Page 23 of Captivating the Countess
She walked off, no doubt to spread the word of what a generous gentleman he was. Rain didn’t feel generous.
He felt frustrated enough to follow his sister’s suggestion, say to hell with heirs and protocol, and see if the countess would warm his bed.
Nine
The pinnacleof the house party was, of course, a “small fête” in the grandiose ballroom. Even the guests participated in decorating to some theme Bell assumed had to do with a winter wonderland, since barren sticks adorned with silver paper, gold glass birds, and silver and gold bows appeared in pots of greenery.
Bell noticed Alicia had a decided flair for persuasion. She talked her brother into allowing bidding on dance cards, with the ladies allowed to pay to remove any names they wished, in the interest of charity. The gentleman had to decide whether it was worth topping the lady’s bid to pay for another slot. The game had all the appeal of a horse race for the gambling addicts.
Bell was given the task of keeping track of the payments. She noticed Rainford didn’t participate—other than to foot the expense for the entire affair.
The ballroom wing was far enough from the duke’s chambers that the music shouldn’t disturb him. He only grumbled a little when told he didn’t need to attend, that it wasn’t a formal affair requiring his presence. Bell was growing fond of the older man—perhaps because the voice in her head grew quiet when she visited.
“What are you wearing this evening?” Alicia demanded as she entered Bell’s office. She set down the box of cash her guests had deposited in their war of affections. “I hope it’s the gold lace with the black and gold silk skirt. You’ll look very dashing and mysterious.”
Bell picked up the books she’d meant to spend reading in peace this evening. “I haven’t purchased a dance card. I thought I might stop a while and listen to the music, but I’m looking forward to a quiet evening.”
“Every evening here is quiet!” Alicia protested. “You must come, if only to prevent Rain from abandoning my best friend in the middle of the dance floor. He’s utterly impossible!”
“I’m quite certain your brother can fend for himself. I imagine he’s been doing so since you were in the nursery. I have never seen him be rude to anyone.” She waited for Alicia to leave her small office so she could lock the door.
Alicia flounced into the hall but didn’t go farther. “He is abominably rude when he chooses to be. He’ll make excuses of business or patients or whatever pops into his head and escape. I swear, if he didn’t go through mistresses like water, I’d say he didn’t like women.”
Bell didn’t know whether to laugh or be shocked. “I’m fairly certain he likes women. What he doesn’t like is ladies. And you should apply yourself to your own love life before you try matchmaking for others. You need to know of what you speak.”
She knew when Rainlookedat her. She was female enough to appreciate his male attention—and to appreciate that he didn’t act on it. She was an employee, after all. It would be extremely rude if he pushed himself at her as his cousin tried.
Alicia wrinkled up her nose and took some of the books Bell carried. “The gentlemen only talk of horses and gambling and treat me as if I’m an empty-headed doll, when they look at me at all. I think I prefer being a spinster. It’s not as if I need to marry.”
“Now stop and think about what you said and apply it to your brother.”
“No one thinks of Rain as empty headed!”
Bell remained silent, waiting for Alicia to work it out on her own.
“He is intelligent and handsome and wealthy and...” Her voice trailed off. “And titled, and they see him as a treasure chest who can provide their every desire. On the whole, they’re empty-headed dolls,” she added with a sigh of resignation.
“And he was willing to be the nonentity they require when he chose Araminta, simply out of duty. Now consider whether it is better for him, and presumably any wife he chooses, to be miserable for the rest of their lives, or for all of you to hope that Teddy will mature and not go too mad with the family fortune.”
Alicia sulked but didn’t argue the point. She returned to her original protest. “You still need to be there. You cannot bury yourself in books. What if there is a gentleman there who might makeyouhappy?”
Given her weakness, Bell did not think that a possibility. But she had left Craigmore with the intent to experience more of life than she had, so she supposed she should attend. She did enjoy music.
“I’ll sit in the corner and watch for a while,” she agreed. “But the lace is far too grand. I am only the steward here, after all.”
“Oh, fie, you’re a countess. One as pig-headed as Rainford, admittedly. Perhaps titles go to one’s heads and makes your brains small. The gold is perfect. I’ll tell Rain to buy you a dance card or I’ll buy him one.”
Reaching the main block of the residence, Alicia handed the stack of books she carried to a footman and added the ones Bell carried. “I’ll send a maid to help you dress and fix your hair.”
That was how she ended up going to a ball.
Her hair was too short to dress the way the maid liked. Bell didn’t even offer up the net of hair she’d cut off for use in building a coiffure. She liked her hair short. It went with her small, forgettable face. The gown, as she’d predicted, was much too grand for someone of her size. She might be average height, but she wasn’t voluptuous and had little to show off in the way of curves.
But the blond lace over the gold silk was very pretty, and the ruffled black train was the most elegant thing she’d ever owned. She added her mother’s small string of pearls and deemed herself ready.
The maid insisted on tucking a gardenia from the conservatory into the feathery confection she’d pinned to Bell’s hair. The flower smelled delightful, so she agreed to that simple addition. Any more, and her scrawny neck would probably break trying to hold the thing up.
Bell was uncertain about appearing unaccompanied and wondered if she might slip in a back entrance. But when she peered out of her room to see if she could do so unnoticed, she discovered Teddy lounging against the wall, waiting for her. She almost didn’t recognize him out of his messy painter’s clothes.
