“Everything he is doing shows how much he cares for you, Yvette.” Juliette looked at her in admiration. “I’m sorry I doubted the two of you.”
“Thank you, Juliette.” Yvette smiled at her sister, glad that all was well between them again.
“But he’s kissed you certainly?” Colette asked.
“Oh, yes,” Yvette said, her cheeks reddening helplessly. Every time Jeffrey kissed her, it just became better and better. She didn’t know how she could bear the wait until she was married to him. His kisses drove her mad with desire.
“So is Jeffrey as swoon worthy as the rumors say he is?” Lisette asked, her face alight with curiosity.
With a telling gleam in her eyes, Yvette looked at each of her sisters. “Oh, he is so much better.”
The five of them squealed with laughter.
Then Yvette made a confession. “I don’t know how either of us will be able to resist temptation until we get married. That’s why we wish to marry right away.”
“Well, I applaud both of you. It’s right that you should wait until you are married.” With a somewhat abashed expression, Lisette confided to them, “I surrendered to Quinton’s considerable charms not even a month after I met him. I was completely helpless against his kisses.”
With an understanding nod of her head and a reticent smile, Colette said, “I must admit that Lucien swept me off my feet not much longer than that after I met him in the bookshop.”
“And it’s not a secret that I yielded to Declan’s powers of persuasion well before we were married,” Paulette said guiltily, holding up her hand and pointing to her belly.
“I have no idea what wanton behavior you all are referring to,” Juliette said, her eyes flashing mischievously. “I must say I am quite appalled!”
“Come now, Juliette!” Paulette admonished her, eager to know the truth. “Not one of us believes you waited until you married Harrison!”
Juliette glanced at each one of them in turn. “Mere days.”
The sisters all shrieked at Juliette’s daring revelation, staring at her in awe.
“You had only known Harrison for a few days when it happened?” Yvette cried in astonishment.
Juliette shrugged helplessly, not in the least bit embarrassed. “Close quarters on a beautiful ship, locked in a sumptuous cabin with a very handsome and dashing captain with an enchanting American accent had an extraordinary effect on me. The romance of moonlight and the sea air and all of that . . .”
The four sisters stared at Juliette with wide eyes.
“It was the same with Mother, you know,” Paulette stated calmly.
“What?” the other four exclaimed in unison.
“When the reason that Declan and I needed to marry quickly was quite obvious, Mother confessed to me that it had been the same with her and Father,” Paulette said.
“She never did!” Colette cried.
Yvette said, “I don’t believe it!”
“It’s true,” Paulette confirmed. “She told me.”
Lisette murmured, “I’m stunned.”
“Well, I’m delighted to hear it,” Juliette said with a nod of her head. “It just confirms my theory that it’s always been that way and it’s part of life. We are all swept away by our feelings sometimes. There’s nothing to be scandalized about.”
“It’s nice to think of them that way,” Colette agreed slowly. “Their marriage was not happy in the end, but it’s good to know that they were wild about each other at least in the beginning. . . .”
“Please don’t mention it to Maman.” Paulette looked a little guilty. “She made me promise not to tell you, but I thought you would like to know.”
“As if I would ever bring up such a topic with her!” Juliette laughed.
The five sisters grew quiet, each lost in their own thoughts about themselves and their parents.
“Well, if Yvette and Jeffrey can wait until they are married, I think it’s lovely,” Lisette finally said.
“But I don’t wish to wait!” Yvette exclaimed with a giggle. “I keep trying to convince Jeffrey otherwise, but he won’t hear of it.”
“He’s getting a special license, so you won’t have to wait too much longer.” Juliette smiled at her.
“Yes, I know. But I still have an even bigger problem.” Yvette held up the letter from William Weatherly. “What do I do about Lord Shelley?”
The bedroom door flew open and a gaggle of children charged in the room: Phillip and Simon Sinclair; Mara Reeves, dragging her younger brother, Thomas; and Sara Fleming, attempting to carry one of Lisette’s twins and holding the other by the hand.
