Read Online A Loving Spirit by Amanda Mccabe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Amanda Mccabe
Ads: Link
the tin ear calling me tone-deaf! I thought earls were supposed to be gallant, or at the very least polite."
"Very well! I am very sorry, Miss Richards. Please forgive me for my rudeness. Why don't you play the solo part, and I will turn the pages?"
Cassie looked from him to the music doubtfully. The truth was, she was a bit tone-deaf, and had always detested the music lessons her father made her take. Only politeness to Lady Royce, who had asked her to play for them, had made her sit down at the pianoforte. She had not thought Lord Royce would join her there, and now her self-consciousness was making her rather testy.
She gave him an apologetic little smile and said, "I do not really feel like playing anymore. Perhaps you would favor us with a song, and I will just go and sit down by the fire for a while."
"As you wish, Miss Richards," he answered. "But I really do apologize for what I said. I am sure you are truly a masterful musician."
"Apology accepted," she said with a laugh. "But flattery denied. I am really a horrible musician."
"That cannot be true."
Oh, but it was true. And what was worse, Cassie found as she went to sit down beside Lady Royce, Lord Royce was quite a competent musician. Not a Mozart, by any means, but tuneful and regular. Only trying to keep up with her had made him play in the wrong key.
She had to laugh inwardly at herself, for always behaving like such a silly goose around him.
"Your aunt and I were just talking about what your life must have been like before you came to England, my dear Miss Richards," Lady Royce said. "How interesting it must have been in Jamaica! And how very different from here."
That was certainly undeniable. "It is rather different, yes."
"But you did say that your parents gave a great many entertainments. There must have been some society there."
"There were the families from the neighboring plantations, like Mr. Bates and his sister, and the Smith-Thompkins, and several people who lived in Negril. They came quite often to our house, and we went into town frequently. After Mother died, Father and I kept to ourselves more, but we still went to card parties and musicales, and even the occasional ball. No, there was no lack of society in Jamaica, Lady Royce."
"You must have had a good many suitors, too," Lady Royce said, pretending great absorption in her embroidery.
"A few," Cassie answered, thinking especially of the persistent Mr. Bates, who had come to the docks to propose one last time before she left.
He had certainly been very different from Lord Royce, loud and boastful. He had probably never opened a book in his life.
"But you accepted none of them?" Lady Royce persisted.
"I did not care for any of them in that way."
"Oh, yes, I see." Lady Royce chuckled. "Yes, I do see."
Chat laughed.
Cassie wondered what they were up to, but she was just too tired to puzzle it out at present. "I think I will just go check on Antoinette before I retire, if you will excuse me."
"Oh, yes, dear, do," said Chat. "Make sure she has drunk the brandy and warm milk we sent up."
"I will. Good night, Aunt Chat, Lady Royce." Cassie kissed her aunt's cheek, and left the drawing room with the strains of Mozart floating behind her.
* * *
Antoinette was not alone in her chamber. Sitting across from her at a small table, playing what appeared to be a game of Beggar My Neighbor, was Louisa. She was wearing a cloak tonight, a puffy blue satin affair, with the hood pushed back and her golden ringlets spilling free.
"There you are," said Antoinette, studying the cards in her hand. "We've been waiting for you."
Cassie went and sat down in the empty chair at the table. "Have you? For what?"
"I thought you might like to meet Sir Belvedere tonight." Louisa laid down another card and crowed, "I win again! I suppose my card-playing skills are not so dormant as I thought."
Antoinette shook her head. "It is not fair! You have had almost two hundred years to practice."
"You've had
"Very well! I am very sorry, Miss Richards. Please forgive me for my rudeness. Why don't you play the solo part, and I will turn the pages?"
Cassie looked from him to the music doubtfully. The truth was, she was a bit tone-deaf, and had always detested the music lessons her father made her take. Only politeness to Lady Royce, who had asked her to play for them, had made her sit down at the pianoforte. She had not thought Lord Royce would join her there, and now her self-consciousness was making her rather testy.
She gave him an apologetic little smile and said, "I do not really feel like playing anymore. Perhaps you would favor us with a song, and I will just go and sit down by the fire for a while."
"As you wish, Miss Richards," he answered. "But I really do apologize for what I said. I am sure you are truly a masterful musician."
"Apology accepted," she said with a laugh. "But flattery denied. I am really a horrible musician."
"That cannot be true."
Oh, but it was true. And what was worse, Cassie found as she went to sit down beside Lady Royce, Lord Royce was quite a competent musician. Not a Mozart, by any means, but tuneful and regular. Only trying to keep up with her had made him play in the wrong key.
She had to laugh inwardly at herself, for always behaving like such a silly goose around him.
"Your aunt and I were just talking about what your life must have been like before you came to England, my dear Miss Richards," Lady Royce said. "How interesting it must have been in Jamaica! And how very different from here."
That was certainly undeniable. "It is rather different, yes."
"But you did say that your parents gave a great many entertainments. There must have been some society there."
"There were the families from the neighboring plantations, like Mr. Bates and his sister, and the Smith-Thompkins, and several people who lived in Negril. They came quite often to our house, and we went into town frequently. After Mother died, Father and I kept to ourselves more, but we still went to card parties and musicales, and even the occasional ball. No, there was no lack of society in Jamaica, Lady Royce."
"You must have had a good many suitors, too," Lady Royce said, pretending great absorption in her embroidery.
"A few," Cassie answered, thinking especially of the persistent Mr. Bates, who had come to the docks to propose one last time before she left.
He had certainly been very different from Lord Royce, loud and boastful. He had probably never opened a book in his life.
"But you accepted none of them?" Lady Royce persisted.
"I did not care for any of them in that way."
"Oh, yes, I see." Lady Royce chuckled. "Yes, I do see."
Chat laughed.
Cassie wondered what they were up to, but she was just too tired to puzzle it out at present. "I think I will just go check on Antoinette before I retire, if you will excuse me."
"Oh, yes, dear, do," said Chat. "Make sure she has drunk the brandy and warm milk we sent up."
"I will. Good night, Aunt Chat, Lady Royce." Cassie kissed her aunt's cheek, and left the drawing room with the strains of Mozart floating behind her.
* * *
Antoinette was not alone in her chamber. Sitting across from her at a small table, playing what appeared to be a game of Beggar My Neighbor, was Louisa. She was wearing a cloak tonight, a puffy blue satin affair, with the hood pushed back and her golden ringlets spilling free.
"There you are," said Antoinette, studying the cards in her hand. "We've been waiting for you."
Cassie went and sat down in the empty chair at the table. "Have you? For what?"
"I thought you might like to meet Sir Belvedere tonight." Louisa laid down another card and crowed, "I win again! I suppose my card-playing skills are not so dormant as I thought."
Antoinette shook her head. "It is not fair! You have had almost two hundred years to practice."
"You've had
Similar Books
