What were they to do? He could do well enough without musical entertainment, but he hated to see Lady Meadows disappointed.
He looked from one of the guests to the other. Surely he had heard one of these ladies play, or perhaps a gentleman, but none came to mind. His eyes lit on Penelope. Though she managed well enough, she certainly didn’t have the talent Phoebe did.
Beside her stood Miss Valentine and a slow smile spread across his lips. “Miss Valentine plays the piano,” he announced.
Miss Valentine’s eyes grew wide and a bit of color drained from her face.
“Oh, I couldn’t,” she exclaimed.
“You play beautifully,” Noah insisted. Then he glanced at Lady Meadows. “She has often played in church, and I’ve heard he play in her home.”
“Yes, Rosalind, please play,” Demetrius encouraged.
“She does play beautifully, almost as well as Phoebe,” Lady Penelope exclaimed and gave Miss Valentine as gentle shove forward.
Miss Valentine’s cheeks went from pale to a blushing rose in a matter of moments. “I am not nearly as talented as Lady Sandlin,” she insisted.
“Please play,” Lady Meadows urged gently.
Miss Valentine glanced about the room. Felding nodded with an encouraging smile, and she made her way to the pianoforte. She settled on the small bench and situated her hands above the keys. She tested a few then ran through a scale. Up one end of the keyboard and back down to the other, she sighed and relaxed.
“Miss Hardgrave,” Lady Meadows addressed a young brunette Noah had made the acquaintance of last spring. “Would you like to go first?”
A shy smile graced the young woman’s lips, and she came forward and placed the music before Miss Valentine. The two exchanged words Noah could not hear and a moment later, with fingers poised above the keys, Miss Valentine began to play soon followed the melodic alto of Miss Hardgrave.
Noah didn’t so much listen to the singer but more to the smooth transition between the notes played by Miss Valentine. He had forgotten how well she played. He knew no one who played better other than Phoebe.
Miss Valentine glanced up from her music for a mere moment and their eyes met.
Five
Rosalind didn’t really need to look at the music before her. It was a song she had played several times in the past and knew it from memory. By the middle of the song her heartbeat had returned to its normal rhythm, and her hands had relaxed making it easier to play. How many more singers would wish to take their turn? She glanced up to count the number of young ladies and gentlemen who held music, but her eyes met Felding’s.
His gaze was full of warmth, and Rosalind heated. He was simply being polite when he suggested she play, but a part of her was thrilled. She couldn’t help herself and returned his smile. Her eyes shifted to Lady Jillian standing beside Felding. The lady’s expression was not as pleasant. In fact, it was almost hateful and focused solely on her.
Rosalind struck three wrong keys before she dropped her head and concentrated on the music. Goodness. Why had Lady Jillian looked at her in such a manner? Had she offended her somehow?
Rosalind tried to put it from her mind but could not and was still thinking about the cold gaze as the song ended.
Miss Hardgrave moved to remove the music from before Rosalind. She glanced up at the young woman. “I am so sorry to have made a mistake.”
Miss Hardgrave laughed and shrugged. “It is no bother. We are simply enjoying ourselves.”
Inwardly, Rosalind breathed a sigh of relieve. At least Miss Hardgrave wasn’t upset, but why had Lady Jillian looked at her in such a manner?
Lady Penelope moved from the fireplace and lifted the stack of music off the edge of the piano before settling in the chair closest to Rosalind and proceeded to thumb through the selection. Was she going to participate after all?
“Who would like to go next?” Lady Meadows called out. Rosalind could only hope she made no more mistakes.
“I will,” Lady Jillian announced.
Rosalind prayed even harder her fingers were light, quick, and mistake free.
Lady Jillian placed the music before Rosalind and opened it before leaning down. “Do keep your eyes on the music this time,” she whispered. “There is no one in this room for which you should have a concern.”
Heat stole into Rosalind’s cheeks. “I will do my best.”
“See that you do.” Lady Jillian straightened, smiled sweetly, and Rosalind began to play. It was another song she knew well, yet she didn’t let her eyes stray form the music before her. She had never been so humiliated. The only thing that made this situation worse was the clear soprano voice of Lady Jillian. Rosalind had never heard the likes of it before.
Rosalind didn’t look, but she suspected Lady Jillian was singing to Felding. Her body was turned in his direction, and she sang a love ballad. Rosalind willed herself to keep her eyes on the sheets in front of her. She did not want to know his reaction to Lady Jillian. Tonight was becoming difficult enough without adding the pain of seeing him fall under Lady Jillian’s spell.
Those who had been seated came to their feet applauding as Lady Jillian finished. She curtseyed and blushed as any young lady should do.
“Your voice is enchanting, Lady Jillian,” Felding said as he drew to the young woman’s side.
Lady Jillian blushed further. “Thank you, Lord Felding.”
“I hope you will honor us with another song.”
Rosalind stifled a groan but kept the pleasant expression on her face. She was simply jealous of Lady Jillian which she must learn to overcome. Such a petty emotion would gain her nothing. Besides, it wasn’t as if Felding would ever consider her for the position in which he was considering Lady Jillian nor should he. Felding was a lord, and she was the daughter of missionaries.