“Oh, goodness,” Juliette cried in amusement, as the little tribe descended upon them. “Who let all of you out of the nursery?”
Sara, the image of Juliette with her dark hair and flashing eyes, looking quite outraged, spoke for the group. “Phillip said Christmas is the day after tomorrow, but that’s not right, is it, Mama? I told him he was wrong, but he won’t believe me.”
With a laugh, Lisette gathered her blond twins, Christopher and Charles, from their older cousin. They were covered in cookie crumbs and pudding. “What have you two little scamps been up to?”
“Now, Phillip, don’t go telling stories to your cousins,” Colette scolded her son lightly. “You know very well that Christmas is not the day after tomorrow. Now behave yourself, because Santa Claus doesn’t visit naughty children.”
Paulette rose with great reluctance from the divan, scooping up her son, Thomas, in one arm and taking little Mara’s hand in the other. “Come on, you two. It’s time we were heading back home anyway.”
Yvette watched her sisters, who minutes ago had been discussing the intimacies of their relationship with their husbands, instantly revert back to being the caring mothers that they were. She smiled to herself, thinking how much she loved each of them, and their husbands, and all their children.
But she still hadn’t solved her problem of how to tell Lord Shelley that she was marrying Jeffrey Eddington!
31
Ladies Dancing
The night of the Duke of Rathmore’s annual Christmas ball had finally arrived, as hundreds of invited guests filled his massive London townhouse. Decorated with festive pine wreaths, evergreen garlands, and boughs of holly leaves tied with red and gold silk ribbons, the rooms sparkled with hundreds of flickering beeswax candles and golden gaslights. A giant noble fir tree stood majestically in the center of the hallway and reached almost to the top of the twenty-foot ceiling, filling the air with its fresh pine scent. Adorned with tiny candles and crystal and colored-glass ornaments, the tall Christmas tree glistened with bright cranberry garlands and red silk ribbons.
Liveried servants scurried about, serving punch and champagne and an endless supply of delicious delicacies prepared by Rathmore’s famous French chef. An orchestra played Christmas carols while anyone who was anyone in society gathered in the main hall to greet their host. More than the usual buzz of excitement was in the air as rumors swirled that the duke was planning to make an important announcement at some point during the evening.
The Duke of Rathmore, looking dashing and elegant, shook hands and met his many honored and distinguished guests. No one seemed to notice the lovely dark-haired woman who hovered quietly in the background, dressed in a gown of midnight blue, looking on the proceedings with a sparkle in her eyes.
As Yvette Hamilton entered the grand hall with all her sisters and brothers-in-law, her heart was in her throat. Leaving her sisters behind as she brushed by elegantly attired people and made her way deeper into the hall, she glanced about the crowd anxiously, searching for a sign of either Jeffrey or William. She had hoped to arrive earlier, but their carriage had been stuck in the crush of other guests outside and it had taken her almost a half an hour just to get into the house. Panic-stricken, she wondered if William Weatherly had already arrived. As she peered through the throng of guests searching for the sight of his fair hair, she said a little p
rayer that she would have a moment to speak to William alone first.
“Yvette!” Lady Katherine Spencer called to her with a little wave.
“Kate!” Yvette maneuvered her way through the crowd to her friend. “You look so pretty tonight!”
“Why, thank you.” She preened in her deep pink gown. “Your dress is lovely too!”
“Thank you.” Yvette nervously smoothed the shimmering emerald silk she’d finally decided to wear instead of the red. It fit her to perfection. “Kate, have you seen Lord Shelley?”
“No.” Her friend shook her head. “At least not yet.”
Yvette frowned. “I must speak with him right away. If you see him, will you please let him know I am looking for him?”
“Is something the matter?” Kate asked, her brown eyes concerned. “You look a bit distressed.”
“Yes, there is something the matter. In fact, more than I can say at the moment.” Yvette felt ready to cry.
“I’m so sorry, Yvette. I hope you kn—oh, here comes Lord Eddington,” Kate squeaked. “My, my. Doesn’t he look handsome tonight!”
