, there was nothing for it—she had to give them her attention.
However, as the banter of these two soon began to take on argumentative proportions, her eyebrows went up and she tried to bring them to task, “Gentlemen…do stop, honestly…”
It was at this juncture that Sir Edward suddenly was front and center between the two men. His hands were up and his expression was severe as he said, “This grows wearisome for me and for the ladies. I am persuaded for Vern here, who is beginning to look more than a little fatigued. Settle it that neither one of you shall have Miss Berkley’s hand for the first waltz.” He turned to her and smiled softly. “Bec
ause, the first waltz with Miss Berkley is promised to me.”
Jules and Miles took to blustering over this, while Star felt the blush rush to her head. Star gave up trying to stop Jules and Miles from arguing and heard Georgie say to Sir Edward, “Well done, sir.”
“I thought so, Miss Madison,” Sir Edward said glibly and grinned.
“Yes indeed, but do call me Georgie. If you are to be one of our escorts tonight, we can dispense with formalities.”
“Indeed,” Star agreed as she turned toward them. She suddenly realized, they were going to the ball tonight and grabbed her friend’s hands and exclaimed, “Georgie…we are going to the ball—we have so much to do.” She turned to her brother. “Are you sure it is acceptable…to have gentlemen escort us?”
“Well, Sir Edward thinks it is acceptable, so I bow to his knowledge of such matters. After all, as he says, one gentleman, certainly not. Two, he says…still questionable, but three, quite above board. After all, I certainly can ask my friends to stand in lieu of me. Very respectable,” Vern said. “Now, out with you, all of you, except Georgie.”
Star glanced at both her friend and her brother. It wasn’t the thing to allow Georgie to stay alone with him in his room.
Jules frowned over the matter and surprised Star by sticking in, “I say…I don’t think…no, I don’t at all think Miss Madison should remain here alone with you.”
Georgie put up her hand with a laugh and said, “Good afternoon, Vern. I do hope you feel better very soon.”
“Indeed,” Star added, “You are a naughty boy for it is most improper of you to try and keep Georgie here with you, besides Vern, you really do look fatigued. You must rest.”
Miles made one last attempt to get his way and said, “Vern, I am your oldest and dearest friend. I don’t see why it wouldn’t be perfectly respectable for me to escort your sister and her friend to the ball. We don’t need these two to tag along. After all, only the worst of the sticklers might object.”
“That is just it, I don’t want anyone to object. This makes it certain they can’t,” Vern offered wearily.