Elizabeth Rolls – Regency High Society Vol 3: Beloved Virago / Lord Trenchard's Choice / The Unruly Chaperon / Colonel Ancroft's Love (страница 4)
‘Possibly,’ the Major answered, clearly unwilling to commit himself.
‘By the by, I had heard that you’d sold your commission,’ Sir Giles remarked with an abrupt change of subject. ‘What will you find to do with yourself now your career in the army is at an end?’
‘Look after the property I’ve neglected for far too long.’
‘Ah! So those old, festering wounds have finally healed, have they? I’m glad to hear that you are ready to settle down.’
Daniel stared intently into the baronet’s shrewd eyes. ‘My God!’ he muttered, experiencing a mixture of anger and grudging respect. ‘Not much ever escapes you, does it, Osborne?’
Just a hint of smug satisfaction crept into Sir Giles’s expression. ‘I have endeavoured over the years to ensure that not much ever does. And since you are to attend a reunion dinner you must have brought suitable evening attire.’
‘Only my dress uniform,’ Daniel disclosed.
‘Excellent! Then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t attend the party tonight.’
‘I think I shall wear the pearls, Bridie,’ Katherine decided, after studying her overall appearance in the full-length mirror.
Although Bridie’s apron had covered many duties over the years, including those of nursemaid, housekeeper and cook, she was also a very proficient lady’s maid, and Katherine was delighted with the more elaborate arrangement of her auburn curls. She was satisfied too with her choice of gown for the special evening ahead. She had wished to look her best for the occasion, and considered the dark green velvet dress suited her very well, its soft folds emphasising the shapely slen-derness of her figure, while its colour subtly enhanced the green in her eyes.
‘I think we chose wisely when we selected this new gown,’ she remarked, seating herself once again at the dressing table in order that Bridie, several inches shorter, might fasten the pearl necklace more easily, while she herself concentrated on securing the matching earrings to her small lobes. ‘It makes me appear neither a chit just emerged from the schoolroom, nor yet a female at her last prayers.’
Bridie could not help smiling to herself at this candid admission. Her young mistress was so lacking in conceit that she could never be made to appreciate just how very lovely she was. Blessed with delicate, regular features, and a trim shapely figure, she had little difficulty in igniting a glint of admiration in the vast majority of masculine eyes, even in those not disposed to admire her particular colouring. ‘You look lovely, Miss Katherine.’
This sentiment was echoed a few moments later when Mrs Wentworth entered the bedchamber to bear her niece company down to the large salon where the party was to be held. ‘Every time I look at you, Katherine, I am struck by the resemblance you bear your dear mother,’ she admitted, not reluctant to disclose the thoughts that had passed through her mind shortly after her niece’s arrival earlier in the day.
Katherine, her eyes shadowed by a moment’s bitter regret, cast a surreptitious glance up at her aunt through the dressing-table mirror. Undeniably her mother had been the far prettier sister. None the less, she might have wished that her mother had possessed some of her younger sibling’s strength of character. Her dear aunt, Katherine felt sure, would not wither like an exotic bloom touched by the first frost if—God forbid!—anything should ever happen to her husband. Lavinia Wentworth would fight and survive for the sake of her children.
‘And you resemble your maternal grandmother too, now I come to consider the matter,’ Mrs Wentworth added. ‘Little wonder dear Papa was so very fond of you!’
‘And I was very fond of him,’ Katherine was not slow to confess. ‘My one bitter regret is that we were not given the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company for a great deal longer.’
‘Yes, I too feel that was a pity,’ her aunt agreed softly. ‘My father, I clearly remember, very much appreciated modesty in our sex. Surprisingly enough, though, he also admired intelligent women who were not afraid to voice their opinions. He would have found much pleasure in your company, my dear.’
Katherine couldn’t prevent a wry smile at this, as she cast a brief glance in her maid’s direction. ‘You are the second person today who has remarked on the fact that I am not afraid to speak my mind,’ she admitted, rising to her feet, and entwining her arm through her aunt’s. ‘However, I promise to be on my best behaviour this evening, and will endeavour to keep a firm hold on my occasionally ungovernable tongue.’
