Page 9 of The Marquess's Imperfect Brid
Grace could only open her arms as the man stepped toward her with Lady Whiskers still close to his chest. He placed her gently into Grace’s cradled arm, and his fingers brushed against hers as he pulled away. The quick, sudden contact felt like lightning between them, and Grace’s face flushed hot once more. Foolish girl, say something, she thought, willing herself to speak. Yet still, no words came.
Juliet cleared her throat softly, discreetly pulling Grace from her trance. They were still the only ones nearby on the road, but there was a carriage that appeared out in the distance. The gentleman glanced toward the coach and seemed to understand the situation as Grace did. He gave her another smile as he smoothly took a step back. But his eyes were sparkling again, this time with something Grace did not recognize.
“Thank you very much, kind gentleman,” she said with a hasty curtsey. “I do apologise for the inconvenience this surely must have caused you.” There was a certain regality about him. But with the plainness of his riding outfit, she could not determine what, if any, noble status he held.
Seeming flustered, but not offended, the man bowed elegantly to her, offering another sweet smile.
“It was no trouble at all, I assure you, my lady,” he said,sounding just as genuine as before. “I am just happy that I could be of service.”
Grace nodded as she and Juliet waved farewell to the man. With Grace leading the way, cradling a now sleeping Lady Whiskers to her chest, they hurried along the path back to Farenley Manor. Neither of the women spoke, although Juliet kept giving her mistress bemused glances. She knew that her cheeks were bright red, and she prayed to never encounter that man again. As kind as he had been, and although he had saved her beloved pet, she was too embarrassed about their meeting.
She could only imagine how she must have looked to him: hideously scarred and probably looking deranged as she tried to climb the tree herself to rescue the cat. She groaned silently as she tried to suppress the thoughts of the encounter and the handsome gentleman. But when she thought about the touch of his fingers against hers as he handed her back her cat and the sparkle in his eyes thereafter, her heart fluttered, against her will. She was almost certain there had been a spark of something between them. And she was almost as sure that he had felt it, too. But how could that be?
Chapter Five
After the incident with Lady Whiskers, Grace completely forgot about the ball her mother was hosting. She thought of little else in the time since her rescue by the strange gentleman who, despite how well dressed and poised he was, had stopped to help her retrieve her frightened feline. She was glad that Lady Whiskers was safe and sound, although it left her with reservations about whether she should take her beloved pet on such walks with her again.
However, she also could not stop thinking about the man. She could still hardly believe how kind he had been to help a perfect stranger. And a terribly disfigured one, at that. She knew that she would be very fortunate if she never saw him again. Yet some part of her that she could not quite identify felt saddened by that idea. That part of her wished she could see him again, if only to tell him how grateful she was to him once more. She had been so frantic and flustered that she could not be sure whether she showed proper gratitude for his altruistic act. But would she even dare to approach him if she ever got another chance?
When the morning of the ball came three days later, she remembered it only due to the buzz of activity that rang all throughout Farenley Manor from the instant she stepped outside her bedchambers. Servants were narrowly escaping tripping over one another as they cleaned the mansion thoroughly, tended to decorations and carried messages back and forth about the evening’s menu, refreshment table placement and seating for the guests who did not wish to dance or mingle around the floor. The excitement seemed to have spread to the servants as they flitted about, muttering amongst each other and rushing to complete their last-minute tasks.
When she went downstairs, her mother nearly knocked her down as she rounded the corner to the grand hall. Grace gasped, her heart racing as the marchioness placed her hand on her chest.
“Oh, Grace, darling,” she said breathlessly, offering a sheepish chuckle. “Do forgive me. I was being too careless, it seems, trying to oversee all these preparations.”
Grace embraced her mother, laughing nervously along with her.
“It is quite all right, Mother,” she lied, giving her mother a weak smile. “Do you need any help?”
The marchioness bit her lip as though wanting to say something. But she eventually shook her head, giving Grace a reassuring smile.
“No, sweetheart,” she said with a knowing look. “Your sister is helping me. I believe that between the two of us and the servants, we shall have everything ready long before the guests arrive.”
Grace gave her mother another small smile and a nod. She knew why her mother did not expect her to help. She understood that Grace still felt uneasy at public events, even those hosted in her own family’s home. The marchioness believed that Grace would be even more distressed if she were to be involved in all the hectic preparation just hours before the ball. And even though Grace would never admit it aloud, her mother was right to be concerned.
“It is all right,” she said again, once more telling her mother something that was not quite true. “I would be happy to help if the two of you need any assistance.”
The marchioness embraced her eldest daughter, patting her gently on her back.
“You enjoy your morning, darling,” she said. “Anne and I adore making these preparations. Besides, we are nearlyfinished. Your most important job is to ensure that you feel like a princess when the ball begins.”
Grace nodded, pulling away from her mother with another small smile. She did not believe that she would ever feel like a princess, not with all her scars and impairments, and the way the ton viewed them. But she appreciated her mother’s sentiment. And she was determined to enjoy herself, if only for the sake of her family.
“I will, Mother,” she said, lying once more.
The marchioness nodded, blowing her eldest daughter a kiss.
“I shall see you this evening, dear daughter,” she said.
Grace nodded, waving as her mother dashed away. With a sigh, Grace motioned for Juliet, who was immediately at her side with Lady Whiskers.
“Let us get to the orphanage,” she said. “I am certain that the children are as eager to begin today’s lesson as I am.”
Juliet linked her arm through Grace’s, patting her leg gently in an invitation for the feline to follow. She complied, and the three of them headed out the mansion door and toward the orphanage. She always loved going to the orphanage. But that day, she was hoping that it would grant her the solace she needed from the chaos at her home. And, with the house party looming, within her, as well.
The greeting for the women and the feline was as warm as ever, instantly setting Grace at ease. She gently led the children to their seats and then took her own at the pianoforte bench. Lady Whiskers, in anticipation of the lesson, curled up beside her mistress, watching her with her wide, slow blinking eyes and purring with perfect contentment. The warmth and familiarity of it all instantly soothed Grace, and she began to play a light warm-up tune.
The children were, as always, instantly enthralled, watchingGrace’s fingers on the keys with complete attentiveness. She let her mind wander back to the memory of her encounter with the strange gentleman who had been kind enough to stop to help her with Lady Whiskers. She knew the man must be a compassionate soul, as he had not even reacted to her scars. And Lady Whiskers had given him almost no trouble at all about coming down from the tree, when she had hesitated even with her mistress. Grace had understood that her frantic energy would have spooked an already frightened animal. But what was it about the mystery man that her cat had trusted so immediately?