Yvette turned around. There he was, making his way through the crowd toward her. The man she loved and was going to marry. Her heart skipped a beat, and for a moment she suddenly forgot all about finding Lord Shelley and everyone else standing around her. Her gaze was fixed on the gloriously handsome man staring at her with a devastating smile. Jeffrey.
“Good evening, beautiful ladies. It’s so nice of you to come to my father’s little party,” he greeted them most gallantly. “Lady Katherine, you are a vision in pink.”
“Thank you, Lord Eddington.” Kate giggled at his compliment and his reference to the duke’s “little” party, for the ball was anything but.
Jeffrey then rested his blue-eyed gaze on Yvette, grasping her hands in his. “Yvette, you take my breath away.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Yvette saw Kate’s face register her surprise at Jeffrey’s familiarity with her.
“Lady Katherine, do you mind if I steal Yvette away for a moment?” he asked, his eyes still locked with Yvette’s.
“No, not at all,” she murmured in confusion as she watched Jeffrey escort Yvette away from the crowd and into a small chamber off the main hallway. Yvette knew she would have to do some explaining to her friend later.
Jeffrey quickly slid the double doors closed behind them. They were alone in an antechamber to the main drawing room. The noise of the crowd and the music could still be heard.
“Jeffrey,” Yvette protested lightly as he drew her into his warm embrace. “Anyone could have seen you take me in here!”
He lowered his mouth over hers, kissing her quite thoroughly. “I don’t care. I’ve missed you too much.” With a wicked smile, he kissed her again. His hands skimmed across her back, pressing her against him.
Breathless, Yvette lost herself to the sensations of his kiss, not caring that he was rumpling her new emerald gown or mussing her carefully coiffed hair. She was just happy to be with him, thrilled that she was soon going to be his wife and would be able to kiss him all day every day if she wanted to.
As their kiss deepened and their passion for each other increased, he finally broke away from her.
“Jeffrey.” Her heart beat wildly in her chest.
“I know,” he whispered in her ear. “I have the special license. Whenever you say the word, we can marry. Tomorrow, if you wish.”
“Everyone will talk if we marry so quickly.”
“Once we’re legally wed, I don’t give a damn what anyone says.”
She thought for a moment. “Well, then . . . how about Christmas Eve?”
“Christmas Eve it is.”
She smiled, warmth flooding her at the idea of being his wife in just four days. “I should think we can manage an elegant Christmas wedding, with just our families, on such short notice.”
He looked at her intently. “We can wait and have a large fancy wedding if you’ve changed your mind. Are you sure this is what you want? A small wedding?”
Staring into his blue eyes, she whispered, “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I want to marry you just as soon as we can.”
He hugged her tightly to him. “Oh, Yvette.” Then he reached into his pocket and retrieved a small box. He opened it and presented it to her somewhat nervously. “I have an engagement ring for you.”
Yvette looked at the large, sparkling diamond that he held out to her and squealed with delight. “Oh, Jeffrey, it’s beautiful!”
“I’ve never bought a ring before and I wasn’t sure if you would like it.”
“Like it? I love it!” With her hand trembling, she allowed Jeffrey to slip the gold ring with a square-cut diamond on her finger. It fit perfectly. “Oh, Jeffrey, thank you!”
“It looks beautiful on you.”
She stood on tiptoes and kissed him, feeling tears in her eyes.
“I’ve never been happier in my life,” he said.
“Me either. But we should get back to the others before I start crying,” she said with a sniffle. Her sisters would be wondering where she was. And, oh heavens, she still had to talk with William!
“My father will be making the announcement in a little while and everyone will know that you’re mine.” He winked at her. “So the fact that we were in here kissing right now won’t matter at all.”
“Oh, Jeffrey!” she cried in sudden panic. “Your father can’t make our engagement announcement just yet!”
He frowned and his expression darkened. “You still haven’t told him about us?”
