by Moore, Mary
But Nicole was not thinking of his character this night. She was too nervous about attending the famed Drury Lane Theatre. As much as she loved music and had always dreamed of visiting the acclaimed playhouse, going with Lord Devlin rendered it an almost harrowing experience. She did not lament the fact that she could not see the performers; the music would be enough. The crowds would probably cause her some panic unless she could keep Toby with her, but she had no idea if that was even permissible. Her mother had chided her once again for not telling Lord Devlin the truth, but Nicole did not want to ruin this night.
She almost wished that it was not Devlin taking them to the opera, as she knew he would more than likely be a distraction. Yet after the recent time spent in his company, she could not imagine sharing the experience for the first time with anyone but him.
Concern was also uppermost in her thoughts at meeting the Hamptons when she was so nervous. He spoke of them sometimes, always with respect and caring, so she knew they must be special people in his life.
Her thoughts once again turned to Lord Devlin. Lord, I know You are not a God of confusion…then why am I so confused? she prayed. She believed she had discovered God’s plan for her life through the accident. If God was giving her an opportunity to be more like Him, she could accept that. A friendship with Devlin was a purpose that had a meaning that aligned with His plan. Yet that same friendship had evolved so quickly that it made her second-guess His purpose, something she had not faced before. Shaking off her disturbed thoughts, she knew she could determine nothing tonight so she said a quick prayer and left it to God.
Her first hurdle of the evening had been what to wear. She had spared little concern for her appearance since coming to London, but tonight was special. She told Stella that she thought everyone was very elegant at the opera, and she needed to look her best.
Stella immediately pulled out a green velvet dress Nicole had never worn. “C’mon missy, it’s time this green dress seen the light o’ day.” Her mother had urged her to purchase it several weeks ago, hoping Nicole would develop an interest in making her visit a success.
“Stella, we purchased that as a ball gown,” she reminded her maid. Her mother had intimated it was eminently suitable for the opera, but it would have shown to its best advantage in a twirling dance under sparkling lights. But Nicole had not worn it to any balls she’d attended. Truth be told, she had avoided the gown, as she much preferred to remain as secluded as possible at those austere events.
The dress was unlike the Empire gowns so commonly in fashion. Indeed, when they had entered the Bond Street shop, the very french Madame Suzette had taken one look at Nicole and exclaimed, “Enfin! Finally! I have found the figure of an Inglese who can do my creation proud!” The modiste had designed it for one of her regular patrons, but once it had been made, the “imbecile” thought it too unusual and refused to purchase it. Nicole’s mother and the Frenchwoman had agreed, and been adamant that it be bought for Nicole. “Eet is parfait, oh how do you say it, perfect for you. You have zee so small waist. Oui, zee dark green color will complement your dark eyes and splendide hair color.” The gown was exquisite, but the modiste’s previous client had the right of it. It was unusual as well. Both women seemed to notice Nicole’s hesitation as they described it to her, so they began to enumerate its advantages. “Zee velvet and lace,” she cooed. “How zee gentlemen love zee velvet and lace!” Nicole had laughed to herself as she considered how little that meant to her, but in the end her mother would not hear of giving it up.
As Nicole dressed that evening she could feel the singularity of the gown just by the way it fit. It was emerald velvet with long sleeves that came to a point over the backs of her hands with an extension of lace.
It had an extremely unusual décolletage design. The bodice was cut in a low sweetheart-shaped neckline, the velvet creating a deep V down to her waist. From the tight waist, the skirt flared with yards and yards of deep green velvet to the floor.
Madame Suzette had been right about one thing—the lace was exquisite. Beautiful Irish lace was bunched perfectly in the V of the sweetheart bodice, keeping the low neckline modest. It became at once innocent and alluring due to the illusion of skin that was visible through it. That same lace trimmed the high-necked velvet behind her head.
At the lowest tip of the V in the front, where the bodice met her waist, was another tight gathering of lace that spread wider and wider to the hem. By the time the lace reached the bottom of the gown, the panel was almost a foot wide. It presented an hourglass of lace from the width of her shoulders into the tight waist, then wide again where the hem brushed the floor. It enhanced her figure in the most elegant way, they told her.
