Lilyanna spent the next half hour listening to Mrs. Hearnshaw and Mrs. Reynolds discuss their very differing opinions of the outdoors, so when the drawing room door opened to reveal the return of the gentlemen, she sat straight in her chair, instantly alert.
Her eyes searched for Elijah, and she smiled when she saw his gaze already upon her. Her joy ended all too soon, however, when Mr. Quigley appeared at her side.
"Ah, Miss Crosgrove," he said with his toothy grin, "it is wonderful to be with you again."
As Mr. Quigley sat next to her in Hazel's vacant seat, Lilyanna looked over his bony shoulders to see Elijah's attention on his sister who had since walked over to join him.
Lilyanna sighed, giving one last fleeting look to the handsome man before returning her attention to Mr. Quigley.
"It has not been so very long since we have parted, Mr. Quigley," she said, already tiring of his company.
"Oh, but even a single moment away from you seems like an eternity to my heart," he responded, placing his long fingers against his chest.
She fought the urge to roll her eyes at his dramatics, wondering if he was jesting.
"I trust you fine ladies had plenty to speak of during our absence?"
"Indeed," Lilyanna said, unwilling to give away any information.
She glanced over to Elijah until she saw Hazel staring daggers in her direction, and she again shifted in her seat.
"And what did—"
"Shall we have some entertainment now we are all together?" Mrs. Crosgrove said above the crowd.
A murmur of consent traveled through the room.
"Wonderful," Mrs. Crosgrove said before motioning to Lilyanna. "My daughter shall pleasure us by accompanying Mrs. Reynolds's lovely singing voice."
Without missing a beat, Lilyanna stood from her seat to take her place behind the pianoforte, grateful for the excuse to leave Mr. Quigley's questioning.
Mrs. Reynolds announced her song selection, and Lilyanna rested her calm fingers above the keys, grateful for her knowledge of the tune. She played the introduction of the piece, continuing flawlessly when Mrs. Reynolds began singing.
She glanced up to see Mrs. Crosgrove smiling pleasantly, then Lilyanna's eyes moved to the far corner of the room where she noted Hazel speaking with Elijah so quietly no one could hear them. She caught Elijah's eye but glanced away quickly, wondering briefly what the brother and sister spoke of before focusing on the sheet of music in front of her.
Chapter Four
Elijah sighed with impatience, wondering why his sister had chosen to speak with him the very moment Lilyanna began her pianoforte playing.
"You know me, brother," Hazel said after she had managed to pull him away from the rest of the group in the Crosgrove's parlor, "I do not like to interfere in other people's lives, but I simply cannot stand by in silence, as I am quite concerned for you and your well-being at the moment."
"I understand," Elijah said, glancing sidelong at Lilyanna, not really listening to Hazel's words. "And what is it that concerns you?"
"Well," Hazel continued, glancing around to ensure their privacy, "I believe now I can safely assume, especially after watching your behavior this evening, that you have formed a certain…fascination with Miss Crosgrove."
Elijah kept his gaze on Lilyanna, noted how pretty she looked with the candlelight flickering across her face, her brows slightly pulling together as she concentrated on the music she played.
"I do not know Miss Crosgrove very well," he began carefully, "but I must confess, I should like to get to know her better."
Admitting his desire aloud to another person seemed to alleviate some of the fears he held, the spoken words giving him courage, and he smiled as he looked to Hazel, expecting to see an approving grin on her face. However, he was only met with a dismayed look.
"That is what I was afraid of," Hazel said.
"Why are you unhappy?" Elijah asked, his brows pulling together in confusion. "I thought you would be pleased to hear me admit to such a thing."
"Indeed, I would be pleased," she said, "had it been any other circumstance."
Elijah waited impatiently for her to continue, fighting off the urge to stare more at Lilyanna.
"You see," Hazel began, "I overheard Miss Crosgrove and Mr. Quigley speaking during the first course."
"Mr. Quigley is the lanky gentleman who was sitting next to her," he said, no question in his tone, "the one who seemed incapable of parting from Miss Crosgrove's side for any extended amount of time."
Hazel stared at him. "You noticed then?"
