Read Online Madrigals And Mistletoe by Hayley A. Solomon - Free Book Online Page A

instantly served to restore a modicum of her good humour, since she naturally assumed he was suitably awed and honoured by her presence. Of course, it was no such thing. Captain Argyll was merely stunned to see his best friend’s mother grace what he had thought a rather shabby and provincial residence. Indeed, the duchess’s presence alarmed him somewhat, for if his pupil moved in the first circles, his secret would be harder to keep. He just prayed Mrs. Camfrey would not take it into her head to travel to Bath. If she did, he would be undone indeed.
    None of these thoughts showed on his face as he gravely acknowledged Cordelia, then Seraphina in turn. Whilst the elder Miss Camfrey curtsied prettily and murmured something quite suitable to the occasion, Seraphina was struck dumb. Cordelia had been anxious that her sister would say something outrageous to offend. Instead, it was nothing of the kind. She was gaping like a fish and needed to be prompted before making a rather harum-scarum curtsy and blushing quite delightfully.
    For Seraphina, lively—mischievous, naughty Seraphina—had just made a most unsuitable discovery. In less than a second she had fallen for her music master and all the activity in the room faded into nothingness as her eyes met and held quite the most beautiful man she had ever seen.
    If Captain Argyll felt a similar stirring, nothing in his demeanour suggested it. He gravely took Seraphina’s gloved fingers in his and promised to do his best by her. She made no objection to this rather high-handed pronouncement, but rather gazed soulfully into his eyes and suggested they adjourn at once to the music room.
    Ancilla’s eyes met Cordelia’s over their heads. Her expression was so outrageously smug that the elder daughter nearly choked. She wouldn’t have put it past Ancilla to choose a music master so charming that Seraphina would not make the faintest protest at having to practice her lessons. Ancilla’s way was always the most flighty, but in the strangest manner she invariably achieved what she wanted.
    The duchess looked slightly disapproving, commenting that, whilst Seraphina undoubtedly needed to hone her musical skills, the haste seemed unwarranted. The younger Miss Camfrey had the grace to blush and Cordelia rushed to the rescue, stating that both sisters had been certain the duchess would want to be private with their mama and so had arranged for other afternoon activities. At this, her grace inclined her head regally and acknowledged that this was so. She did wish to speak alone with Ancilla.
    Captain Argyll’s clear blue eyes meekly met those of the duchess and Mrs. Camfrey. He allowed himself to be steered out by both sisters without so much as a backwards glance.
    Her grace produced her lorgnette once again and stared out past him. A puzzled frown furrowed her forehead as she tapped her stick against the floor. “I have the oddest notion I have seen that boy before!”
    Ancilla shook her head. “Impossible, your grace! I personally inspected his references and they state quite positively he has been out of England gone on ten years now. He has been situated in Spain, Italy and India I believe.”
    Since the references had been hastily scrawled by the captain himself, he had found it necessary to deal in half-truths, sketchily outlining a life abroad that could have been true, had he not been otherwise engaged in doing service to king and country. Of course, the Iberian War had kept him on the Peninsula for close on two years, so the Spanish part of the fabrication was semiveracious at least. The duchess remained unconvinced, but she shook her head at the memory that was patently eluding her.
    â€œYes, well, we are not here to discuss music masters I suppose!”
    Ancilla desisted from asking what they were here to discuss. Of late she had learned patience and her grace would probably not take kindly to prompting. She therefore assented