by Amelia Grey
“Your eyes are the wooing color of an English hillside bathed in summer’s sunny nectar. In the pool of their deep, dark green depths I see the shimmering glimmer of a million stars looking back at me, holding me captive, calling my heart to live, to laugh, and to love with vigor. In the labyrinth of my soul, I sense your heart and mine joyfully beating together as one in spirit and—”
“Give me that,” Lord Bighampton interrupted, reaching for the paper, which Lord Snellingly jerked away just in time. “Now see here, Snellingly, that’s enough.”
Lord Snellingly looked as if he’d been slapped. “You interrupted the flow of the verse. I’ll have to start over.”
“The hel—heaven you will,” Lord Bighampton said, quite agitated.
“Why did you interrupt me?”
“Perhaps because you read more than four lines.”
“I did not. Look here.” He shoved the vellum back toward the earl and tried to get him to look at it.
Lord Bighampton brushed the man’s hand aside as if it were a worrisome fly. “I’m not looking at that. I take you at your word. We’ve not the time to listen to more. Find someone else to peddle your words upon. I must get Miss Hart back to Sir Randolph. Excuse us.”
“Very well, if you must go with such haste, I’ll walk with you.”
Lord Bighampton was almost snarling at Lord Snellingly, but the poet seemed oblivious to the earl’s ire. The two gentlemen continued to bicker as they walked back to Sir Randolph and her aunts. It didn’t bother Sophia; it made her smile.
For the next two hours Sophia danced, stopping, it seemed, only long enough to change partners. She had graced the arms of Lord Snellingly and Lord Bighampton, the handsome Viscount Hargraves, and several other gentlemen, but the man who intrigued her most, Mr. Brentwood, was nowhere to be seen. She had also danced with two men who she thought might be perfect for her aunt Mae.
When she caught Mae without June hovering beside her, she said to her, “Do you remember meeting Mr. Parker Wilson and Mr. Alfred Boyd?”
“Yes, of course. They are both handsome gentlemen, don’t you think?”
“And they seemed kind, too, when I danced with them. Would you like for me to let one of them know that a call would be welcomed, so you can spend some time with him?”
“Hmm. Do I have to choose between them?” Mae asked. “Can’t we invite both?”
Surprised, Sophia smiled and said, “There’s no reason at all that we can’t. I’ll talk with Aunt June, and we’ll fit them into the schedule next week.”
Mae clasped her hands together nervously. “Oh, must we do it that soon?”
“Yes. If we are going to do this, it’s time to start. We can’t just continue to talk about it.”
Mae dropped her hands to her sides and said, “All right, let’s do it.”
“There you are, Miss Hart,” Lord Snellingly said. “Are you ready for our dance?”
Another round of dancing left Sophia feeling ravenous, so rather than allowing Lord Snellingly to see her back to her aunts, she bid him farewell at the dance floor. She headed to the room where the buffet table had been set with gleaming silver trays filled with fish, lamb, fowl, and every vegetable and fruit she could imagine. Lighted, three-pronged silver candlesticks graced the table about every four or five feet.
There were a few people sitting around the perimeter of the room, but no one was serving from the table at the moment. This was the perfect time for her to indulge in a few bites with no one to watch her. Her aunts believed it perfectly fine for a lady to eat at a sit-down dinner party, where she would be served, but never from a buffet.
Sophia gazed at the feast fit for the prince himself, and her stomach rumbled. She picked up a small plate, fork, and a napkin. Her gaze flitted over the many trays of stuffed mushrooms, pickled beets, sugarcoated dates, and small vegetable tarts. She placed two mushrooms on her plate, and then picked up one with her fork and put it in her mouth. It was delicious, so she quickly ate the other one too. There were small slices of cheese topped with pieces of preserved apple, so she added those to her plate and quickly ate them, relishing every tasty bite.
Sophia was reaching for the spoon to help herself to a fruit tart when, from behind her, she heard, “Allow me?”