"Noticed what?"
"His attachment to her."
"Yes, I noticed."
"And does this not worry you?"
Elijah frowned as he eyed Mr. Quigley, who, with a sickeningly sweet smile, gaped unabashedly at Lilyanna. However, when he caught Lilyanna staring at him and not Mr. Quigley, a smile slowly spread across his lips.
"It does not worry me in the least."
"My dear brother, how is this possible?" Hazel asked. "Are you not concerned about Miss Crosgrove's possible reciprocation of Mr. Quigley's attention?"
"No, indeed," Elijah said, wondering where his sudden confidence had come from as he stood there watching Lilyanna. "I have been keenly aware of Mr. Quigley's attention to her from the very start of the evening. However, Miss Crosgrove, as I have observed, has shown nothing but indifference toward him. Therefore, there is no need for me to worry."
"I thought the same, as well, Elijah," Hazel said, "but as I mentioned before, during the first course, I happened to hear Mr. Quigley inviting Miss Crosgrove to town with him. You and I both know this must mean an understanding exists between them."
"You 'happened to hear' them?" Elijah said, narrowing his eyes at his sister. "Hazel, have you been eavesdropping again?"
"I was doing nothing of the sort," Hazel said with an appalled look. "Mr. Quigley nearly yelled it. I am quite shocked you did not hear his request yourself."
Elijah only smiled at Hazel's proudly raised chin.
"Do try to listen, Elijah," she said. "It does not matter how I obtained the information, only that I heard it spoken and, more importantly, I heard Miss Crosgrove's reply, or rather, lack of one."
She looked to Elijah expectantly, but she sighed when he remained silent. "She did not give an answer to the gentleman, Elijah."
"Well, surely this is good news," he said.
"No, do you not see, brother?" Hazel asked, grasping his forearm. "With Miss Crosgrove's unwillingness to answer, she was not declining his offer in any way."
Elijah nodded. "But she did not accept his offer either."
"Well, no," Hazel said, hesitantly, "but that is beyond the point, for—"
"Is it?" Elijah interrupted gently. "I do not believe so."
"Well, what about this then," Hazel said, lowering her voice even more, "before the gentlemen came through, I heard Mrs. Crosgrove tell Mrs. Copley all about the men interested in Miss Crosgrove. She must have prattled off at least six gentlemen! Does this not sway your interest in her? Are you not surprised by this?"
"In truth, I am not," Elijah said, again feeling strangely confident as he watched Lilyanna play. "I would be quite shocked if Miss Crosgrove had not as many men giving her attention. They would certainly be foolish to keep their distance from her."
Hazel sighed. "She may be beautiful and accomplished, but what if she truly is attached to Mr. Quigley?"
Elijah smiled. "Well, then I shall do my best to change her mind."
She shook her head. "I cannot help but fear Miss Crosgrove to be the type of woman to seduce a gentleman before finding someone else more agreeable. What if she treats you with the same regard?"
"I appreciate your concern, Hazel," he said, "but I have already thought much about the issues you have mentioned, and I have come to see Miss Crosgrove as a very kind and honest woman."
"You have been wrong before," she whispered after a moment of silence.
&nb
sp; Elijah's eyes instantly darkened, and he looked away, his teeth clenching together.
"Forgive me," Hazel said hastily, grasping Elijah's arm. "I did not mean it. I am only worried for you. I do not want anyone to hurt you again."
Elijah kept his gaze on Lilyanna. "I know," he said.
He watched Lilyanna's blue eyes dart away from him again, and he could not help but smile. The candlelight flickered upon her blond ringlets lightly bouncing as she played her beautiful music.
A man certainly would be a fool if he did not attempt to create a relationship with such a woman, he thought as Lilyanna sent a small smile in his direction. And I would surely resent myself forever should I be proven to be such a man.
He squared his shoulders and turned to Hazel, taking a deep breath to let his newfound confidence infuse every inch of him. "I am wiser than I was three years ago, Hazel," he said. "I will proceed with caution, but I cannot, I will not, allow myself to live in fear and doubt any longer. It is time I start living again. And for now, all I must do is put my trust in Miss Crosgrove and hope she is who she claims to be."
