by Abby Ayles
The Duchess held out the knitted fabric in front of her and turned it from side to side. “It is… it is a blanket I am making for a friend who is to give birth soon. Does it not look like a blanket? Have I gotten the stitches wrong?”
Before her mother tore out all the stitches she had done so far and started over, Annabelle hurried to say, “It does, it looks perfect, mother. There is not a thing wrong with it at all. Is that not right, Cecilia?” Annabelle gave her sister a pleading look. Cecilia grinned.
“Of course it is a blanket. The stitches are perfect as always, mother. You need not worry at all. Your friend will adore it.”
“I do hope so.” Annabelle was amazed by the strength she always heard in her mother’s voice, even when she was speaking low.
“Mother, may I ask you a question?” Annabelle asked, leaning forward and looking up at her mother’s face.
The Duchess looked drawn and worried. It was a look Annabelle was used to but just now felt sorry for. Her mother was strung so tightly, she was not able to relax.
“You may,” the woman replied.
“Father said earlier that he has realized I will be getting married soon. I… I think he is right, mother. I will be getting married soon.”
The Duchess raised her eyebrows, giving her the same look Cecilia was. It was obvious they were mother and daughter in that moment. Annabelle looked from one to the other.
“You may have noticed that there have been men around the house lately?” Annabelle asked, trying to make it obvious who she was talking about.
“How can you be sure of such a thing?” Cecilia was the one to ask the question. She looked like she thought Annabelle was about to make a terrible mistake. Annabelle frowned at her.
“Why do you react this way? Has it not been obvious that I have been spending some time with Duke Colbourn?”
Cecilia shook her head.
“It is unavoidable with him living here for a time, Annabelle. It just seems to me you are jumping too far ahead of yourself. You do not know the man. There is still much more for you to learn about him.”
Annabelle’s frown turned into a scowl.
“Please wipe that look from your face, daughter,” the Duchess said in a firm tone. Annabelle released her tense muscles and looked at her mother.
“Your sister is right. The duke has not been here long enough for you to know whether he is worthy of you or not.”
“I am just speaking from the heart, mother,” Annabelle said.
“This is obvious to me,” the woman nodded, setting her knitting down in her lap and looking directly at Annabelle.
“And when people speak from the heart, it means they are making decisions based upon the heart and not the head. This can get you in great trouble. You cannot try to make your fantasies a reality before their time.”
Annabelle was hit by the word “fantasies”. She felt as though her mother was saying there could never be a courtship between her and the Duke. “It is not a fantasy, mother. It is… it is a possibility!”
She was surprised to see her mother nod.
“Yes. It is a possibility. And I am telling you not to let yourself go too deeply into the fantasy of what you want and let the possibility take its form however it does. Do not force anything. Do not expect anything. Take the chance if you are given it but do not live in the future now.”
Annabelle chewed on her lip, thinking about what her mother was saying. She was an intelligent woman, there was no doubt about that. Her advice was valuable.
She understood what the duchess was saying. She nodded.
“Thank you, mother. I see what you are telling me. I will do my best to keep a level head and not get wrapped too tightly in my emotions.”
The Duchess nodded, smiling wide. “You do understand. I am happy. Good girl.”
It had been some time since she’d heard her mother call her a good girl. It felt good. Annabelle smiled and stood up. “We need some entertainment, mother. Shall I play the pianoforte?”
The Duchess raised her eyebrows. “Thank you for the offer, Annabelle. Yes, please do! We will all gather in the music room.”
Annabelle could not believe she had offered to play. She hadn’t played in several months and was quite unpracticed. But she would give it her best shot. She went to her father and asked if the two men would like to join her in the music room. She would be entertaining them for a time.
The look on Duke Colbourn’s face made Annabelle’s heart melt. She tried to remember what her mother had said but the look of impressed admiration etched in his handsome features made her knees weak.
She turned away from them to go to the card table and saw that Cecilia was already there, telling them what was going on. She caught the look of surprise and amusement on Julia’s face.
Annabelle, her father, and Duke Colbourn were almost to the door when Joanna came around the corner, looking up at them in surprise.
“Where is everyone going?”
Duke Colbourn was the one who answered in a loud voice, “Miss Cartwright is going to entertain us on the pianoforte!”
Annabelle said a quick prayer that Joanna would not react with surprise to that statement. Thankfully, Joanna seemed distracted, looking over their shoulders to the room around them.
“Has Lord Gilbert already left?”
“He has gone to the music room,” Annabelle answered. “You can see him there.”
Without another word, Joanna turned on her heel and went back the way she’d come. The three of them looked at each other. Duke Colbourn shrugged and they went down the hall to the room where the musical instruments were kept.
There was a small stage to the left, a fireplace behind it and on the other side of the room. Her father had created the design himself.
Musicians were often hotter than others, simply because of the adrenaline from exerting themselves. If the room was too cold, the fireplace in the back could be lit without fear of burning up the musicians on the stage.
Annabelle stepped away from her father and Duke Colbourn, going up on the stage and sitting at the pianoforte. She cleared her throat and desperately tried to remember the notes of the songs she used to play. She checked the keys to see if it was in tune, which, of course, it was.