* * *
Noah let Lady Jillian’s voice sweep over him. Pure and clear, unlike anything he had heard before. Her voice rivaled those he had heard at the opera, and he envisioned evenings with this entire family gathered in the music room with Phoebe playing while Lady Jillian sang.
He led her across the room while the next singer prepared. “Have you met my sister, Lady Sandlin?”
“Yes, last spring.” Lady Jillian smiled sweetly. “I’ve heard that nobody can match her playing.”
“That is true,” Noah agreed. “Miss Valentine is the only person who has come close.”
The smile dimmed in Lady Jillian’s eyes. What had he said wrong? He was only stating a fact.
He pulled her further away from the crowd and toward the fireplace where Penelope and Miss Valentine had stood earlier. “However, I’ve yet to hear anyone sing as beautifully as you.”
A slight blush stole into her cheeks. “Thank you, Lord Felding.”
“Did your parents hire an instructor, or do you come by singing naturally?” He wasn’t sure if there were singing instructors for ladies. He had hired a dance instructor for his sisters before their first Season, and he knew there were music instructors as well though Phoebe learned to play without the assistance of anyone. Nobody had ever suggested a vocal instructor. Was that something he should have looked into for his sisters? Certainly his step-mother would have mentioned hiring one if she deemed it necessary.
“I was taught to read music,” Lady Jillian answered. “My mother hoped I would learn to play the piano, but I preferred singing.”
“For which I am pleased,” Noah smiled. “Nobody should be denied the chance to hear your voice.”
Her blush deepened. “You are too kind.”
The first notes of the next song were struck, and Noah turned toward the performer. She was the younger sister of a friend. She had also chosen a ballad, but her voice wasn’t near as lovely as Lady Jillian’s. Noah doubted there would be another performer who would compare to the performance he just heard. In fact, he would be pleased not to hear another vocalist this evening and simply enjoy listening to Miss Valentine play. However, there were thr
ee more ladies anxious to perform, and he would listen politely as they did.
“She has a sweet voice,” Lady Jillian said when the young woman had finished.
“Not as sweet as yours,” Noah murmured for only her ears.
A pleased smile graced Lady Jillian’s lips as the next performer took her place beside the piano.
Unlike the first time she played, Miss Valentine did not look up from the music once but concentrated on the paper before her anticipating the rhythm of the singer at her elbow. Other than that one mistake, she didn’t hit a single incorrect key, and Noah found himself watching Miss Valentine instead of the singers. A small smile played on her lips, but that was the only sign of emotion. Nor did she speak except for when she and the singer whispered about the song before the performance. It was good of Phoebe to have encouraged Miss Valentine to visit with Penelope. She was much too lovely to be left on a nursery floor with children.
He glanced about the room to the gentlemen present. Most had their eyes fixed on the singer except one. Lord Broadridge was watching Miss Valentine. Was the gentlemen struck by her playing as much as he? Odd, he did not think Miss Valentine would be the type of woman Broadridge was attracted to. He had always escorted willowy blondes about. Miss Valentine was of average height with auburn hair.
Besides, Broadridge was the heir to a dukedom, and Noah didn’t anticipate the gentleman would marry anyone who was not a high ranking lord’s daughter. However, love did change everything. Would Broadridge marry so far beneath him for love?
Noah glanced back at Miss Valentine. She deserved to be loved, and he hoped that one day she would allow herself to be courted and be settled with someone who would appreciate the person she is. As far as he knew, none of the Valentine daughters had ever been courted though they had danced often enough at country assemblies.
The last singer finished, and those in the room applauded politely. Though the other voices were pleasant to listen to, none matched Lady Jillian’s.
Miss Valentine rose from the bench, folded the music, and set it aside. Penelope came to her side, and the two had a quiet discussion before quitting the room. He couldn’t hear what was said, but as long as they were together he would not worry.
“Shall we return to the parlor, Lady Jillian?”
She watched the others leave the room and then glided to the large windows overlooking the back of the Meadows property. The sun had set hours ago, and the clouds were so heavy this evening not a single star could be seen. It was a dark night with the only light coming from inside the house and torches that had been lit around the veranda for anyone wishing to venture outside.
“Do you think it will snow?”
Noah glanced up at the sky. The clouds had moved in earlier. “It is possible.”
She turned to him. “Will you still hunt if it does?”
The gentlemen planned on leaving early in the morning while the ladies were left to be entertained by Lady Meadows.
“It depends on how much snow falls.”
“Would it be wrong of me to wish for a heavy snowfall?”
Noah tired not to grin. Was that Lady Jillian’s way of saying she wished he remained here, with her, instead of all day on the hunt? “No, but I believe others may disagree.”
The two of them were now quite alone in the music room, but Noah made no effort to leave. He had hoped for moments like this so that he could come to know her better. She grasped her rose gown and settled onto the window seat. “Please join me.”
It was large enough that Noah could sit beside her without touching. The last thing he wanted was to be forced into a betrothal because of a misstep. But, as they were at a house party, and the door to the music room remained open where anyone could wander in, he felt comfortable in settling beside her.