He watched in silence as Hazel slowly nodded.
"I am happy for you, brother," she said after a moment, "to see you so happy yourself. And Miss Crosgrove does seem very kind. I only implore you to, please, be careful."
"I will," he said with a smile. "Now, if we are finished, I should like to hear the rest of Miss Crosgrove's piece before it concludes."
He turned his full attention to Lilyanna then, feeling the courage swelling within his heart as he perused every inch of her face, all the while praying his confidence would last long enough so he might follow through with his plan.
Lilyanna finished the piece of music and stood when the guests clapped courteously. She smiled at their kind applause as she scanned the room for an empty chair, deciding to sit in the vacant seat next to her mother rather than joining Hazel and Elijah who still stood at the back of the room.
She sat down next to Mrs. Crosgrove as Mrs. Fenimore stood to take her place behind the pianoforte.
"You played very well, my dear," Mrs. Crosgrove said, leaning over to Lilyanna and speaking quietly.
"Thank you, Mother," Lilyanna said, smiling.
"It was fortunate that Mrs. Reynolds sang and not you, however," she continued as she eyed Mrs. Fenimore who busied herself selecting her piece, "for you know as well as I how unaccomplished you are as a singer."
Lilyanna sighed, willing Mrs. Fenimore to choose her piece faster.
Thankfully, within a few moments, the woman's playing began, followed shortly by her smooth singing voice that Lilyanna knew Mrs. Crosgrove longed for her daughter to possess.
Lilyanna struggled to focus on the music, as loud as it was, for Elijah had since moved closer to the pianoforte, allowing Lilyanna full view of his handsome features.
She watched him from the corner of her eye until she noticed his gaze unwavering from her own, so she looked directly at him and smiled.
He returned her smile before mouthing out, "Beautiful," for only her eyes to see.
She blushed and looked down to her hands.
Was he speaking of my pianoforte playing or how I look? she thought until she instantly chided her vanity.
Mrs. Fenimore finished her piece shortly after, and Lilyanna's heart flipped with anticipation as Mrs. Crosgrove called for refreshment, for the time to converse had once again arrived.
Before Lilyanna could even think of drawing near Elijah, Mr. Quigley approached her, saying, "My, my, Miss Crosgrove, you seem to get better and better each time I hear you play."
Lilyanna stood. "I am sure you exaggerate, sir," she said, looking past him in search of an escape.
"No, I do not," Mr. Quigley said emphatically. "You are skilled in so many areas. I am awestruck whenever I see another one of your talents shining forth."
Instead of forcing another awkward smile upon her lips, Lilyanna diverted her attention to where Elijah stood smiling at her. Her heart nearly leapt into her throat in the next moment when she saw the gentleman striding toward her, Hazel following closely behind.
"I say, did you hear me, Miss Crosgrove?" Mr. Quigley said as the brother and sister joined them.
Lilyanna looked to Mr. Quigley, Elijah, and Hazel, remaining silent as she tried to think of something, anything to say, but her tongue remained frozen.
"You play beautifully, Miss Crosgrove," Elijah finally said, much to Lilyanna's relief.
"Yes, we greatly enjoyed hearing your performance," Hazel said, though her smile seemed strained. "You are quite talented."
"Oh, you are both too kind," Lilyanna said. "Next time we shall have to hear you perform, Mrs. Godfrey."
Hazel's eyes widened at the comment.
"Oh, I doubt that will occur, Miss Crosgrove," Elijah said.
"Why ever not?" she asked.
"You see," he said with a teasing look toward Hazel, "my dear sister has refused to play the pianoforte her whole life. She had a great dislike for it as a child, I am afraid."
Lilyanna smiled at Hazel. "Well, not to worry then," she said. "You shall never be forced to perform here, should you feel uncomfortable in doing so."
A sincere smile finally spread across Hazel's lips, and Lilyanna felt her shoulders relax as the brother and sister shared a glance. Her comfort dissolved, however, when Mr. Quigley cleared his throat.
She nearly jumped from her skin, having forgotten about the man's presence.