Katherine then accompanied her highly amused aunt downstairs to the large salon, there to discover both her cousin, looking bright-eyed and excited, and her uncle, noticeably less so, hovering near the door in readiness to receive their guests.
Captain Richard Charlesworth, accompanied by his family, and a large party of friends, was the first to arrive, and very soon afterwards Katherine, without quite knowing how it had come about, found herself seated beside Caroline’s future mother-in-law.
Possibly because she had had experience of dealing with haughty, opinionated matrons, her great-aunt Augusta having possessed a somewhat vitriolic tongue, Katherine was disposed to be more amused than annoyed by the Dowager Lady Charlesworth’s blunt manner and caustic remarks. Added to which, Katherine was determined not to do or say anything that might lessen her sweet-natured cousin’s enjoyment of what, quite naturally for Caroline, was a very special occasion. Consequently she bore with great fortitude the dictatorial matron’s company for a full twenty minutes, and was even gracious enough to agree to partner the Dowager in a rubber or two of whist later, before cunningly engineering her escape.
‘Do not allow my mama to monopolise you, Miss O’Malley,’ an amused voice whispered in her ear, and Katherine turned to discover the newly engaged couple standing directly behind her.
Caroline bestowed a look of mild disapproval upon her future husband. ‘Now that we are officially betrothed, I think you might be a little less formal with my cousin, Richard.’
‘I should be delighted to comply, providing Miss O’Malley has no objection, that is?’
Katherine was not slow to assure him that she had none, for she very much approved of her cousin’s future husband, appreciating his gentlemanly and unaffected manners. ‘I assume that you two have abandoned your positions by the door in order to lead the first set of country dances.’
‘We have indeed,’ Caroline confirmed. ‘And I had better warn you now that you are unlikely to be sitting by the wall yourself for any length of time. All of Richard’s army friends are intent on securing you for a partner.’
‘And I dare swear I shall be too weak-willed to refuse,’ Katherine responded with more tact than truth, for unlike the majority of her sex she had never been drawn to a gentleman merely because he happened to be sporting a scarlet coat. Nevertheless, she felt obliged to add, as she glanced about the room at the numerous dress uniforms on display that evening, ‘I believe it is grossly unfair to permit officers to attend parties wearing regimentals. They look so very smart and dashing that they cast those in plain evening garb quite into the shade.’
‘They do indeed,’ Caroline agreed, before catching sight of a new arrival wearing a very striking dark green uniform of almost exactly the same shade as her cousin’s lovely dress. ‘Who is that, Richard? Surely not a cavalry officer?’
‘No, indeed, m’dear. That is the uniform worn by riflemen. Can’t say I recognise the fellow, though.’ He appeared genuinely intrigued. ‘There’s a few minutes wanting before we need take the floor. If you will both excuse me, I’ll go over and discover who he is.’
‘Mama appears very well pleased to see him, at any rate,’ Caroline was not slow to observe, after Richard had departed. ‘He’s with Sir Giles Osborne’s party. I wonder who he is? I’ve certainly never seen him before.’
Katherine cast the merest glance over the distinguished, grey-haired baronet and the middle-aged lady clad in a rather startling orange gown, before focusing her attention on the well-muscled gentleman sporting the smart green regimentals. ‘Great heavens!’ she muttered as he turned at Richard’s approach, and she saw his features clearly for the first time. ‘It cannot be …’
Caroline regarded her cousin with slightly raised brows. ‘Are you acquainted with him, Katherine?’
‘Yes … no … well, I’m not sure. But I do believe he’s none other than the gentleman I bumped into earlier today when I put up at that posting-house. What a coincidence!’
Once again Katherine found herself teased by that elusive memory annoyingly playing hide-and-seek in the recesses of her brain, while at the same time experiencing a rather startling surge of pleasure at seeing him again so unexpectedly. She watched his approach with keen interest, admiring the fluid way he moved, the way he seemed to stand out from the other gentlemen present. Then, for the second time that day, she found herself gazing up into those attractive dark eyes, which clearly betrayed recognition.