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Lady Augusta nodded again, but then she smiled and leaned in closer to Grace. “Not thatImind having an additional eligible gentleman around the house over Christmas.” She laughed lightly. “It’ll make everything much more interesting, don’t you think?”
Grace couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up. “Don’t be wicked.”
“Oh, I don’t intend to do anything truly naughty. But then again...” Lady Augusta’s smile only grew as she cast her gaze heavenward. “If certain opportunities present themselves, and there happens to be some obliging mistletoe nearby...” She let her sentence dangle, giggling instead of finishing.
“Gracious, do promise me—”
Lady Augusta reached out suddenly, taking hold of Grace’s arm and stopping her short. It wasn’t until that moment that Grace realized someone was standing directly in front of her, as her thoughts had been so fully on Lady Augusta’s diverting conversation.
Grace turned and found herself nearly toe to toe with Lord Weston—the earl who thought her too beneath his sister to even write her letters.
He appeared to be trying to smile, but it was clearly forced. No doubt he was hoping to put on a good face while they were both guests at the same house party.
“Good evening, my lord,” Grace and Lady Augusta intoned almost simultaneously, even as they both offered him a short curtsy.
Lord Weston bent at the waist in a slight bow, which only brought him that much closer to Grace. An unexpected flurry of nerves coursed through Grace at his nearness. She’d met a few viscounts and barons during her London Season that year, but she could not boast meeting a single earl. No doubt, meeting a gentleman so far above one’s own station was bound to make one a bit lightheaded and fluttery all over.
“Have you been enjoying yourself today?” Lady Augusta spoke up in the silence that was quickly growing awkward.
“I have,” he said. Good heavens, but he had a low voice. It rumbled with every word. Did the earl sing? Grace could only imagine that if he did, it would be deep and melodious.
Deep and entrancing as his voice was, however, he didn’t seem overly inclined to use it, as he said no more.
Once more, silence fell around them.
Grace glanced from him to the empty corridor around them. Apparently, she and Lady Augusta had lagged too far behind Lady Brown and Lady Katherine, as the women were nowhere in sight. It was up to them to make conversation...and Grace hadn’t the first idea what to say to an earl.
“Lady Brown was giving us a tour of the house,” Lady Augusta said, once more rescuing them all from awkwardness.
Lord Weston dipped his head. “How nice.”
And...that was all.
Oh dear, the air around them was quickly growing as stiff as Cook’s overdone pheasant. Lady Augusta had spoken up twice now; surely it was Grace’s turn.
“Have you seen the music room?” Not exactly conversation to inspire and divert, but it was something.
Lord Weston turned slightly, facing her more fully. “I have, thank you. I found it to be a lovely room.”
“So did I,” Grace said. “It’s bright and warm.”
“I particularly like the height of the room,” he continued. “It makes one think music would reverberate most enjoyably around the room. Did you notice the curtains?”
“Yes, I certainly did. Jonquil yellow is a favorite color of mine.”
His smile softened. “I thought you might like them.” And he was giving herthat lookagain. The one that rested on her as though he saw no one else. As though nothing else was happening around them. It was the same look he had given her when he’d first arrived at Bridgecross Manor yesterday. Grace was equally at a loss as to why he was looking at her thusly now as she’d been then.
Lady Augusta, who’d been silent for several minutes now, spoke up then. “Would you care to join us, Lord Weston? I believe I saw Lady Brown and Lady Katherine step into the next room. If we hurry, I’m sure we can catch up.”
He seemed to hesitate but only for a moment. “I would be delighted.”
Much to Grace’s surprise, he fell into step beside her instead of beside Lady Augusta. This placed Grace between them. It was strange to physically be in the center of things. All Season long, she’d always found herself standing along the edges of most conversations. Always just on the outside, feeling like a stranger looking in.
But as the three of them moved toward the next room, Grace had to admit she didn’t feel like the unwanted country mouse everyone tolerated if only to make themselves look gracious. As the conversation moved on to most loved songs, Grace learned that Lady Augusta shared her love of Mozart. When it comfortably changed to a discussion of Vienna, Grace found that Lord Weston had, like herself, long wished to travel abroad.
Perhaps it was just a bit of Christmas magic, but for the first time in longer than she could remember, Grace felt wanted and a bit like she belonged.
