ask—although if she could judge by the man’s pained expression, he was attempting to screw up his courage. Figuring ten seconds in his arms would cure Amanda’s second thoughts, she laid a gentle hand on her friend’s back. “You definitely should dance with him,” she declared, subtly steering her protégé toward her ill-chosen fiancé. “It would be the polite thing, after all. And after that, we’ll see about having Aunt Frances introduce you to some more-promising men.”
Lord Malmsey’s eyes widened as they approached, and Juliana saw him swallow hard. Taking pity on the poor man, she smiled when they drew near. “LadyAmanda was just telling me she hoped you’d ask her to dance.”
“Very well,” he said. Amanda said nothing. The strains of a waltz rose into the air, and the two of them walked off.
Or rather, they shuffled off. Frances joined Juliana and watched them face each other and begin dancing. “They don’t seem a proper match.”
“No, they don’t,” Juliana agreed. She’d never seen a more awkward couple. Due to Amanda’s height, she and Lord Malmsey danced eye to eye. But beneath his high, creased forehead, Lord Malmsey’s gaze looked shy and hooded, flicking only briefly toward his fianceé. Amanda looked utterly despondent.
On the other side of the ballroom, Juliana spotted Lord Neville ambling out of the refreshment room. “Wait here,” she told Frances. “I see Emily’s father, and he rarely stays long at any ball.” Since the man had two heirs and no plans to take a fourth wife, he spent his evenings with various mistresses or gambling at his club. “I simply must speak to him about that snake before he leaves. It will take but a moment, and then as soon as Amanda is finished dancing, we’ll find some men who are more suitable.”
What a lucky thing Aunt Frances had her head perpetually in the clouds. Amanda’s own aunt would have been unlikely to cooperate with undermining her father’s plans, Juliana thought as she made a beeline for Viscount Neville.
“Lord Neville, if I may speak with you for a moment?”
“Ah, yes, my dear, of course.” Emily’s father was blond and gray-eyed like his daughter, tall and a bit hefty—not fat, but a big man. As he seemed to overindulge in everything, Juliana wasn’t surprised to see a plate in his hand, filled with a variety of morsels from the refreshment room. He took a hearty bite of a biscuit. “What can I do to help you?”
“It’s about Emily—”
“Ah, yes. I do appreciate the interest you’ve taken in my girl.”
“She’s a delight.” Juliana smiled as he swallowed thebiscuit and followed it with a grape. “But I’m wondering if I can prevail on you to discourage her from taking Herman out in public. It’s not the thing for a young lady to carry a snake.”
“Ah, yes,” he repeated. “But my Emily is very attached to Herman. She and her mother found him in the garden the very day before my wife died.” He plucked three more grapes off the bunch and popped them into his mouth.
“I’m aware of that, sir. But earlier this week when we visited the shops, a patron at Grafton House fainted dead away at the sight of Emily’s snake.” While that wasn’t quite true, it could have been true. A number of customers at Grafton House had been horrified, not to mention the poor seamstress, Mrs. Huntley. “If only you’d heard the shrieks of dismay, Lord Neville. It was not the sort of scene a young lady should inspire.”
Apparently the viscount found that more amusing than distressing, because he laughed.
And then he stopped.
In fact, not only had he stopped laughing, it looked as though he’d stopped breathing as well. The plate dropped from his hands, shattering on the parquet floor as he clutched at his throat and chest. His mouth was open, but he seemed unable to speak. His skin was turning blue.
“Dear heavens!” Juliana exclaimed loudly enough to have the people nearby looking over.
Lord Malmsey’s eyes widened as they approached, and Juliana saw him swallow hard. Taking pity on the poor man, she smiled when they drew near. “LadyAmanda was just telling me she hoped you’d ask her to dance.”
“Very well,” he said. Amanda said nothing. The strains of a waltz rose into the air, and the two of them walked off.
Or rather, they shuffled off. Frances joined Juliana and watched them face each other and begin dancing. “They don’t seem a proper match.”
“No, they don’t,” Juliana agreed. She’d never seen a more awkward couple. Due to Amanda’s height, she and Lord Malmsey danced eye to eye. But beneath his high, creased forehead, Lord Malmsey’s gaze looked shy and hooded, flicking only briefly toward his fianceé. Amanda looked utterly despondent.
On the other side of the ballroom, Juliana spotted Lord Neville ambling out of the refreshment room. “Wait here,” she told Frances. “I see Emily’s father, and he rarely stays long at any ball.” Since the man had two heirs and no plans to take a fourth wife, he spent his evenings with various mistresses or gambling at his club. “I simply must speak to him about that snake before he leaves. It will take but a moment, and then as soon as Amanda is finished dancing, we’ll find some men who are more suitable.”
What a lucky thing Aunt Frances had her head perpetually in the clouds. Amanda’s own aunt would have been unlikely to cooperate with undermining her father’s plans, Juliana thought as she made a beeline for Viscount Neville.
“Lord Neville, if I may speak with you for a moment?”
“Ah, yes, my dear, of course.” Emily’s father was blond and gray-eyed like his daughter, tall and a bit hefty—not fat, but a big man. As he seemed to overindulge in everything, Juliana wasn’t surprised to see a plate in his hand, filled with a variety of morsels from the refreshment room. He took a hearty bite of a biscuit. “What can I do to help you?”
“It’s about Emily—”
“Ah, yes. I do appreciate the interest you’ve taken in my girl.”
“She’s a delight.” Juliana smiled as he swallowed thebiscuit and followed it with a grape. “But I’m wondering if I can prevail on you to discourage her from taking Herman out in public. It’s not the thing for a young lady to carry a snake.”
“Ah, yes,” he repeated. “But my Emily is very attached to Herman. She and her mother found him in the garden the very day before my wife died.” He plucked three more grapes off the bunch and popped them into his mouth.
“I’m aware of that, sir. But earlier this week when we visited the shops, a patron at Grafton House fainted dead away at the sight of Emily’s snake.” While that wasn’t quite true, it could have been true. A number of customers at Grafton House had been horrified, not to mention the poor seamstress, Mrs. Huntley. “If only you’d heard the shrieks of dismay, Lord Neville. It was not the sort of scene a young lady should inspire.”
Apparently the viscount found that more amusing than distressing, because he laughed.
And then he stopped.
In fact, not only had he stopped laughing, it looked as though he’d stopped breathing as well. The plate dropped from his hands, shattering on the parquet floor as he clutched at his throat and chest. His mouth was open, but he seemed unable to speak. His skin was turning blue.
“Dear heavens!” Juliana exclaimed loudly enough to have the people nearby looking over.
Similar Books
