“I suspect seeing to Miss Phelps’s happiness will help secure Mrs. Brownlow’s.” Dr. Lowry’s smile was a little too knowing, as if he were acknowledging some secret between the three of them. “I will leave you to each other’s company.” He was as good as his word and stepped out immediately.
Scott’s kindnesses to her and the praise she’d asked him to heap on her had led now to, at least in the eyes of the doctor, a rather awkward assumption about the connection between them.
“I truly am sorry about all of this,” she said. “You having to stay so long and now the entanglements that doing so is creating. I clearly didn’t think it through very well.”
“I assure you, you have apologized enough.” He kept her hand in his, something she liked more than she should have. “I’m not angry, and I’ve enjoyed my time here.”
“Truly?” She wanted to believe him.
“Truly.”
It didn’t assuage all her guilt, but it did ease some of her heartache. Perhaps he wasn’t as anxious to leave as he’d seemed to be.
She pressed his handkerchief to the corner of her eye, dabbing away the last bits of moisture there. “Thank you for the handkerchief.”
“You’re welcome, Gillian.” There was something utterly lovely about the way he said her name. She liked hearing it.
It was followed immediately by something she wasn’t expecting to hear: someone playing the pianoforte.
Scott looked back in the direction of the drawing room. “What do you suppose they are doing?”
“There is only one way to find out.”
He allowed her to lead the way back inside. He wasn’t holding her hand any longer, but she supposed that made sense. As much as the gentlemen had teased him about the tales he’d told Mrs. Brownlow, they would be merciless in their jesting if he returned to the drawing room with her hand entwined in his. She could hardly blame him for preventing that.
They returned to the drawing room to find Charlie, Artemis, Daria, and Fennel dancing. Toss, of all people, was providing the music.
“Join in,” Artemis called from among the dancers.
“You don’t have to,” Gillian assured Scott.
“I enjoy dancing with you, though I won’t force you to do so.”
If not for the crowd, she would have jumped at the opportunity. Dancing to his humming was, she knew, destined to be one of her favorite memories. Dancing with him now might only result in more teasing than she was equal to enduring. But it might also be her last opportunity.
Only two couples were participating. Duke sat off to the side, watching with that inscrutable look of his.
“Joining inwouldimprove the numbers a little,” she said.
“It would also improve the dancing.”
She nodded quite solemnly. “Drastically.”
Once the steps allowed, they joined the dancing. The group was lively. The dance was executed with more enthusiasm than grace, and she found she liked that very much. She exchanged grins with Scott, the two of them throwing off the others with intentional missteps, a page out of Scott’s own book.
She’d come to enjoy his company so very much. She would miss him terribly when he left.
The tune ended, bringing the dance to a close. They all applauded Toss’s expertise.
Charlie was the first to speak. “A waltz now, Toss, if you would. I should very much like to unabashedly embrace my wife.”
Toss quickly obliged. Daria and Fennel made their way back to the chairs, neither seeming offended at not being asked to participate in the newest offering.
Gillian did the same, with Scott at her side. “Did you know Toss played the pianoforte?”
Scott shook his head. “I didn’t.”
No sooner had the tune begun when it halted unexpectedly. Everyone’s eyes turned to the instrument.