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For safety’s sake, I braced my legs a little farther apart. Well, no one could see that, not underneath my huge skirt.
The count, amused, had been watching us. His expression gave away nothing but a certain grandfatherly pride. I glanced at him surreptitiously and was rewarded by a smile that warmed my heart. Why had I been so scared of him? It was only with difficulty that I could remember what Lucas had told me—how this same man had cut his own ancestor’s throat.…
Lady Brompton had quickly come up to the pianoforte again to thank Mr. Merchant and Lady Lavinia for their performance. Then—before Miss Fairfax could get to her feet again—she asked for a warm round of applause for today’s guest of honor, the famous, much-traveled Count Saint-Germain, a man surrounded by mystery. “He has promised me to play something on his violin today,” she said, and Lord Brompton came hurrying up with a violin case as fast as his potbelly allowed. The audience, spaced out on punch, roared their enthusiasm. This really was a super-cool party.
The count smiled as he took the violin out of its case and began tuning it. “I would never dream of disappointing you, Lady Brompton,” he said in a soft voice. “But my old fingers are not as agile as they used to be when I played duets with the notorious Giacomo Casanova at the French court … and my gout troubles me a little these days.”
A collective whispering and sighing ran through the room.
“So this evening I would like to hand the violin over to my young friend here,” the count went on.
Gideon looked slightly shocked and shook his head. But when the count raised his eyebrows and said, “Please!” he bowed, took the instrument and the bow, and went over to the pianoforte.
The count took my hand. “And we two will sit on the sofa and enjoy the music, shall we? No need for you to tremble! Sit down, my child. You don’t know it, but since yesterday afternoon we have been the best of friends, you and I. We had a really, really intimate conversation, and we were able to settle all our differences.”
What?
“Yesterday afternoon?” I repeated.
“From my point of view,” said the count. “From yours, that meeting is still in the future.” He laughed. “I like it to be complicated, you see!”
I stared at him, baffled. But at that moment Gideon began to play, and I entirely forgot what I had been going to ask the count. Oh, my God! Maybe it was the punch—but wow! That violin was really sexy! Even the way Gideon raised it and tucked it under his chin! He didn’t have to do more than that to carry me away with him. His long lashes cast shadows on his cheeks, and a lock of hair fell over his face as he began passing the bow over the strings. The first notes filling the room almost took my breath away, they made such tender, melting music, and suddenly I was close to tears. Until now, violins had been way down on my list of favorite instruments, and I really liked them only for accompanying certain moments in films. But this was just incredibly wonderful—well, all of it was: the bittersweet melody and the boy enticing it out of the instrument. All the people in the room listened with bated breath, and Gideon played on, immersed in the music as if there were no one else there.
I didn’t notice that I was crying until the count touched my cheek and caught a tear gently with his finger. Then I jumped in alarm.
He was smiling down at me, and I saw a warm glow in his dark brown eyes. “Nothing to be ashamed of,” he said quietly. “If it were otherwise, I’d have been very disappointed.”
I was surprised to find myself smiling back at him—really! How could I? This was the man who had strangled me!
“What’s that tune?” I asked.
The count shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I assume it has yet to be composed.”
A storm of applause broke out in the room when Gideon came to the end of the piece. He bowed, smiling, and successfully declined to play an encore, although he was less successful in eluding the embrace of the lovely Lady Lavinia. She clung to his arm, and he had no alternative but to bring her over to our sofa.
“Wasn’t that marvelous?” cried Lady Lavinia. “But when I saw those hands, I knew at once that they could work miracles.”
“I bet,” I muttered. I would have liked to get up from the sofa, if only so that Lady Lavinia couldn’t look down at me like that, but it was beyond me. The punch had had an unfortunate effect on my muscles.
“It’s a wonderful instrument, sir,” said Gideon to the count, giving him back the violin.
“A Stradivarius. Made for me by the master himself,” replied the count in a tone of reverie. “I would like you to have it, my boy. This evening is probably the right moment for me to pass it solemnly on to you.”
Gideon went a little red. With delight, I assumed. “That … oh, I can’t…” He looked into the count’s dark eyes, but then lowered his own and added, “You do me great honor, sir.”
“The honor is all mine,” replied the count gravely.
“My word,” I murmured to myself. The two of them seemed to have formed a mutual admiration society.
“And are you as musical as your foster brother, Miss Gray?” asked Lady Lavinia.
No, probably not. But I bet I’m as musical as you, I thought. “I like to sing, that’s all,” I said.
Gideon shot me a warning glance.
“You like to sing!” cried Lady Lavinia. “As indeed so do I, and our dear Miss Fairfax.”
“I’m afraid I can’t reach such high notes as Miss Fairfax,” I said firmly. Well, I wasn’t a bat, was I? “And my lungs don’t have the capacity of yours. But I do like singing, all the same.”