She froze. She had been caught eating, but it wasn’t by her aunts or Sir Randolph. She turned to look into Mr. Brentwood’s shining blue eyes.
Nine
Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.
—Martin Luther
Sophia’s breathing kicked up a notch.
Several times throughout the evening she had glanced toward the ballroom doorway, unobtrusively surveyed the crowd, and searched all the faces on the dance floor, hoping for a glimpse of Mr. Brentwood. She had almost given up hope that he would attend the party.
He laid a plum tart on her plate. “I’m not surprised you’re so hungry. You’ve been dancing since I arrived.”
Sophia tried to appear disinterested in him. She slowly moved along the buffet table as if she were more interested in the food than in him.
“Hmm. You were peeking at me through the hedge, and now you’ve been watching me on the dance floor. Is this becoming a habit, Mr. Brentwood?”
He nodded. “It would seem that way, if not for the fact that it’s been three days since I last saw you. Have your aunts been keeping you in hiding?”
“I’ve been at parties every night this week but haven’t stayed long at any of them.”
“Maybe that’s why we’ve been missing each other.”
“That’s not difficult to do, with so many different parties being given each evening. My aunts feel we must accept every invitation, if only for a few minutes, so we won’t offend anyone.” She stopped and looked into his eyes. “And perhaps after our last encounter, it is for the best that we haven’t seen each other.”
“Why is that, Sophia?”
She quickly glanced around. “You shouldn’t call me that,” she whispered.
“But that is your name. I’ve thought of you as Sophia since I heard your aunts calling your name when we first met.”
“Still, you shouldn’t. It’s not proper.”
“Neither is kissing,” he answered.
“No, it’s not, and you shouldn’t tempt me to do things I shouldn’t do.”
The corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. “Did I tempt you to kiss me, Sophia?”
“You know you did.” Sophia quickly looked around to see if anyone was close enough to have heard what he said, but no one was near. “I shouldn’t have let that happen.”
“But you wanted me to kiss you.”
“Yes, but you should have been a gentleman and refused me.”
He chuckled and then put a thin slice of apple in his mouth and ate it before saying, “I agree we shouldn’t have kissed, but do you think you could have stopped it from happening?”
She hadn’t expected him to agree with her. “Yes.”
His eyebrows rose, but he didn’t say anything.
“Maybe. All right, no,” she admitted honestly. “No, not at the time.”
He stepped closer to her. “But now you think you can keep me from kissing you again.”
Sophia tried to back up, but the table stopped her. “You wouldn’t dare try to kiss me here with all these people in the room, would you?”
“Probably not.” He inched a little closer. “But I’m not promising.”
“Even if you tried, it would do you no good. My sound reasoning has returned to me.”
“That’s not a challenge, is it, Sophia? Because if it is, I accept.” He took the plate, fork, and napkin from her hands and placed them on the table behind her.
He was standing much too close to her. His nearness was doing strange things to her breath
ing, and she was certain he could hear her heart beating. She glanced at the tables where other people were sitting. Thankfully, no one seemed to be looking at them.
“No, no, of course it’s not. I meant only that we shouldn’t have kissed. I admit I wanted to know what it felt like, so I indulged myself. Now that I know what it’s all about, I will have more restraint.”
He chuckled softly again. “That still sounds like a challenge for me to prove to you that you will have no restraint.”
Mr. Brentwood’s eyes shone with amusement. He looked so handsome with his lips turned upward in a charming half grin. She had a great urge to wrap her arms around his neck and hug him. But she couldn’t do that, and she couldn’t encourage Mr. Brentwood. He wasn’t a titled gentleman, and she couldn’t settle for a man who wasn’t.
“Tell me why you were dancing with Mr. Alfred Boyd. He must be thirty years older than you.”
“Oh, for my aunt Mae.” Sophia caught herself and stopped. “I mean, because my aunt Mae wanted me to, and I do like to please them when I can.”
He looked at her curiously. “Are you sure that’s what you meant to say?”