Sensing his disappointment, Yvette tried to explain. “Lord Shelley has been very ill. I’ve tried to see him, but he wasn’t paying calls or receiving visitors. Lucien even went to see him this morning and tried to speak to him. Please. You must let me tell William first before your father announces our engagement.”
“Yvette, even if I tell my father not to make an announcement tonight, it doesn’t mean that he won’t. You know my father.”
“But it’s not fair to Lord Shelley. I haven’t seen him in a week, since the night he fell ill at the theater. I have to let him know that everything has changed between us. He deserves that from me.”
“I thought you had taken care of this.” His blue eyes flashed.
She looked up at him helplessly. “I tried. Honestly. Then my plan was to arrive early and speak to him as soon as he got here, but I haven’t been able to find him in the crowd. And then you . . . brought me in here.”
“You’ve put me in a terrible position, Yvette.” He was upset with her and she couldn’t recall ever seeing Jeffrey angry before.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m going to find William right now and tell him.”
He glared at her. “Not if I find him first.”
“Oh, no, you mustn’t do that!” she protested. “I have to be the one to tell him.”
Jeffrey walked to the door. His voice was cold as he said, “Let’s go back to the party.”
Yvette stood there staring at him, growing quite angry herself. None of this was her fault. She hadn’t intended to disappoint Jeffrey or his father, but she had to do the decent thing and tell William Weatherly to his face that she had no intention of marrying him. “Don’t you dare tell him, Jeffrey!”
He suddenly turned to her, his gaze frosty. “Have you not told him because you don’t really wish to end it?”
Her mouth dropped open. “How can you even think such a thing of me?”
“It only stands to reason.”
“No, it doesn’t!” she exclaimed. “I’m going to tell Lord Shelley that I am marrying you the moment that I see him!”
His expression grew somber and Yvette suddenly felt that there was something terribly wrong.
“I hope that’s true, Yvette. But I swear to you that if you don’t tell him, I will.” With that he left the room.
Yvette felt like screaming in frustration. Jeffrey was behaving like a jealous fool. S
he stormed out of the room after him.
“Come, Mother, it’s this way.” William Weatherly led his mother through the crowd of people in the front of the Duke of Rathmore’s townhouse. The place was a mass of guests trying to enter the house. Already weary of the evening, William tried to suppress the hacking cough that had consumed him for a week. He simply could not shake this damned cough that had him bedridden and had ruined all his plans!
He held his mother’s arm as he escorted her up the steps and into the great hall. Through the sea of faces, he searched for one face in particular. It had been a week since he had seen Yvette Hamilton and he missed her terribly. The notes he had received from her had been most insistent in declaring that she needed to speak with him as soon as possible. He was very curious to know what she wanted.
William was able to leave his mother in the company of a few of her friends while he went in search of Yvette. He hoped his mother wouldn’t imbibe too freely of the champagne this evening, but he could not stand by her side and watch her all night either. He moved through the crowd, greeting numerous friends, before he finally caught sight of one of Yvette Hamilton’s sisters. It was the one married to the American sea captain, who also stood beside her. She looked quite beautiful in a gown of burgundy trimmed with black lace. The look suited her remarkably well. He called to both of them.
“Mr. and Mrs. Fleming!”
Juliette smiled and stepped toward him. “Why, Lord Shelley! How nice to see you again. I do hope you are feeling better?”
“Yes, I am. Finally.” He took her hand. “It’s quite a crush in here, is it not?”
She laughed lightly. “Yes, it is. But then Lord Rathmore’s Christmas ball is always like this.”
“Good evening, Lord Shelley,” Harrison Fleming, dashing in his formal evening clothes, greeted him.
“Captain Fleming. It’s good to see you again as well.” William looked toward Juliette. “I have yet to see your sister this evening. Do you happen to know where she is?”
An amused smile suddenly played across her face, as if she knew something he did not. “I’m afraid I lost Yvette in the crowd some time ago, Lord Shelley, but I know she is quite anxious to see you. If I see her, I will be sure to tell her that you are looking for her.”
His By Christmas (Hamilton Sisters) Page 25