“Tell me of your family, Lord Felding.”
Those who had been in society for years knew his background, but Lady Jillian was only twenty. “I have four younger sisters,” he began. “The oldest is Lady Sandlin, whom you have met. The next is Penelope, who is here. The remaining two are Patience, who will make her coming out this spring, and finally Phillipa, who is a year younger than Patience.”
“They are your half-sisters, correct?” Lady Jillian asked with interest.
“Yes,” Noah answered. “My mother died when I was very young and father remarried.”
“I would have loved to have had a sister when I was young especially an older sister.” Lady Jillian sighed.
“I used to long for a brother,” Noah laughed. “Then the Valentine family moved into the vicarage, and I found the male companionship I had been missing.”
“Ten children.” Lady Jillian shook her head, and a frown crossed on her brow. “I can’t even imagine.”
“It was a lively household,” Noah chuckled.
“Surely you made other friends once you went off to school?” she prompted.
It was almost as if she didn’t approve. “I met my closest friends at Eton,” he admitted and in truth, a distance developed in his relationship with Demetrius though it was only natural. Demetrius was two years younger which might as well be ten years to a boy of fourteen. “Lord Meadows was the first friend I met, followed by Sandlin, Chambers, Lavins, and Parker. We bonded as boys do.” Noah shrugged. “And have been friends since.”
Lady Jillian turned more fully to him. “So you are no longer close with the Valentine family now that you are older?”
He studied her. Would it matter if he were? “We retain the friendship but don’t spend as much time in each other’s company as we once did.”
“You mentioned they live close to your estate.”
Why was Lady Jillian so interested in the Valentines? “Yes, the vicarage is on the other side of the property and close to town and the church.”
She simply nodded and smiled despite the fact that the light seemed to have dimmed from her eyes. Did it bother her that he was friends with the family? It shouldn’t, and Noah hoped Lady Jillian did not believe herself above visiting his neighbors if they were of a lower social class. He had friends in London and in the country in which he wished to spend time with, from tenant farmers to dukes His father taught him that it wasn’t the social status of an individual that determined if a person were to be a friend, but what they made of themselves and how they treated others. Nobody has control of what family they were born to and it was best to never assume a poor, working man is not worthy of friendship or that a lord deserved respect simply because of title.
“Did you have friends to play with when you were a child?”
Her smile was sad. “The tenants had children and other families were in the area, but my mother never allowed me to play with them.”
It was what he feared. But, a mother’s dictate did not make a lady’s thinking.
“I used to stand at the nursery window watching the children play far away from the house and wished I could join them.”
Noah could not imagine a more lonely existence. Even though he only had his sisters for entertainment before the Valentines moved to the area at least he had them. Not that he played with them all that much given the difference in their ages. Still, he wasn’t an only child in the house which was a comfort.
“I sneaked out once,” she admitted quietly.
“Lady Jillian, how rebellious of you,” Noah chuckled.
Her smile was weak, and there was sadness in her eyes. “My mother caught me returning to the house. Apparently, when my governess could not find me, they set the entire staff to searching for me.”
“How old were you?”
“Eight, I believe.” Her face softened with a dreamy look. “I had the best time that day. I had never played with others before.”
“I assume your mother didn’t allow you to return?” Noah prompted.
Lady Jillian’s face stiffened with seriousness. “That night I was lectured on propriety and behaving as a lady and remembering my station given my father’s rank.”
There was a slight bitterness to her tone that surprised Noah. She was only eight. A child should not have to worry about such things as propriety.
“I didn’t play with anyone again for a year. Then a couple was hired. The man worked in the stables, and the woman was a maid within the household. Their daughter, who was four years older than I, was being trained to become my lady’s maid. Nobody knew we giggled and played when not watched. It was our secret, and I thought she was my friend.”
“Did she become your maid?”
Lady Jillian’s blue eyes hardened. “For a short time, yes. She is gone now.”
Noah would like to know what became of the woman but refrained from asking due to the coldness of Lady Jillian’s tone. Apparently, it had not been a pleasant parting. Or, perhaps Lady Jillian simply felt abandoned and was angry the woman left her employ. His own valet had been raised at his estate and moved up in the ranks from footman and while they were not friends, Noah trusted the man as much as he did Meadows and Sandlin.
Lady Jillian straightened and offered him a bright smile. “Shall we return to the others?”
He was reluctant for their time alone to end, but they had been away longer than they should. If he kept her here much longer, someone might come looking for them. He didn’t wish to do anything that would encourage gossip, so Noah stood and offered his arm to escort Lady Jillian from the room.
Upon entering, she moved away from Noah and to her brother’s side. He glanced about the room, but neither Penelope nor Miss Valentine were present. As it was growing late, they had probably already retired.
Meadows pressed a glass of brandy into his hand, and Noah watched as Lady Jillian bid everyone goodnight and quit the room. A sadness settled over him. He could not imagine a more lonely childhood than the one she’d endured. Hopefully, she would be surrounded by friendship in the future and not allow her children to be as isolated as she had been.
His Christmas Match (A Gentleman's Guide to Once Upon a Time) Page 4