She looked out at the people who had gathered, noticing Julia sitting with her mother and Cecilia, Duke Colbourn sitting with her father in the front row and Joanna in the back with the Balfour brothers. No one was talking. They were all looking at her.
She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. You can do this, Annabelle, she told herself in her mind.
She flexed her fingers and laid them on the proper keys. She closed her eyes and began to play.
Duke Colbourn had never seen a more beautiful sight in his life. He was not sure whether it was the beautiful music she was playing or the fact that she had captured his heart that made him think she was so stunning.
He let the music flow over him. It took him to another place. He felt like he was floating for a moment. He realized he had closed his eyes and he opened them to gaze upon the emotional profile of Annabelle as she played.
He could tell how hard she was concentrating, how much she had lost herself in the music. When the first song was over, he stood up and clapped loudly.
“Beautiful!” he called out. “Absolutely fabulous!”
Annabelle blushed furiously, smiling at him. “I am glad you liked it, my Lord.”
He sat down again, his face glowing. He hadn’t been able to help himself. He wanted to hear more. Every time the woman did something, he fell for her more and more. He smiled at the duke, who just chuckled and shook his head.
“I remember those times,” the older man said in a low voice that only Duke Colbourn could hear. “I do remember those times.”
From the stage, Annabelle could see Joanna and the Balfour brothers clearly. They were in deep discussion. She could not imagine what the three of them could have to discuss that was so important. They did not seem t
o be paying any attention to her playing.
That was not what was bothering her. It was the look on Joanna’s face. She had never seen the girl look so guilty, so sad and confused all at one time. The entire day, she had been smiling and laughing. She appeared to be having a good time with the Balfour brothers. But something had changed.
She continued to play, distracted now, playing mindlessly, though she hit all the correct notes for the song. Her eyes slid to Duke Colbourn’s. His face was glowing, a large smile plastered there. She wanted to talk to him. She was worried about Joanna.
His advice would be sound.
She played several more songs, watching the Balfour brothers, who had Joanna in between them, lean over her and talk to each other. Her eyes moved from one to the other as they talked. She said only a few words and would nod reluctantly every now and then.
Anxiety made Annabelle’s heart jittery. Whatever they were talking about, it was scaring Joanna.
Annabelle played a note wrong and stopped for a second. She restarted almost immediately but the mistake was enough to get the attention of the Balfour brothers. They stopped talking, both their eyes darting to the stage.
Annabelle hoped they did not see her look down. She had been watching them, hoping others in the audience would notice and wonder what she was staring at.
Her face colored. She played the rest of the song and then turned from the pianoforte.
“I am sorry. It does not look like I will be able to entertain you with any more songs. I am not feeling well.”
Julia was on her feet and by her side in two seconds. “Annabelle. You come with me. We’ll get some tea. How does that sound?”
Annabelle nodded, her eyes gazing at Duke Colbourn as she left. The look of worry on his face touched her heart. He turned to her father and she heard his deep voice asking if there was anything he could do for her.
Her father shook his head but the look on his face said something different.
Chapter 17
It was quiet when Annabelle got up the next morning. She’d gone to bed early and surprised even herself by falling asleep almost immediately and not waking up until the next day. She could not imagine what had made her so tired.
The air around her was so silent, she questioned whether she had lost her hearing. When she went to the window and pulled back the drapes, she heard the sound of birds chirping outside her window. So it was not her hearing.
She was curious now. Usually she could hear some kind of movement, an indication that there were other living people around her. She did not hear her father’s dogs out back, nor the three kittens Cecilia kept on the second floor of the mansion. She dressed and splashed some water on her face, rubbing the small cloth across her teeth to clean them.
She went down the stairs, sliding her hand along the banister, being quiet intentionally. She looked around the bottom floor but there were no maids, no one at all, moving about.
Her first destination was the dining hall. There should be a good spread of food there for all who wanted some. But there was the absence of noise from people eating breakfast.
When she pushed the door open, there were only three people in the room besides the servants and they were sitting near the fireplace, talking in low voices. She did not recognize them.
That did not surprise her. Visitors from other towns and cities sometimes came to the mansion to try the breakfasts and lunches they served to all. What surprised her was that none of her family members were there. Not one of them. Julia and Joanna were not there. Where was everyone?
She stopped Mary, who was bringing out a fresh pot of tea. “Mary. Where is my family? Where is Miss Rickman?”
Mary’s face was a blank. She shook her head. “I do not know, my Lady, I am sorry.”
Annabelle turned away from her, looking around with a frown on her face. It did not make sense. She went across the room to the door and opened it to go out in the foyer.
She stepped out and looked up the stairs. Cecilia was hurrying down them, staring down at her feet so she would not fall, holding on to the railing. She glanced up and saw Annabelle.
“Oh! Annabelle! I had just come for you. You must come at once.” Her voice was frantic to match the look on her face.
“What has happened?” Annabelle asked, alarmed.
