Page 40 of Needs Must
‘Cal, you are needed.’ The dowager’s voice cut like glass across their conversation. ‘Lady Melanie is going to playSay Ye Who Borrowand you really must sing.’
‘Join me?’ he said softly to Donna.
‘What makes you suppose that I can sing a note?’
‘I dare you.’ He fixed her with a challenging look, almost as though he knew that she wouldn’t be able to resist him.
‘Very well then, if you insist.’
They stood and approached the piano together. Lady Arndale gasped. Lady Melanie hit another wrong note.
‘We shall both sing – with your permission, of course,’ Cal said politely to Lady Melanie.
‘Of course.’ But she sounded uncertain.
‘I understood you to say that you do not play, Mrs Harte.’
‘Yes, ma’am. That is true. I do not play the pianoforte.’ She glanced longingly at the superb harp in the corner of the room, seeing no reason to tell the lady that was her preferred instrument and something that she sorely missed. ‘I do however sing a little.’
Cal possessed a fine baritone and her soprano soared above it, chasing the melody in pitch perfect harmony. Donna closed her eyes and lived the music in her soul, a rare indulgence that she could enjoy for a few minutes without reference to anyone else.
The applause when their song came to an end was intense, especially from the gentlemen present. Cal’s brothers in particular were fulsome in their praise.
‘Quite exquisite,’ one of them said.
‘You sing a little?’ Cal raised a brow.
Donna smiled. ‘Go and talk to someone else. You are causing unnecessary speculation in your monopolisation of me.’
‘I will, but not for long.’
‘I have something to tell you, but now is not the time.’
‘And I you.’
He walked away, but Donna was not left alone for more than a minute. Julius Hardy approached and asked permission to take the chair beside hers.
‘If you dare,’ she said, smiling at him. ‘I feel a bit like a pariah.’
He laughed as he swished the tails of his coat aside and sat down. ‘I am sorry if the ladies have been discourteous.’
‘If they have, I fail to understand what I have done to provoke them. I have never set eyes on any of them prior to today.’
Mr Hardy made an innocuous remark in response and changed the subject to literature. They enjoyed a lively exchange of views regarding the books they had both read and Donna was surprised to notice that an hour had elapsed when Cal rejoined them.
‘It has been a pleasure, Mrs Harte,’ Mr Hardy said, bowing over her hand. ‘I will leave you in the care of this reprobate now in the hope that we will meet again very soon.’
‘Thank you, Mr Hardy. I hope so too.’ She turned to Cal as his friend walked away. ‘You told him to keep me company, didn’t you?’ There was an edge to her voice. ‘I wish you had not. It makes me appear feeble.’
‘Better him that half the married men in the room who can’t keep their eyes off you,’ he said through gritted teeth.
‘Well anyway, everyone appears to be leaving, which is my cue to go as well. Will you have your carriage sent round, or should I ask one of your guests for a lift?’
‘Don’t you dare, I shall be with you shortly.’ He remained standing and shook a finger at her. ‘Don’t go anywhere. I will wish my guests adieu and return directly to conduct you to my carriage personally. Then you can tell me whatever it is that you are keeping from me.’
He walked away before she could give him a trimming for being so presumptive. Shehadsaid she needed to speak with him about something, but she had a perfect right to keep whatever she liked from him and would remind him of the fact at the first opportunity.
An awkward few minutes ensued during which she found herself alone with Lady Daventry, who pointedly did not speak a word to her. If she had intended to discompose Donna with her incivility, she would have been disappointed to know that she did not achieve that ambition. Donna was perfectly comfortable with silences and felt no pressing need to fill this particular one. The dowager duchess returned to the room and Lady Daventry found her tongue.
