by Golden Angel
Although his hair was auburn and he had kind hazel eyes, his face looked like it had been carved from a rock. The only time he smiled was when he looked down the table at his wife, an absolutely gorgeous creature with a stunning combination of raven-wing black hair and bright blue eyes. Eleanor had introduced her to Cordelia as Grace, stating that they were best friends and she was sure the two of them would find much in common as well. Then she'd winked. Cordelia wasn't sure if that meant what she thought it did - considering she and Eleanor had just finished a whispered conversation about spankings before the Brookes had arrived, but she could definitely imagine Lord Brooke being the type. He was a very imposing man and that knowledge just made her more nervous around him.
Fortunately, Lord Spencer and Felix made up most of the conversation with her, while Brooke and the elder Mr. Hood occupied themselves with Marjorie and the ladies on their other sides, so Cordelia didn't have to address the stone-faced Lord Brooke directly.
Spencer was telling her about some of his travels in India, leaving her in awe as he recounted the time he'd come face to face with a tiger in their wild jungles, when Brooke snorted, interjecting himself into their conversation for the first time.
"Every time you tell that story, the tiger gets bigger and bigger in the telling. As do its teeth."
"They do not," Lord Spencer said indignantly, scowling across the table at his friend, before turning to give Cordelia a rakish smile. Even though she was very happily married, her heart fluttered a little. The Earl of Spencer was a very dangerous man. "Don't listen to Alex, my lady, he has no appreciation for a good story."
"A good story is an honest story," Lord Brooke said haughtily, but then he winked at Cordelia, and she and Marjorie both started laughing. While he might be intimidating to look upon, anyone who was on a first-name basis with the Earl of Spencer must have a bit of a rogue in him. Even if it only evidenced itself in a wink.
"Were its teeth really so very long?" Marjorie asked.
"Nearly as long as his tale," Felix quipped, sending their part of the table into spurts of laughter at his clever pun. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Philip looking down the length of the table at them curiously, and she smiled back at him. She thought she saw Gabrielle scowl, but the young woman turned away too quickly for Cordelia to be sure.
Grinning, despite the jests, Lord Spencer just reached for his wine, shaking his head at their laughter. He winked at Marjorie. "They wouldn't be so quick to laugh if they'd been there. I'm a hero really."
The way he said it set them all laughing again, as was his intention.
After that, Felix and Lord Spencer began competing to tell the tallest tales, with Brooke and the elder Mr. Hood interjecting with wry observations. The women giggled helplessly at their antics. Once they'd run out of tall tales, it became a competition for who had been the worst child, as far as Cordelia could tell, although she was sure they would had described it as a competition for inventiveness during childhood.
"What about the exploding fish bladder?" Mr. Hood said, in reply to one of Felix's stories. "That one got nearly got you horse-whipped."
"And I would have deserved it," Felix said, before turning and giving Cordelia a sly look. "But that one truly wasn't my fault, it was Philip's!"
"No!" she gasped. Her husband didn't seem the type to play such a prank.
"Oh yes," Felix said, nodding. "I've always managed to bring out the best in him."
"I think you mean the worst," his brother countered. "Poor Philip got into so much trouble after the two of you became friends..."
"Only because I had your and Thomas' examples to follow," Felix pointed out, referencing their eldest brother, who was seated farther down the table.
"I can't imagine," Cordelia said, shaking her head at the idea of a mischievous Philip. Well, there were times when a more playful side of him came through, but getting into trouble? Him?
Felix leaned towards her conspiratorially. "That's because he's naturally serious. It's up to you and me to keep him on his toes."
Laughing again, Cordelia smiled at Felix, glad to have found a friend in him since he was so close to Philip. Despite his description of Philip as the more serious one, she could tell he was exerting more effort than he usually would to make her laugh and help her relax through the meal. He might be the more playful of the two, but she knew very well that he wasn’t naturally this silly. She'd seen the raised eyebrows his brother had given him, more than once, at his more outrageous statements. But it worked; she couldn't possibly be anxious when she was enjoying herself so much.
