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Authors: Jillian Eaton
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studied the window for the briefest of moments before standing on tiptoe to unlock the latch at the top. “Honestly, dear. Don’t you ever look at how something works before you try to work it?”
“Not often,” Grace admitted with a cheeky grin. Dropping her entire head and shoulders through the opening, she sighed in relief. “Ah, so much better.”
“You are going to fall out,” Josephine predicted mildly.
“I fell out of a window last summer,” Grace reminded her, her voice slightly muffled. “I can’t do it twice in a row.”
“Yes, well, best you come back inside. Lord Melbourne has just arrived.”
Grace sat up so fast she slammed her forehead against the bottom of the window. Grimacing, she jumping down from the windowsill, promptly turned one ankle, and went hopping across the room like some deranged rabbit.
Observing the general chaos that seemed to follow her friend where ever she went, Josephine clucked her tongue and went to intercept Lord Melbourne, subtly closing the pocket doors to the parlor behind her to give Grace a moment to compose herself.
She found the Earl of Terraview with the Duke of Kensington. Both were hunched over the bar in the Duke’s private study, but only one was drinking. As Josephine approached with her usual catlike grace Lord Melbourne, the esteemed Earl of Terraview , sipped from his glass of brandy and set it down beside him. Of the two men it was the Duke, despite his lack of drink, who looked the worse for wear and a secretive smile pulled at the corners of Josephine’s mouth, for she knew the reason why and was vastly amused by it.
“Good afternoon, gentleman,” she said by way of announcing her presence.
“Lady Garamond, have you heard anything? Have you been up to see her?” Marcus lurched away from the bar, his face drawn tight with worry.
I was quite right, Josephine thought to herself. He does indeed look like he is going to pass out at any moment . “Not a thing dear,” she chirped. “And no, I have most certainly not been up to see her. Margaret is the only one brave enough for that particular duty and I am certain when there is news to share she will come down and share it. Surely, there is nothing to worry about.”
“Nothing to worry about?” he repeated in a strained voice. “She has been up there for four hours!”
“Having a child takes time, Marcus,” Lord Melbourne drawled from the bar. “Have a drink or three. It will calm your nerves.”
“The Duke no longer drinks –” Josephine began.
“I no longer drink –” Marcus started to say.
They cut each other off and exchanged a brief smile. It was well known – at least among their close knit circle of friends, which Lord Melbourne had just recently joined courtesy of his engagement to Grace – that Marcus had sworn off spirits the moment Catherine came back into his life.
Lord Melbourne shrugged. “Suit yourself ,” he said as he raised his glass to take another sip.
Josephine used that opportunity to study Lord Melbourne beneath her exceedingly long lashes. She had only met the man once before, and her opinion now was much the same as it had been then – she didn’t like the Earl of Terraview . Not at all. Oh, on paper he was splendid: wealthy, well pedigreed, and there was no denying his physical appeal. But in person… Well, there was something quite off about the man. He was too aloof. Too detached. Too stiff in the upper lip. Not to mention the small fact that he was engaged to her best friend. Josephine could quite simply not figure out what Grace saw in the man or, if she was being brutally honest, what he saw in her. Grace was beautiful and sweet and charmingly clumsy, all traits which made her perfect for someone – if that someone was not Lord Melbourne.
“Yes, well,” she said finally. “I shall return to the parlor and leave you men to it. Hold tight,” she advised Marcus, her violet eyes sparkling with sympathy. “Catherine is strong and
“Not often,” Grace admitted with a cheeky grin. Dropping her entire head and shoulders through the opening, she sighed in relief. “Ah, so much better.”
“You are going to fall out,” Josephine predicted mildly.
“I fell out of a window last summer,” Grace reminded her, her voice slightly muffled. “I can’t do it twice in a row.”
“Yes, well, best you come back inside. Lord Melbourne has just arrived.”
Grace sat up so fast she slammed her forehead against the bottom of the window. Grimacing, she jumping down from the windowsill, promptly turned one ankle, and went hopping across the room like some deranged rabbit.
Observing the general chaos that seemed to follow her friend where ever she went, Josephine clucked her tongue and went to intercept Lord Melbourne, subtly closing the pocket doors to the parlor behind her to give Grace a moment to compose herself.
She found the Earl of Terraview with the Duke of Kensington. Both were hunched over the bar in the Duke’s private study, but only one was drinking. As Josephine approached with her usual catlike grace Lord Melbourne, the esteemed Earl of Terraview , sipped from his glass of brandy and set it down beside him. Of the two men it was the Duke, despite his lack of drink, who looked the worse for wear and a secretive smile pulled at the corners of Josephine’s mouth, for she knew the reason why and was vastly amused by it.
“Good afternoon, gentleman,” she said by way of announcing her presence.
“Lady Garamond, have you heard anything? Have you been up to see her?” Marcus lurched away from the bar, his face drawn tight with worry.
I was quite right, Josephine thought to herself. He does indeed look like he is going to pass out at any moment . “Not a thing dear,” she chirped. “And no, I have most certainly not been up to see her. Margaret is the only one brave enough for that particular duty and I am certain when there is news to share she will come down and share it. Surely, there is nothing to worry about.”
“Nothing to worry about?” he repeated in a strained voice. “She has been up there for four hours!”
“Having a child takes time, Marcus,” Lord Melbourne drawled from the bar. “Have a drink or three. It will calm your nerves.”
“The Duke no longer drinks –” Josephine began.
“I no longer drink –” Marcus started to say.
They cut each other off and exchanged a brief smile. It was well known – at least among their close knit circle of friends, which Lord Melbourne had just recently joined courtesy of his engagement to Grace – that Marcus had sworn off spirits the moment Catherine came back into his life.
Lord Melbourne shrugged. “Suit yourself ,” he said as he raised his glass to take another sip.
Josephine used that opportunity to study Lord Melbourne beneath her exceedingly long lashes. She had only met the man once before, and her opinion now was much the same as it had been then – she didn’t like the Earl of Terraview . Not at all. Oh, on paper he was splendid: wealthy, well pedigreed, and there was no denying his physical appeal. But in person… Well, there was something quite off about the man. He was too aloof. Too detached. Too stiff in the upper lip. Not to mention the small fact that he was engaged to her best friend. Josephine could quite simply not figure out what Grace saw in the man or, if she was being brutally honest, what he saw in her. Grace was beautiful and sweet and charmingly clumsy, all traits which made her perfect for someone – if that someone was not Lord Melbourne.
“Yes, well,” she said finally. “I shall return to the parlor and leave you men to it. Hold tight,” she advised Marcus, her violet eyes sparkling with sympathy. “Catherine is strong and
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