“It is terrible, Annabelle. Oh, it is so terrible.” Cecilia made it to the bottom of the stairs and came to her quickly, grabbing one of her arms.
“Come with me. I cannot explain. You must hear this for yourself.”
Annabelle’s heart raced as she hurried after her sister. They went directly to the library and went in. Annabelle had always enjoyed being in the library.
Her father had purchased many fine books and reading them was one of her favorite things to do. She was not feeling good when she entered the library this time. She was worried.
At the desk in the distance, the one her mother always used when she was corresponding with relatives and friends, her mother, Julia, and Joanna were standing, making a small circle. The three ladies turned when Cecilia and Annabelle entered.
Annabelle almost came to a stop, shocked by the looks on their faces. Each one was different. Her mother’s was typically hard and stern but there was another look on her face that Annabelle did not recognize. Julia looked angry. Joanna looked guilty. She recognized the guilty look from the night before when she’d been playing the pianoforte.
“Mother! Julia! What is going on here?” She passed Cecilia and moved to stand directly in between her mother and Julia. She looked from one to the other. Joanna would not meet her eye, which gave her pause.
She looked at her mother, who was staring at Joanna at that point. “Mother?”
“I had Cecilia come to get you, Annabelle. I want you to hear this for yourself.”
Annabelle’s eyes widened in fear. She looked at her two friends. “Julia? Please someone tell me what is happening? Is someone hurt? Father? Is father…”
“Tell her what you told me, Joanna,” her mother interrupted her.
They all looked at Joanna.
Joanna said nothing, still looking at the ground, unwilling to make eye contact with anyone around her. She was the one accusing but it felt to her as though they were all accusing her.
“Joanna!” the duchess barked at the young woman, making her jump. She clasped her hands in front of her and mumbled something unintelligible.
“We cannot hear you.” The duchess was losing her temper. Her voice rose in pitch and volume. “You had no trouble voicing your thoughts a few moments ago. Now that my daughter is here, you cannot speak up? Tell Annabelle what you told me immediately.”
Joanna’s eyes dropped to the ground again. In a low voice, barely able to be heard, she said, “I… I told the duchess that… about the be… behavior of the duke yesterday. While we were playing croquet. And after… when you were playing the pianoforte.”
Annabelle frowned.
“What do you mean?” She searched her memory for something that might have made Joanna upset. The duke had done nothing wrong.
In fact, he hadn’t spent much time with Joanna. He’d spent most of his time with her and Julia. In fact, he had been encouraged and happy that Joanna seemed to be having a good time with the Lords Balfour.
Frustrated with the girl, the Duchess made a sound of irritation and turned to face Annabelle.
“Joanna says that Duke Colbourn was lude with her yesterday, several times suggesting they meet in secret. She says that no matter how many objections she placed, he was persistent. Did you see any of this take place?”
Annabelle was too shocked to speak. Her wide eyes turned to Joanna. Her claims were impossible. If there was one thing that was a fact, it was that she had her eyes on Duke Colbourn every chance she got. There was very little – if any – time for him to sneak off and speak to Joanna under his breath.
“I saw nothing of the kind,” she responded, hotly. She could feel her cheeks burning. �
�Why would you say such a thing, Joanna? You know this is not true.”
Joanna frowned. “It is true. I know you do not want to believe me. No one ever does. But he was very crude and would not leave me alone.”
“I saw you with the Balfour brothers most of the day,” Annabelle responded, trying to understand how Joanna could say such a thing about Duke Colbourn.
Regardless of her feelings for the man, he was a respectable gentleman and had proven himself to be such in the time he’d spent at their mansion.
“You cannot expect anyone to believe such nonsense.”
Joanna huffed.
“I told you she would not believe me. I told you. No one believes me!” Joanna turned her back to them, covering her face with her hands. Annabelle did not believe the act for a moment. She looked at her mother and Julia, who both looked as taken aback as she was. Julia shook her head.
“I do not know what to believe, Annabelle,” she said in a quiet voice. “What do we really know about Duke Colbourn.”
Annabelle looked at her friend like she’d grown another head. “We know he was not speaking to Joanna that way yesterday!” she exclaimed.
Julia pulled in a sigh. She folded her hands over her chest and looked at her sister.
“Joanna, you must understand why it is so hard for us to believe this. I must say, I am as surprised as everyone else. You were with us for only half the day. And in that time, you played croquet as Lord Gilbert’s partner and spent the rest of the evening sitting with him and his brother while Annabelle played and then we all had some tea and toast and went to bed. I cannot think of a single time I saw the duke speaking to you.”
Joanna did not turn back to look at them. When she spoke, it was to the air in front of her. “You just did not see him. It happened the way I say it did.”
Annabelle’s temper was getting out of her control. For the first time in her young life, she balled up her fists and shook them at her sides. She would never be convinced that the duke had done such a scandalous thing. He was a gentleman through and through.
She had known Joanna for a long time. This was something she never would have expected. She had not known the duke for a long time. How could she know what he would do? Could it be possible that Joanna was telling the truth? She did not want to believe it. She refused to believe it.
