And to think, Lady Viola preferred his hair color above all others.
Very suddenly, his life had become extraordinary.
Chapter Five
Viola could notbe more satisfied with her circumstances. She was beginning to be puzzled by how much trouble Beatrice and Rosalind had been put to in securing their own loves.
Everything to do with Lord Baderston was falling into place very effortlessly.
Of course, there were some small matters that had not yet been ironed out. She must find a way to ingratiate herself to the lord’s mother, but certainly that was not insurmountable. After all, as far as Viola knew, everybody she was acquainted with liked her. Why should the dowager countess be any different?
Then, on occasion, Viola did wonder about Lady Clara. The dowager certainly favored her and Lord Baderston had taken the lady’s first dance at Almack’s.
She would remind herself that she must not fret over these things when there was so much else that had gone well.
Lord Baderston had said he would attend Lady Rawley’s theatrical evening on the morrow after Viola had said she would go.
No, it was more than that. He’d said he never did attend, but if she were going then so would he.
She might wish the intervening hours that must be gone through to pass by speedily, but she also knew there would be much to entertain and occupy her this night.
Van Doren and Beatrice had arrived to their own house on Portland Place and Rosalind and Conbatten were now installed in Grosvenor Square. All four would come to dinner.
“What a jolly time we will have this evening,” Juliet said, lounging in the drawing room and waiting for her two eldest sisters and their husbands to arrive.
“Murder!” Chester shouted from his cage.
They all pretended they did not hear him. Chester had acquired the unfortunate habit of screeching “murder” after listening to several renditions of Cordelia’s Desdemona. It was agreed between them that when he said something pleasant, like “charming Chester,” they would give him an almond. When he shouted about murder they would ignore it. They hoped this would lead him away from thoughts of murder, though he did get very excited when Cordelia began her speech.
“I’ve written an ode to jolly times,” Juliet said. “It’s calledOde to Jolly Times.”
Juliet cleared her throat.
Conbatten and Rosalind, Van Doren andBeatrice
Joined in matrimony and sealed with akiss
Now they come merrily through ourdoor
All charming but for Van Doren, the tragicbore.
Viola laughed and said, “That is so apt, Jules. Do not recite it in front of Van Doren though. Beatrice has enough on her hands to manage him and I am sure our Rosalind would not care for lecture number one hundred and nine regarding her kidnapping.”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Juliet said. “Though how he thinks we could have predicted our plan would go wrong is quite beyond me.”
Just then, Cordelia came in with a bag of almonds for Chester.
“Murder!” he cried.
“Oh goodness, Chester, I am afraid you’ve taken the word murder to be a request for almonds. It doesn’t mean that at all.”
Despite their vow that they should not reward Chester for shouting about murder, Cordelia fed him a handful of nuts.
They all three leapt up as Tattleton strode through the door.
In a marvelously stern and dignified tone, he said, “His Grace, the Duke of Conbatten and Her Grace, the Duchess of Conbatten.”
Viola thought Tattleton had grown rather fond of announcing the duke.