Her mother had insisted on the purchase of an emerald-green velvet ribbon to wear as a choker around her neck, and to ornament her hair. Chelsea applauded the end result. Nicole hoped it was perfect for the opera. Her heart even wished it were striking, that Lord Devlin would be proud of her, but she would settle for appropriate tonight. Indeed, she resigned herself to accept whatever response it would garner.
Nicole had decided her hair must be changed as befitted the evening, so Stella had pulled her thick tresses back loosely off her face, tying it with a green ribbon at the top. With the heated curling tongs, Stella made cascading ringlets that hung down the back of her head. The ribbon and lace hung through the curls to complement the matching one around her throat. To finish her coiffure, Stella pulled a few curled wisps of hair around her face.
As she finished her toilette, Lady Beaumont knocked at the door to view the finished effect. The silence was deafening until Chelsea applauded once again and exclaimed, “Nick, you are a princess, a fairy princess!”
Nicole turned toward the doorway and spread her arms wide. “Well, Mama, will I do tonight?” She was mostly teasing, but still needed that bit of reassurance that she would meet the expectations as one of Lord Devlin’s party.
“Oh, Nicky,” her mother cried, “I do not think I can bear it.”
Nicole heard her sobs as she ran scurrying from the room.
The silence once again seemed interminable. Finally, it was Chelsea who came to life as she hugged her older sister. “Nick, you know how she is. She wants so badly for you to be happy that sometimes it makes her unhappy. You truly look so beautiful that I think every man in London will fall in love with you tonight. Only that makes her unhappy, too, because you will not let any of them love you. Couldn’t you try, Nick?”
Nicole was very quiet for a moment while attempting to control her emotions. Then she hugged her sister tightly, so much so that Chelsea squealed as the air rushed out of her. “You, my little imp, are a very special treasure. You must never forget that.” Trying to be cheerful, she swiped at a tear on her cheek and teased Chelsea. “You know, for a moment, when Mama was as silent as the grave, I thought I might be wearing my petticoat on the outside!” When Chelsea giggled, Nicole sent her on her way, saying, “Now do not wait up tonight. I promise I will tell you all about it in the morning. No falling asleep on my settee, understood?”
“Oh, very well, Nick.” She ran for the door, and as she was pulling it closed behind her, she said, “I love you, Nicky.”
“I love you, too, darling,” Nicole whispered to the air.
Immediately another knock sounded on her door, and Toby entered to escort her downstairs. Nicole thanked Stella and took the fan she was pushing into her hand. “You don’t need to stay up. I can undress myself tonight.”
Toby took her arm and told her she looked “very charming.” He even teased her by asking if she was “planning to pop the eyes out any one particular gent, or did she intend to rattle all the gentlemen as a whole?”
She laughed and thanked him. He told her that her mother and Lord Devlin were waiting for her in the foyer, yet she stopped him before they went more than a few feet.
“Toby,” she said, “before we go downstairs, I would like to talk to you about something. I want to ask you
a favor. But please do not laugh at me or berate me. I assure you I am already quite embarrassed.” She sighed and lowered her voice, then began again, “Toby, when you walk down a street and you notice a woman, what are your thoughts?”
Toby felt himself blush for the first time in many years. “I don’t understand, Lady Nick.”
“Yes, you do, Toby. I mean what comes to your mind? Do you think, ‘Oh she is a beauty,’ or, ‘I would hate to have to go home to her each night,’ or even, ‘That one has a nice face but needs to eat less sweets’? I mean, what do you think?”
Toby was palpably uncomfortable. “Well, missy, I guess sometimes I thinks about things like that, but what ’as that got to do with a favor?”
Nicole decided this was important enough to keep trying.
“I want to know what Lord Devlin is thinking when he sees me tonight.” Now she could feel herself blushing! Please forgive my vanity this once, Lord!