She only hoped Gabrielle and Philip were enjoying themselves as much as she was.
******
Philip had to admit, he was impressed with Gabrielle. Having sat through an entire meal with her and then the reception line into the ball, he'd finally witnessed a side of her that he actually liked. Cynthia had reached out to her conversationally, her usual dismissal of tonnish conversation moors cutting through the trivialities usually exchanged during dinner. The Earl of Irving had seemed both amused and taken aback by her frank talk, but Gabrielle had certainly enjoyed it.
He hoped she didn't take Cynthia as an example to be followed, but it had been refreshing to hear the young woman actually converse instead of whine or demand. Upon realizing she was quite knowledgeable about hounds and horses, despite the fact that Philip knew from Cordelia she didn't ride, Hugh had perked up and entered the conversation more fully. He and Lord Hyde had apparently been to a race recently, down at Newmarket, and Gabrielle had lapped up their stories like a kitten who had just discovered cream.
The blatant approval of the men and their interest in speaking with her seemed to spark a kind of transformation within her. While she didn't flirt with them, the way she had with Philip, he could almost see her looking to them for a kind of approval.
Fatherly approval, he had realized, by the time the plates had been cleared. Hugh and Lord Hyde were both older than him, although nowhere near old enough to be her father, but still. She'd vied for their attention, seemed surprised when it was given, and then turned into a delightful young lady right before his eyes.
The good behavior had held through the receiving line where she'd been introduced to all the arriving guests, looking sweetly demure in her ivory gown trimmed with light pink ribbon. She'd even told Cordelia that she'd decided the contrast between the dark pink roses and her light pink ribbon was just as pretty as Cordelia had predicted.
In fact, Gabrielle's behavior could almost be described as angelic... right up until Felix joined them just as they were about to enter the ballroom. Philip assumed because he wanted to get the leg up on the other gentleman there; it was the kind of trick he would pull.
"Lady Gabrielle," he said, bowing formally. "You look lovely this evening. I would be honored to claim one of your dances."
Instead of holding out the dance card and little pencil that were hanging from a string on her wrist, Gabrielle put her hand behind her back as her chin went up haughtily. "Would you?"
Philip shifted, but Cordelia tugged at his arm, grabbing his attention.
"Let them work it out," she whispered. There was a strange kind of delight in her eyes as she studied Felix, who was staring down at Gabrielle with a kind of astonishment in his eyes at her implied rejection. Philip had to admit, he did rather enjoy seeing Felix gaping like a fish. Very different from the debonair smoothness of his usual approach to a lady. Since Gabrielle had only been a little rude, Philip decided to let it pass. Especially as Felix wasn't looking to him for help. In fact, he seemed completely focused on Gabrielle now.
His friend's eyes flashed stormily as he straightened up, but the emotion smoothed away as his social mask dropped down.
"Your dance card, Lady Gabrielle?" There was more than a hint of an order in his voice. Also a challenge.
Her lip curling, Gabrielle slowly lifted her arm in front of her, the card and pencil dangling. Taking it in hand, Felix quickly scr
ibbled his name down - and then again as Gabrielle made a protesting noise and tried to tug it away. Grinning with triumph, Felix dropped the card and pencil and sketched another bow.
"I'll see you all inside," he said, turning and slipping into the ballroom.
Going by her red cheeks and clenched fists, Philip assumed they were about to be treated to a Gabrielle outburst.
"It's a good thing I'm already opening the dancing with you," he said to Gabrielle, successfully distracting her. "Otherwise, I might not get a turn."
While her cheeks were still pink, this time it was for a different reason. At his side, Cordelia was beaming up at him, and it occurred to him that he'd just used one of her tactics for dealing with Gabrielle rather than his own. As Gabrielle demurely took his arm, ready to be led into her ball, he decided Cordelia's tactics did have their benefit.