She had never been any good at fibbing, but she had to try. “Yes, why?”
“Because I don’t believe you.”
“It’s the truth,” she said as his eyes narrowed in disbelief. “All right, it’s not the whole truth. My aunt Mae wants to be courted.”
He grinned. “I think that is sweet, but why wasn’t she dancing with Mr. Boyd?”
Sophia inhaled deeply and decided she might as well explain the entire story to him, so she did in great detail. “So you see I have no choice but to help Aunt Mae find a beau.”
“I would be happy to discreetly let it be known that Miss Shevington would welcome a visit from an acceptable gentleman.”
His words softly squeezed Sophia’s heart. “That is very kind of you, but she is not ready for that. I would appreciate it if you would keep this between us for now. She’s very worried Aunt June will find out and disapprove.”
“You know I will keep silent, but if anything changes for your aunt and I can help, let me know.”
“Thank you, I will, and speaking of my aunts, I must get back to them before they come looking for me.”
“Good evening, Mr. Brentwood, Miss Hart.”
Sophia turned and greeted Viscount Hargraves. She had met the young viscount the night of her first party, and she had danced with him two nights ago. He wasn’t as tall, trim, or broad-shouldered as Mr. Brentwood, but he had a strong, sturdy look about him. His curly blond hair was overly long and seemed a bit unruly, but it didn’t detract from his handsomeness. His smile was infectious and his manner pleasing. There was no reason why she shouldn’t feel the same feelings and sensations that she felt when she looked at Mr. Brentwood, only she didn’t. There was no spark of desire when she looked at Lord Hargraves.
“I was hoping you might honor me with a dance later in the evening,” he said.
Sophia didn’t know why, but her gaze darted to Mr. Brentwood’s before she answered. He smiled at her and gave the slightest of nods. That irritated her. She would have given anything if she could take back having glanced at him. She certainly didn’t need his approval or permission to agree to a dance with the viscount.
“Yes, of course, I’d be delighted, my lord. I have two other dances promised, and then I shall be free.”
“Good. Perhaps you’d like me to escort you safely back to your aunts.”
“That’s not necessary, Lord Hargraves,” Matson said. “Miss Hart had just asked me to walk her back to her aunts. She doesn’t want them to worry about her, and they know she’s safe with me.” Matson did the briefest of bows. “Excuse us.”
The viscount smiled affably. “Of course, Mr. Brentwood. I’ll see you later in the evening, Miss Hart.”
When they were out of the buffet room, Sophia turned to Matson and said, “I didn’t ask you to walk me to my aunts.”
“Didn’t you?”
“You know I didn’t.”
He smiled charmingly. “But you did say you needed to get back to them.”
“I think you didn’t want me talking to Lord Hargraves.”
“I didn’t.”
“So you admit you are jealous of the man?”
“I admit no such thing. I just happen to know that you are safer with me than you are with him. Besides, I wanted to say good evening to your aunts. We had quite the conversation the afternoon I had tea with them.”
“I remember that you certainly charmed Aunt Mae.”
“But not your aunt June?” he asked with a note of humor flowing in his tone.
“I’ve never seen anyone charm her. She is not as approachable as Aunt Mae.”
“Does that bother you? That they look so much alike but are different?”
“Not in the least,” she said as they entered the corridor. “Because they resemble each other, I think I’m glad they don’t think, talk, or act the same. If they did, I’d never be able to tell them apart. Tell me, are you very much like your twin brother?”
“We’re much like your aunts. We have the same face and build, but we have vastly different temperaments and different ways of doing things.”
“I’ve not met him at any of the parties I’ve attended.”
“He’s been preoccupied the past couple of weeks. The parody that recently came out upset him greatly.”
“More than it upset you?”
“Not more. Just in a different way. Iverson seldom takes the time to think things through before he speaks or acts, and sometimes that puts him at odds with people.”
She smiled at him. “I can certainly understand that.”
Matson gave her a soft grin to let her know he knew she was referring to their kiss outside her gate, and answered, “I think we all can at times.”
