Stephanie Laurens - The Ideal Bride

Knowing he would sulk, suddenly perceiving an unexpected opportunity, she swung to Elizabeth; her face momentarily screened from both men, she signaled with her eyes, directing Elizabeth to Ferdinand. “You’re looking refreshed, my dear—perhaps you could help?”

Elizabeth blinked, then summoned an ingenuous smile. “Yes, of course.” Drawing her hand from Michael’s sleeve, she turned her smile on Ferdinand. “Perhaps you could take me to your aunt, sir? I’ve had very little chance to speak with her.”

Ferdinand was too experienced to let his chagrin show; after only the most fleeting hesitation, he smiled his charming smile and with a courtly half-bow, murmured his delight.

Ferdinand reached for Elizabeth’s hand; behind Caro, Michael shifted. It was a tiny movement, but both she and Ferdinand noted it. Ferdinand’s smile took on an edge. Grasping Elizabeth’s hand, he drew her nearer, settling her hand on his sleeve. “I will do more than that, my pretty one. I will stand by your side and…”

Whatever else he planned, Caro didn’t hear as he bent closer to Elizabeth and lowered his voice.

Caro knew Elizabeth—and Edward—far too well to imagine Ferdinand would get any joy there, but Elizabeth had the sense to laugh delightedly as she and Ferdinand reentered the drawing room.

Feeling quite pleased with Elizabeth’s performance, Caro turned to Michael, ignoring the irritation behind his polite mask. He was reasonably adept at hiding his emotions, but she was a diplomatic hostess of long standing, ergo an expert in divining people’s true reactions.

He was—as she’d hoped—not just frustrated, but puzzled, and starting to be wary. She—they—needed him to reassess; she almost crossed her fingers as she reclaimed his arm. “The duke mentioned he’d like to speak with you again.”

Recalled to duty, he accompanied her back into the drawing room.

She ensured he was kept busy, away from Elizabeth. Whether he noticed Ferdinand flirting with Elizabeth, who wisely played the innocent, thus encouraging Ferdinand to even greater efforts, Caro couldn’t be sure; the duke truly had wanted to speak with him. Michael had already made the right impression there; they remained locked in serious discussion for some time. While continuing to patrol her guests—there was never any time during diplomatic entertainments when a hostess could relax—she tried to keep an eye on him, yet toward the end of the evening, she suddenly discovered him gone.

One quick survey of the room informed her Geoffrey was also absent.

“ Damn !” Plastering on a smile, she swept up to Edward. “You’re on duty for the next while.” She lowered her voice. “I have to go and haul your irons out of the fire.”

Edward blinked, but he’d stood as her deputy through far worse crises; he nodded and she moved on.

Casting a last glance about the room, reassured there were no other impending disasters threatening, she slipped into the front hall. Catten stood guard there; he told her Geoffrey had taken Michael to his study.

Her heart sank. Surely after all he’d seen of Elizabeth that evening, all the serious questions Elizabeth’s performance ought to have raised in his mind, Michael wasn’t so boneheaded as to persist with an offer?

She couldn’t believe he was that stupid.

Almost running, she hurried to the study. With barely a tap, she opened the door and swept in. “Geoffrey, what…”

With one glance she took in the scene—both men leaning over the desk, poring over some maps spread on its surface. Relief swept her; she hid it behind a disapproving frown. “I know you’re unused to these affairs, but really, this is not the time for”—she gestured at the maps— “constituency matters.”

Geoffrey grinned apologetically. “Not even politics, I’m afraid. There’s a blockage on a tributary to the river. It’s in Eyeworth Wood—I was just showing Michael.”

With a fine show of sisterly exasperation, she linked her arm in Geoffrey’s. “What am I to do with you?” She bent a mock frown on Michael. “You, at least, should have known better.”

He smiled and followed as she led Geoffrey from the room. “But the woods are mine, after all.‘

Her heart no longer beating in her throat, she ushered them back into the drawing room. Elizabeth glanced over and saw them enter; her eyes flared—Caro smiled serenely back. And made sure Michael had no further opportunity to speak with Geoffrey by retaining her hold on her brother’s arm and taking him to talk with General Kleber.

The end of the evening drew near. Gradually, the guests took their leave. The diplomatic contingent, more accustomed to late nights, were the last remaining. They’d gathered in a group in the middle of the room when Ferdinand spoke.

“I would like to invite all those who would enjoy it to join me for a day’s cruise on my yacht.” He looked around the circle; his gaze came to rest on Caro’s face. “It is moored in Southampton Water close by. We could sail for a few hours, then find a pretty spot to anchor for lunch.”

The offer was generous. Everyone present was tempted. With a few questions, Caro ascertained that the yacht was sizeable, large enough to accommodate them all easily. Ferdinand assured her his crew would arrange a luncheon; it was too good a prospect to dismiss—on more than one count.

She smiled. “When should we go?”

They all agreed that the day after next would be perfect. The weather was currently fine and not expected to change; having a day to recover before they came together to enjoy each other’s company again would work nicely.

“An excellent notion,” the countess declared. She turned to Caro. “Aside from all else, it will put that boat to better use than I suspect it has been put to date.”

Caro hid a smile. The arrangements were quickly made. Michael accepted; she’d been sure he would.

As everyone turned to leave, Elizabeth tugged her sleeve.

She stepped to the side, lowered her voice. “What is it?”

Elizabeth glanced past her to Michael. “Have we done enough, do you think?”

“For tonight, we’ve done all we reasonably can. Indeed, we’ve done brilliantly.” She glanced at the group filing through the doorway. “As for the cruise, I couldn’t have planned that better myself. It’ll be the perfect venue to develop our theme.”

“But…” Still looking at Michael, who was talking to General Kle-ber, Elizabeth bit her lip. “Do you think it’s working?”

“He hasn’t offered for you yet, and that’s the most important thing.” Caro paused, reassessing, then patted Elizabeth’s arm. “Nevertheless, tomorrow’s another day—we should make sure he’s occupied.”

With a swish of her skirts, she returned to the group. A quick word in the countess’s ear, a quiet moment with the duchess and the ambassador’s wife, and all was arranged. Or almost all.

As he followed the bulk of the guests out of the front door, Michael found Caro beside him.

She slipped her hand in his arm. Leaning closer, she murmured, “I wondered if you’d like to join us—me, Elizabeth, Edward, and a few others—on a trip to Southampton tomorrow. I thought we might meet in town late morning, have a look around, then lunch at the Dolphin before a quick visit to the walls, and a gentle journey home.”

Looking up, she arched a brow at him. “Can we count on your escort?”

Another—and quieter—opportunity “through which to evaluate Elizabeth. Michael smiled into Caro’s silvery eyes. ”I’ll be delighted to join you.“

He hadn’t realized Caro had intended a shopping expedition. Nor that Ferdinand Leponte would be one of the party. Arriving at Bramshaw House at eleven, he’d been bidden to join Caro, Elizabeth, and Campbell in the barouche; the day was fine, the breeze light, the sunshine warm—all had seemed in place for a pleasant outing.