He really would have hated to have to discipline Gabrielle at her own debut into Society.
******
Cordelia smiled up at her husband as they danced. It had been nearly an hour since they'd even spoken, both of them busy with their duties to their guests - as well as the fact that it was extremely unfashionable for spouses to spend any time together. More than one person was watching them with a bit of shock and awe as they moved around the ballroom floor. Cordelia didn't care; she'd rather be dancing with her husband than trying to please the gossips.
"Are you enjoying yourself this evening?" Philip asked, as their movement came together. Since Gabrielle did not yet have permission to waltz, although Lady Jersey had promised them vouchers to Almack's for next Wednesday so Cordelia was sure that permission from one of the patronesses would be forthcoming, Cordelia had decreed that there would be no waltzing during her come-out ball. It wouldn't have been fair to Gabrielle. Unfortunately, it did mean that conversation could be rather limited, as no other dance allowed partners to focus on each other so exclusively.
"Very much," she said, smiling up at him. Even more than she'd thought possible. Although she'd been nervous as she'd circulated among the guests without him, there had always been someone by her side.
Marjorie at first, then Philip's cousin Eleanor had replaced her, followed by Irene, and then Hugh. Felix and Eleanor's husband, Lord Hyde, had also made their way to her side for short intervals as she'd moved around the ballroom, making her feel wonderfully comfortable as she always had someone she knew with her. Even Lord and Lady Brooke had spent some extra time with her; with his wife on his arm, the man was much more approachable. It was amazing what a difference all their support had made to her anxieties, and she knew she had Philip to thank for their attentions.
She'd noted that all of them had been keeping an eye on Gabrielle, although it was Cynthia and the Earl of Spencer who were spending most of their time with her. Another young woman, Arabella, only sister of the Duke of Manchester, had also inserted herself at Gabrielle's side. The two of them together were a striking pair, Gabrielle with her light brown hair and green eyes beside Arabella’s dark brown hair and bright hazel eyes. Arabella was a bit older than the other debutantes, as her father had passed away last year and the family had just come out of mourning. Arabella's ball was next week and was considered a major event of the season, due to her social position. Cordelia was happy to see that Gabrielle appeared to be enjoying both Cynthia and Arabella's company. Perhaps their bonding had something to do with the fact that they'd all been through the loss of their parents.
Of course, Cordelia had as well, but she and Gabrielle had never managed to bond over that, much to her regret. Still, she now felt Philip's friends appreciated her company for herself and not just because he asked them to keep a weather eye on her. It felt wonderful to have friends beyond Marjorie, although she knew Marjorie would always be her dearest friend. She'd been the one to take Cordelia in and protect her from the new Baron, after all, as well as the instigator of Cordelia's introduction to Philip.
Seeing that Philip was distracted, Cordelia turned her head to see where he was looking.
Gabrielle had decided to sit out of the dance set. Standing with Arabella, the two ladies were in the middle of a cluster of young men, and for some reason Philip was now frowning at them. While the Earl of Spencer was there, he was standing slightly off to the side, his head bowed down as he spoke to his wife, and his focus was obviously entirely on her. Cynthia was glaring up at him, her arms crossed underneath her bosom, although Cordelia had the strangest feeling there was something mischievous about the Countess' demeanor.
"What's wrong?" she asked Philip, feeling just a spark of irritation that Gabrielle had managed to distract him during their dance. After all, it was the first time she'd been able to truly spend time with him since the beginning of the evening.
"Nothing. Felix has it in hand," Philip said, with every evidence of relief as his friend approached the group, settling himself next to Gabrielle. Cordelia made an irritated noise, because she wanted to know what had drawn Philip's attention in the first place, but the dance had them moving away from each other for several steps.
When they came back together, his focus was entirely back on her, and she struggled with whether or not to bring up whatever had distracted him. On one hand, she wanted to know, on the other, she wanted his attention.
