Page 45 of Foolish Bride
“So glad you could come, Lady Elinor. I know Dorothea will be happy you are here to hear her play.” Lady Castlereagh grinned like a cat who’d caught her mouse.
Lord Castlereagh turned to Dory. “You look truly lovely, my dear.” Tall and handsome, he was still a favorite among the ladies.
“Thank you, Father.” She smiled, but it did not light her eyes.
“I understand you are to play for us tonight.” He kissed her cheek.
“Yes, Father. Mother has made a special request.” Dory dipped into a small curtsy for both her parents.
“I look forward to it, Dorothea.”
Dory took Elinor’s hand, and they escaped into the ballroom.
“Are you all right?” Dory asked.
“I am glad you and your mother came to an understanding about your playing.”
Dory shrugged. “She made me feel guilty, so I agreed to play for twenty minutes and not a minute longer. But I was asking howyouare, not about my family squabble.”
Elinor had hoped to escape more conversation about her situation. “Fine. I was nervous earlier, but now I feel quite well.”
“Why is that?”
“I took a taste of Father’s brandy.” She made a face. “Tasted like the devil, but it did take the edge off of my nerves.”
Dory shook her head. “Don’t get drunk. You must keep your wits about you. Both Michael and Middleton will be here tonight.”
“Are you sure?”
Nodding, Dory patted Elinor’s hand. “Middleton is already here, and he is heading this way. I wonder where Sophia is.”
“They are always late,” Elinor said.
As elegant as the prince himself, Middleton arrived and bowed. “Good evening, ladies. Lady Elinor, may I request the first dance?”
Her cheeks heated. Damn her fair skin. “Thank you, your grace. I would be delighted.”
The music had not yet started.
He kissed her hand. “Until then.”
Several other young men came by and asked for dances from both ladies.
“Kerburghe had better get here soon if he wishes to have a dance with you. Your card is almost full already,” Dorothea said.
There would always be space on her card for a dance with Michael.
When the music began, Middleton came to claim his partner. “You look beautiful, Lady Elinor.”
It was a moment before the dance brought them together again. “Thank you, your grace.”
On the next pass, he gazed into her eyes. “Did you enjoy the play the other night?”
“I love the theatre, and while the play itself was foolish, I think the message was quite good.”
Middleton cut a fine figure, in black with a crisp white shirt and perfectly tied cravat. He cocked his head and took the hand of the next woman before coming back to Elinor. “What message are you referring to?”
“Love.”