"Mr. Quigley," she said, feeling slightly annoyed, "I believe you have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Bainbridge and Mrs. Godfrey already."
"Indeed," Mr. Quigley replied before raising his chin and addressing the siblings. "If you two would excuse us. I was speaking to Miss Crosgrove about a private matter until you two came along." He turned to Lilyanna and said, "Really, this is the second time this evening we have been so rudely interrupted. People can be so uncivilized."
Lilyanna's mouth gaped open at Mr. Quigley's insolence, but she quickly rose above her shock and came to the defense of her new friends.
"We were in no such private conversation, Mr. Quigley," she said, frowning, "and they have not interrupted us."
Mr. Quigley ignored her comments and reached for her elbow. "Come, Miss Crosgrove. I would much like to continue our discussion alone, if you would not mind."
"I would mind," she said, trying not to sound too harsh as she moved out of his grasp. "There is no reason Mr. Bainbridge and Mrs. Godfrey cannot join us, as we were speaking only of the pianoforte."
Mr. Quigley dropped his hand to his side and sent a sneer toward Elijah. "Whatever you say, Miss Crosgrove," he said, though his scowl remained.
The tension amidst the small group remained thick until Mrs. Crosgrove appeared at Mr. Quigley's side.
"There you are, Mr. Quigley," she said, placing her hand on his thin arm. "Come, we are setting up a game of whist, and you shall be my partner."
Mrs. Crosgrove whisked Mr. Quigley away, and Lilyanna was finally able to direct her attention toward Elijah and Hazel.
"I do apologize for his manners," she said. "I do not know what possessed him to behave in such a way."
"We should not have interrupted you two," Elijah said.
"No, you were not imposing in the slightest," Lilyanna replied. "In fact, you both saved me from another dull conversation about who knows what, for I must confess, I stopped listening to Mr. Quigley the moment I saw you two approaching, coming to rescue me from his endless chatter."
She giggled until realizing her rude words. "Oh, my goodness," she said, instantly sober, "I am sorry. I should not have spoken so harshly."
Before either Hazel or Elijah could respond, Hazel's husband joined their group.
"Miss Crosgrove," Isaac said, "you play the pianoforte splendidly."
"Thank you, sir," she said. "I do hope you are enjoying yourself this evening. I am so glad all of you could attend."
"We were most grateful for the invitation,
" Isaac said. "Your mother was kind to include us. Now your father, I have heard, is a captain. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Lilyanna said, "in the Royal Navy."
"How marvelous," Isaac said. "And how long has he been serving?"
"Since before I was born, nearly twenty years."
"My, that is a long time," Hazel said. "You must miss him a great deal."
"I do, especially since we rarely see him above twice a year."
"However do you and Mrs. Crosgrove manage?" Hazel asked.
"We have grown accustomed to his absence, I suppose," Lilyanna said, feeling her smile fade away. "It is difficult, but of course, this is the only life I have ever known."
"Of course," Elijah said.
She looked to him, feeling her smile quickly return at seeing his handsome grin, and decided to change their topic of conversation.
"I do hope the commotion in Bath has not been too much a trial for you so far, Mr. Bainbridge," she said.
"I have learned to see the benefits of the city, Miss Crosgrove," Elijah said, "if only for your encouragement on the matter."
"Well, Miss Crosgrove," Hazel piped in, "you have accomplished something I never could, for I have tried countless times to convince my brother of the joys of Bath, but to no avail. Who would have thought all it would take was an acquaintance with you to convince him."
Lilyanna smiled, despite Hazel's somewhat aloof nature. "I am happy I could help," she said. "However, I do hope I have not convinced you to go so far as to say you prefer city over country."
Elijah shook his head. "Never."
They shared another smile before Isaac reverted back to their previous conversation, asking Lilyanna an array of questions about her father's time in the navy. She answered them to the best of her knowledge, occasionally managing to bring Hazel and Elijah into the conversation, but for the rest of the evening, she did not speak above a few sentences more to Elijah.
As the evening drew to a close and the guests departed one by one with their curtsies and bows, Lilyanna could not help but feel somewhat disappointed with how the party had turned out.
When Two Rivers Meet (Regency Romance) Page 6