Curiosity won out.
"What was wrong?" she asked again, keeping her voice low. Perhaps he just didn't want others to overhear.
"Nothing for you to worry about," he said. Which made her want to kick him. If they were to be partners in this marriage, shouldn't he tell her? "There are some things a lady doesn't need to know."
Blast.
One of Eleanor's favorite curses, which Cordelia had learned from her. Not that she ever said it in the hearing of her husband, her brother, or any of their friends. But it was somehow satisfying just to think it. At least it helped relieve a bit of her temper at Philip's words, which had had a ring of finality to them. Whatever had concerned him, it must have had something to do with one or more of the men around Gabrielle and it was something that a gentleman wouldn't discuss with a lady. There were, Cordelia knew, a great many of those things.
When the dance ended, Philip immediately headed towards Gabrielle's grouping, Cordelia on his arm. She went willingly enough, hoping to discover what had garnered his notice. Unfortunately, as soon as they approached, Felix broke away from the discussion and moved to her side, allowing Philip to replace him. The maneuver was so smooth, she could only watch in amusement as they traded responsibilities.
It stung, a little, that Philip would take over responsibility for Gabrielle and neglect her, but she reminded herself it wasn't personal. After all, he was Gabrielle's guardian, and her future was unsettled whereas Cordelia had the rest of her life to spend with him. That didn't entirely undo the small hurt, but it made it easier to push it away. Especially since it wasn't as if he left her completely abandoned; she saw the significant look he gave Felix as his friend held out his arm for Cordelia.
"You look a bit flushed, Lady Dunbury," Felix said cheerfully. "Would you like to step outside?"
Although she was tempted to state that she wanted to stay right where she was, it really was a bit of a crush in the ballroom. Besides, perhaps if they stepped outside, she could coax some information out of Felix. It would certainly be quieter and more private.
There were a few other couples out on the terrace and down in the garden. Cordelia tugged Felix towards a deserted balustrade, looking over the greenery below.
"What was that about in there?" she asked, almost surprised that she felt confident and comfortable enough with Felix to be so overt in her questioning. It felt good to be able to just ask what she wanted; something she hadn't experienced much of before her marriage to Philip. "Was something wrong with Gabrielle?"
She put a little bit of pleading into her second question, opening her eyes wide, guessing that Felix would be more forthcoming with information if he felt he had to soothe her. She was right.
&n
bsp; "No, Gabrielle's fine," he said, patting her hand. Despite the lack of company anywhere near them, his voice lowered. "She has a sizable dowry, and it's attracted some less than savory suitors. Philip and I will ensure that they keep away."
Cordelia frowned. "If they're unsavory, why did Eleanor include them on the guest list?"
"Being up the River Tick isn't a reason to be left off the invitation list," Felix explained, giving a little shrug. "Besides, some of the women with larger dowries don't care what kind of man they marry, as long as he has a title."
"Oh... Oh!" Cordelia blinked. "I see... but I don't want that for Gabrielle..."
"Of course not, and neither does Philip."
Two weeks ago, Cordelia would have let the discussion end there and would have already been aghast at her bravery about questioning Felix. She'd certainly never questioned her late husband's actions, he would have never stood for it. Now, she pressed on.
"So why couldn't we stay in there?" she asked, indicating herself and Felix. "Why did Philip pass me off to you? I could have helped him if he'd told me who she needed to avoid."
Chuckling, Felix patted her hand. "Because, my dear, Gabrielle has also attracted a few rakes. And while they might need a wealthy bride, that doesn't keep them from trying to seduce gorgeous, young wives as a past time. I seriously doubt Philip wanted you anywhere near them. Especially since it would have likely ended in a brawl if any of them had dared to address you, much less flirt with you."
"Oh..." Philip was jealous over her? Heat flushed her body. That certainly put a very different perspective on the way he'd handed her over to Felix, a man he obviously trusted to watch over her when he couldn't. "I see."