There were times her blindness caused her significant embarrassment. “Knowing your thoughts as a man looking at a woman, would that not help you to know the thoughts of Lord Devlin?”
Toby’s response was instantaneous. “’Cor, Lady Nick, I don’t look at no gentlewomen and ’ave those thoughts! Maybe real gentlemen don’t even ’ave those thoughts! ’ow am I gonna know?”
Nicole was losing the battle, but kept fighting. “Toby, I am quite sure men are men, whether lords or servants. I realize you may not be able to tell what Lord Devlin is thinking. There may not be time before we are bundled into the carriage. But, if you can read a look of pleasure or disdain or just nothingness, will you tell me? I have no way to get into a man’s head, and as I cannot see it for myself, I thought…”
“’Cor, why won’t you jest tell the man? I don’t think ’e’s nothing like Doc…’e ain’t like the others.”
She ignored him. “Oh, I know that he will say. ‘You look charming, Lady Nicole,’ just as you did. But I hoped that, as a man, you might be able to tell by his expression what he was really thinking. I shall make it easy for you, I promise. As we walk down the stairs, I shall be completely engrossed in conversation with you. You, of course, will be watching his expressions. You may then lean over and tell me of his reaction.”
“Lady Nick, I don’t know what I’ll be able to tell, but if I sees something that I recognize as a look I might give, I’ll be ’appy to describe it to you.” He felt her smile before he saw it. “But if I may be so bold, you do not need that ’igh and mighty lord’s approval. We as knows you thinks you’re right pretty no matter what you’re wearing.”
Her heart swelled and her countenance stilled. “Thank you, Toby,” she said quietly. “Not only for the compliment but for reminding me that it is what is on the inside of a person that is important.” They began to move together, years of being side by side making their gaits match easily. “Will you forget I even mentioned such folly? I shall remember to value the compliments of my family as I should.” She finished, “Forgive me, Toby. I was just…afraid that if Lord Devlin appears as handsome as I expect he will, that I might disappoint him in some way.”
Descending the first few steps, Toby chuckled. “Lady Nick, I don’t know as ’ow I’d even be able to read ’is lordship’s mind about you. I’ll admit with that full black get up ’e wears and that pitch-dark ’air, ’e will ’ave all the ladies sighing. But God’s ’onest truth, you will be the prettiest one there. I s’pose everyone else will be right jealous.”
“Toby, you are a very good friend to me. I do not think I can ever repay you for all the years I owe you, but I hope you know you have become very important to me. Taking into consideration your tendency to exaggerate, and your decided partiality—” she smiled “—I believe that is the most beautiful compliment I have ever heard! Now I suppose we must go down before they decide to leave me behind.”
Continuing their descent, Nicole could hear her mother and Lord Devlin speaking at the bottom of the steps. Her grip on Toby’s arm tightened, and she shushed him as he began to chuckle. “What is it, Toby?”
“Lady Nick, I may not be no expert on reading minds, but ’is lordship just looked up at you and dropped ’is gloves.”
Nicole’s brows furrowed in question. “I do not understand. What does that mean to a man?”
“It’s like this, ’e ’ears us coming downstairs, ’e looks up and does the dangdest double take you ever saw. Then ’is gloves just kind of fell to the floor like ’e didn’t even realize ’e was ever ’olding them. You could probably catch flies the way his mouth is ’anging open!”
“Toby…” Nicole reproached. Her heart had begun to pound as she realized Toby had granted her ridiculous request. It pounded even more that he thought Devlin was pleased.
“Lady Nick, if I’m lying may my Ma be struck dead by lightning. There ain’t no need to read that man’s mind, ’e knows ’e is seeing a very special sight.”
“Thank you, Toby,” she whispered from the bottom of her heart.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Nicole’s mother immediately hugged her. Lady Beaumont leaned close and whispered, “I am so sorry I ran out earlier, my dear, but you looked so beautiful I could not even speak.” Then louder she said, “Darling Nicky, when I saw you dressed, I knew you needed my emerald and diamond brooch as the finishing touch to your toilette. Will you wear it? We can pin it in the center of your choker, and it will be just enough to dazzle without taking anything away from my beautiful daughter.”
