Page 37 of Scandalous Heiress
Chapter 7
“Why won’t you talk to me about him?”
Ada looked at her pretty friend, so glorious in her formal finery of pearls to complement her spring green organza gown and beguiling blush.She had avoided Ezzie for the past day and a half, unwilling to confess the madness that had overcome her for Lord Victor Cole.She would not here, either, this last night of this house party.
Ezzie and she stood to one side in Brentwood Hall’s grand dining room.The guests swirled around them as the band played the second waltz.In this crowd, Ada would smile and nod, but she would not have a serious discussion about her shocking need to kiss a man she’d met only days ago.“There is nothing to say, Ezzie.”
“You were kissing!”Ezzie insisted.
And that’s all there will ever be between us.
“Ade, you don’t kiss just anyone.You never have!”
Servants had cleared the furniture to make way for the guests the duke and duchess had invited to attend their annual summer ball.The village squire, the vicar and his wife, the lords and ladies from nearby estates came and swelled the numbers of the house guests to more than eighty for this event.
Tearing her gaze from the alluring sight of Victor in black swallowtail and crystal white cravat waltzing past her with his mother in his arms, Ada put on a bright smile.“Whereas you could be more eloquent about your blossoming relationship with Sir James Edgecombe.”
“Hmm,” she said with a little cat-that-ate-the-cream shiver.“I could, couldn’t I?He has become my friend.”
“More than, if you found your way to the rose bower with him.”
“Ha!”Ezzie raised her fan and fluttered it at her bosom.“As if you yourself have nothing to say for that location!”
Incoherent with fright that her seclusion with Victor would result in gossip and ridicule, especially for her family, Ada had resisted commenting on the subject of her scintillating exploration of Victor’s ability to kiss.
Ezzie sighed.Her fan continued to stir up a breeze.“I shall dance with James, should he ask.”
So it was ‘James’, was it?Serve Richard right to lose Ezzie.At his own party.“Good manners to do so.”
“More than once, too.Just think, this elaborate house party for nothing.”
Ada caught a glimpse of Victor.Not for nothing, this party.For the knowledge that there is a man in this world I could treasure, I should be grateful.
“My mother will be pleased.Not a marquess in my pocket, but an earl will do.”
Ada was confused.“I thought we addressed him as ‘Sir’ James Edgecombe?”
“We did.Rightly so.Did you know he is the heir to an earldom?”
“Is he?”she asked, overjoyed for her friend who was driven by her parents to marry up.
“I forget his uncle’s exact title.It doesn’t matter.”
“Doesn’t—?”Ada put a hand to her throat.“Fabulous.You don’t care.Imagine that.This means, my dear, you are smitten!”
“Let us not be hasty.James mightnotbe smitten.”
“Pish-tosh.I’d say that’s the word I like for his expression when he looks at you.”
“Hmmm.I would agree.”Ezzie giggled and lifted her fan to be discreet about it.“I’m enchanted.”
They both laughed.
Ezzie met Ada’s eyes and led her to consider Richard not far from them talking with Madame Chaumont.“I am shocked that yourMadamedoes not appear to like him.I thought she tried to charm every eligible creature.”
Ada turned to one side to lower her voice.“I’m shocked too.But I fear something is not right with her.And yes, more than her disinterest in an eligible man.I asked her the other day if she’s ill, but she denied it.”
“Now that you mention it, she is…subdued.”
