“I’m glad to hear that, Araminta. I’d hoped you would...soften a little. I want you to be happy and I believe that if you place more emphasis on what your heart is telling you, rather than pursuing only your stated ambitions, you will find the contentment that I have.”
The child was waking, whimpering, its little mouth making sucking motions, its eyes still closed. Araminta was horrified when her mother put it to her breast and, although it shut the little beast up, she felt it most undignified.
Her mother smiled when she caught Araminta’s look. “I gave both of you to a wet nurse, and your father feels I ought to do that now, but really, this is the easiest way to settle the child. I know it’s frowned upon but I’ve decided I don’t much care what others think. Oh, Stephen, Araminta has returned.”
Araminta turned as her cousin entered the room after a brief knock.
He smiled warmly as he advanced. “Cousin Araminta, the last time I saw you was at Vauxhall, which was not too long ago. But my, how things have changed since, eh?”
Araminta felt herself burn with color. He surely was not referring to the Sir Aubrey disaster, though the way he was gazing at her mother suggested he would not care. A strange and vague unease manifested itself, and she rose.
“I had not realized you’d left London, Cousin Stephen.”
“I came straight back when I heard news of young Celia’s birth.”
“Celia?”
“That’s what we’ve called her,” her mother said, and Araminta stared as Stephen occupied the chair she’d just vacated and reached across to stroke the head of the suckling child. Certainly it was not immediately apparent that’s what the child was doing, but that Cousin Stephen was in her mother’s bedchamber while her mother was feeding the child seemed quite wrong. Hesitantly she took a couple of steps toward the door. “I must dress for dinner.”
Her mother and Cousin Stephen raised their heads as if they’d forgotten her, and her mother smiled again. “I’m so delighted at your news, Araminta,” she said. “It is my greatest hope that you will discover happiness like your sister. And then you, too, will know the joys of motherhood.”
Almost immediately her mother was completely absorbed by the tiny usurper, whom she was now handing over to Cousin Stephen to hold, and Araminta was forgotten.
Angrily, Araminta opened the door into the passage and was assailed by the smell of the roast dinner that was being prepared in the kitchen basement.
Generally she loved saddle of beef, but unexpectedly she found the smell thoroughly unpleasant. In fact, she felt quite ill. She was glad to reach her bedchamber and avail herself of the damp cloth that Jane handed her, but all she could think about was the look on Cousin Stephen’s face as he’d held the child.
Entranced.
It didn’t make sense, but it was how she intended Lord Ludbridge would look at her when she’d worked her magic on him.
Chapter Fourteen
It was another ten days before Lissa was able to leave the Lamont household again. Maria was struck down with a chill, immediately followed by Cosmo.
Only when the pair had recovered their good health was talk revived about sketching Lady Baxter. After some judicious enquiries, it was established that she would indeed be attending the weekly musical soiree hosted by Lady Milton. Immediately, Lissa dispatched a note to Ralph telling her where he could find her, if he so chose.
As Lissa took a seat beside her charge and observed those arriving to take up one of dozens of little gilded seats in front of a piano, a large harp and an even larger potted fern, she recognized many of those from Lady Smythe’s, including Lord Debenham, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Crossing, who looked surprisingly harmonious.
She’d placed her reticule on the seat next to her but slyly removed it when Ralph slid into place as the harpist and piano player—twins, she could tell at a glance—began to tune up.
Surreptitiously, he clasped her hand for the briefest moment before confessing, “I thought I wouldn’t survive for the need to see you. Could you really not have found a moment to slip away? I can only think you can live far more comfortably without me than I without you.”
His words brought both pain and pleasure. “I was on call nursing Miss Maria and Master Cosmo for every moment I wasn’t teaching Nellie and Harriet. Oh, but Ralph, it was ghastly.” On the pretext of dropping something on the floor at her feet, she bent down and, when Cosmo did the same, she whispered, “I thought Cosmo couldn’t be more awful but apparently, when he’s fighting fit, he’s at his absolute best.”
Ralph chuckled, before remarking in a tone of surprise, “There’s my brother...with Miss Partington.”
Lissa turned to him with raised eyebrows. “It looks as if she’s his guest.” She felt sick saying the words.
“Now there’s a turnabout. I don’t think Teddy’s invited a young lady anywhere since Miss Bella broke his heart. You
do know that I believe you far and away the prettiest of the two of you.”
“That’s a very kind thing to say, Ralph, but Miss Partington has been praised for being a beauty her whole life.” Before she could receive a response, she had to turn back at a question from Miss Maria.
Lissa had to be grateful to the young lady, at least for this outing. Miss Maria had simply informed her mother that she would be taking Lissa to a musical soiree, and as Miss Maria was infinitely more forceful than her highly strung mama, who spent most of the day on a chaise longue, there proved to be no difficulty.
If only everything could be achieved so easily, thought Lissa as she glanced across at Araminta, who was chatting animatedly with Lord Ludbridge. Lissa had never seen her sister look so beautiful. Araminta glowed, and it appeared Lord Ludbridge was entranced as he gazed back at her, despite the fact, it seemed, he was unable to get a word in.