She hugged her mother, “Oh, thank you, Mama, for everything!”
Nicole heard Lord Devlin clear his throat. She turned to him and he took her bare hand in his and raised it to his lips. He held it there longer than was proper, and it sent glowing slivers that went all the way to her heart.
He lowered her hand from his lips, but continued holding on to it, whispering, “I apologize for my bare hands. I must have left my gloves in the carriage. I could not wait one more moment to greet you.”
She felt herself blush, but to cover the sound of her beating heart, she chuckled as she said, “I believe you dropped your gloves on the floor. I am afraid I made you wait too long.”
As he bent to retrieve the offending articles, she teased him. “My lord, all of the women in London must think it very unfair of you to outshine them when you invite them out!”
While he turned her away from him to place her cloak around her shoulders, he whispered earnestly into her ear, “I do not particularly care what the other women in London think. I find I care only for the opinion of one woman tonight, and she stands before me. I take umbrage at your compliment, my lady. Not even the noonday sun beaming on the heather of the moors in Ireland could outshine you.”
Each compliment he gave moved her more than the last. She felt the whole world disappear in her effort to listen to his whispers in her ear. She only hoped he could not hear the pounding of her heart.
If only he were not such an expert with women, she thought. He made her feel so…special, and she did not know how to handle it. She assumed he addressed all women in such a way and did not wish him to think she had changed her intentions of friendship. She laughed his compliments away. “I think it is safe to say your reputation as a flirt remains intact, my lord.”
His sigh told her immediately that she had said the wrong thing.
He turned her back to face him and took her arm. “I think we had better go in order to miss the crush. We can relax with refreshments in the box before the music begins. General Overton and the Hamptons will be meeting us there.”
Heavenly Father, I am in over my head. I confess this situation is all of my making. You never would have had it so. I ask Your forgiveness, Lord, and that You would guide me onto or back to the path You want for me.
Nicole’s prayer was uttered in earnest, but she could only will her heart to match the words.
Chapter Seven
Nicole’s first visit to the theater was magical…and miserable. There was no other descriptio
n for it.
It began quite well. Devlin was very thoughtful, and planned their arrival early to avoid the crush. Those wishing to see what others were wearing, and wishing to be seen in turn, were always fashionably late. He remembered her particular fear of crowds and went out of his way to be sure of her comfort. She truly appreciated his solicitousness; he put her needs before anything else, without even knowing why. Would he have only felt awkward if he had known the truth?
Despite their early arrival, the number of waiting carriages was overwhelming. There was even a frightening moment when Lord Devlin stepped down from their coach. A man on horseback, apparently out of control, nearly ran Devlin down. Had Toby not been there to push him out of harm’s way, he might have been seriously injured. The ladies were aghast at the near miss, but Lord Devlin made light of the episode, then tried to hurry them into the famous auditorium.
In the end, Devlin and Nicole did not have as much time to themselves as planned. Devlin’s other guests arrived very soon after, just as happy to avoid the throng downstairs. As Lord Devlin introduced his guests, it was discovered that General Overton was an old admirer of Lady Beaumont, so the party began very merrily.
Nicole was enchanted with each of Lord Devlin’s friends, and she felt an instant affinity with Lady Hampton. The gentlemen had placed the three ladies in the front seats of the box, and conversation between them was easy and pleasant.
Lady Hampton was nothing if not straightforward. “I am so charmed to finally meet you, Lady Nicole. Dev has told Peter much about you. I confess I find it very intriguing that he would do so about a woman he had known such a short time.” Nicole blushed and Lady Hampton quickly apologized. “My wretched tongue! Please forgive me if I have embarrassed you. Hampton constantly scolds me for saying exactly what is on my mind. But you must know that he was not gossiping about you. We both enjoy sharing the events of the day, and he mentioned your friendship with Devlin. He and Devlin are such old friends. I sometimes feel like Dev is the brother I never had. Is it not funny? I felt such an immediate rapport with you as well!”
