Page 64 of The Best of Friends
Immediate anger burned in Laurence’s eyes. “I don’t know what you did to turn them against me, but I assure you, next Season, you will have no opportunity to do so again.”
It was beyond Laurence’s ability to comprehend his own role in people’s dislike of him. Rosamond was lovely and kind and sweet-natured. Toss didn’t think himself a complete cad. How Laurence was related to either of them defied explanation.
“I will leave you to the expert ministrations of Smith,” Toss said with a slight dip of his head. “And I will see you at the Mullinses’ home tonight.”Unfortunately,he added silently. He slipped from the room and back into the corridor. Every step he took away from Laurence improved his spirits. It also further solidified his goal of living independent of his brother’s financial support and the power that gave Laurence.
His steps were almost jaunty as he took the stairs to the entryway. At that precise moment, the butler stepped into the entryway with a sealed letter on a salver.
“Mr. Comstock,” the man said, offering a quick bow. “This arrived for you a moment ago.”
Under ordinary circumstances, Toss would have waited until after he returned for the evening, but seeing that it had arrived from the very man he had contacted at the Royal Society of Musicians, he knew he couldn’t wait. He offered a quick thank-you and stepped closer to the candle sconces that lit the entryway. He broke the seal and unfolded the paper.
Mr. Thomas Comstock
We have reviewed your request for membership in the Royal Society of Musicians. Most who apply have spent time apprenticed to an established musician or have completed a recognized course of formal education. Ours is not meant to be a society for teaching people to be musicians but rather for furthering the cause of those who already are. Without the completion of your studies and without any form of apprenticeship, we are at a loss as to where you would fit in the Royal Society of Musicians.
We also do not often receive requests for working membership from those of your social standing, but we have a great many who purchase honorary memberships in support of our mission and who participate in some of our activities. We would be honored if you would consider doing that while we attempt to sort out the oddity of your application.
Yours, etc.,
M. Sanford
Toss’s heart dropped to his feet. Purchase anhonorarymembership? He hadn’t an extra quid to his name. He had applied foractualmembership because he needed help achieving some financial independence and the freedom to pursue his musical hopes.
Without the completion of your studies...
Curse Laurence for that! Losing that final term was enough to cost him a place in the Royal Society of Musicians. He had such hopes for his future, and now everything was being snatched away again. Curse him over and over again.
Toss stuffed the letter into the interior pocket of his coat and stepped from the house. He had only until he reached Daria’s home to find a means of summoning some semblance of happiness and joviality. He would not be the storm cloud that dampened Daria’s evening. He would find a way despite the fact that his future—theirfuture—had just crumbled around him.
He had himself sorted enough by the time he was shown into the Mullinses’ music room by a footman who clearly felt he had more important things to see to. Whether that was a reflection of his earnestness to complete his duties on such an important night or the influence of Daria’s parents’ indifference toward their daughter, Toss didn’t know. But it made him even more determined to be a source of support and encouragement for Daria tonight.
He was clearly the last of her friends to arrive, which offered him an easy way of making a lighthearted entrance. “Since Laurence always insists that we not be the last to arrive at a gathering, that beingunfashionable lateness, I believe I have just earned a point.”
That launched a laughing discussion. The Huntresses insisted he ought not get a point because while he was the last of their group to arrive, he was certainly not the last of the guests for the evening. Toss’s friends countered that with the insistence that Laurence likely hadn’t wanted Toss to come early at all, which Toss confirmed.
He was able to keep a smile on his face and a spring in his step, and he very nearly kept his mind off the letter mocking him from inside his pocket.
He might have had greater success in keeping his spirits truly up if Daria hadn’t been so conspicuously absent. He wanted to ask after her, wanted to plead with the group to help him find her. But what would he do once he did? She would be busy the remainder of the night. He’d come to help her, not burden her. And if he were to explain to them that he just needed to know she was nearby because it kept his worries at bay, the teasing would never stop. His mind and heart were too heavy for even good-natured taunting.
So instead, he accepted an assignment to look through the printed music he had brought over the evening before for the use of anyone who wished to perform but didn’t have a piece memorized.
“Sort it in a way that would make sense to a musician,” Artemis further explained.
A musician.How easily this group used that word, and how desperately he needed to hear them do so. His brother thought him a failure. The Royal Society of Musicians wasn’t certain he qualified to be considered a musician. His only public performance tended to support those doubts. But this group of dear and devoted people believed in him. He made a few adjustments to the order of the music, dividing it into three stacks, each containing a different style of music, as some musicians were more comfortable with one than the other.
The work quieted his mind. His ability to quickly manage the sorting assured him he had learned something during his time at Cambridge.
“I had hoped you would be here early enough to go through that.” His heart swelled at the sound of Daria’s voice. “I don’t know the first thing about organizing printed music.”
“I’m glad I could be helpful,” he said, looking up at her.
“Lady Cavratt agreed to open the evening tonight,” Daria said. “Thank you for that suggestion.”
“I’m glad to hear she agreed.”
Daria turned her head a bit, brushing her fingers over her hair, styled in a soft, intricate chignon. “Tobias at last made good on the wager he and I made before the start of the Season. I do like that he chose purple ribbon.”
He smiled at her. “It looks lovely.”