Sophia saw her aunts hurriedly making their way through the crowd toward her. She smiled. They were charming in their own way, and she was very happy they had agreed to give up their lives to come to London to be her chaperones. At times she needed Aunt June’s strict adherence to the rules of Society, and there were occasions she very much needed her aunt Mae’s gentle spirit and wistful enthusiasm.
“Sophia, we found you just in time,” Aunt June said. “Good evening, Mr. Brentwood.”
“Miss Shevington,” he said to June, and then turned to Mae and greeted her. “Miss Shevington. Both of you ladies look lovely tonight.”
“Thank you, Mr. Brentwood,” Mae said. “That’s a nice way to make an old lady feel special.”
“Come,” June said impatiently, taking Sophia’s hand and pulling her forward. “Lord Tradesforke has asked for everyone’s attention. He said he had an important announcement to make, and we don’t want to miss it.”
“Did he say what it was about?” Sophia asked, looking behind her to make sure Mr. Brentwood was following them.
“No,” Mae answered for her sister. “I wonder what it could be.”
“Shh,” June whispered to them. “Listen, and we shall find out soon enough.”
Sophia knew when Mr. Brentwood moved to stand beside her. She didn’t have to look at him. She felt the heat from his body and knew he was near.
“Your Graces, my lords and ladyships, sirs, ladies, and gentlemen, may I have your attention please.”
The hum of chatter died down, and the room went quiet almost immediately. Everyone looked across the ballroom to where the Earl of Tradesforke stood on a small platform in front of the musicians. It was the first time Sophia had seen their host for the evening. He was a jolly-looking, tall and round man who had a tuft of gray hair and a bushy gray beard that was long enough to rest on his upper chest. Sophia never knew either of her grandfathers, but this man reminded her of how a grandfather should look.
“T
hank you. Now, could I please have all of the young ladies and gentlemen who are eligible to make a match this Season step forward to the center of the room? And please, those of you who are already attached by the bonds of matrimony or betrothal, please step aside and let them make their way to the middle.”
“Go, Sophia, go,” June said, giving her a gentle push.
Sophia looked at Mr. Brentwood again, and he nodded to her.
“What about you?” she asked. “You are an eligible bachelor.”
“But I am not looking to make a match this Season, and you are.”
“Oh, it will be fun, Mr. Brentwood,” Mae said. “Go on with her. Can’t you see she doesn’t want to go by herself? Be a gentleman and accompany her.”
“If you insist, Miss Shevington, I’ll stand by her. Come, Miss Hart.”
Sophia and Mr. Brentwood stepped forward and into the crowd already gathering in the center of the room. She couldn’t help but wish her aunt Mae could join in as well.
“I have no idea what this could be about,” Sophia said to him.
“Neither do I, but from all that I’ve heard, this man is expected to do something outrageous.”
“Thank you, my honored guests,” Lord Tradesforke said. “I’ve been asked more than one hundred times this evening what my mid-Season party will be about this year, and because I’m tired of hearing the question, I’ve decided to put all of you out of your misery and tell you.”
A loud roar of applause and shouts of agreement rang from the crowd.
The bearded earl laughed. “This year, I’ve decided to go back to the early years of old London and to the alfresco entertainment in the park. On the fourth Sunday in May, I will have a May Day Fair Day in Hyde Park. Along with all the food and drink you care to have, there will be games, cart and horse races, rowing on the Serpentine, and much more.”
A murmur of discontent rose from the crowd. Sophia had to admit that such a day, while it would be an enormous amount of fun, didn’t seem shockingly out of the ordinary. Certainly it didn’t measure up to having caged tigers and lions in a ballroom.
“Ah, what’s that I hear?” Lord Tradesforke laughed again. “You are wondering what is the much more and why I’ve asked the eligible young ladies and gentlemen to step forward—let me explain. In keeping with the Season and its purpose to help those looking to make a match, ladies, turn to your right.”
