“Ladies and gentlemen, my wife has agreed to play one of the original compositions she has been working on for the last several weeks. I believe you are in for a treat, as she has a real talent for writing melodies and lyrics that flow so beautifully together.”
It was a magnanimous introduction, but Ellen was unsure if she deserved such kind words. She was still quite leery about sharing her work with people outside her family. She took a deep breath and began to play. A hush settled over the people gathered, and Ellen tried not to think about how everyone might be judging her song. Ellen refused to look at anyone but Simon. He gave her an encouraging nod, and her heart lifted. If she only kept her eyes on him, she knew she could get through anything.
***
Lady Genevieve thought she might be sick, watching as Simon fawned over Ellen. What did Ellen have that she did not? She was beautiful and charismatic and even more wealthy when it came to her dowry than her rival. So why had Simon—the only man she had ever loved—chosen a woman like her? It was not supposed to be like this.
She had worked so hard throughout the summer to get him to change his mind and marry her instead, but he had been oblivious to her hints.Were all men so dense?she wondered.She did her best not to sneer as Lady Ellen went to the pianoforte and started to play. Everyone seemed spellbound as she started in, but it was more than she could stomach. She hurriedly stood, excusing herself.
Lady Grant leaned over, touching her hand. “Are you well, my dear?” she asked.
“Yes, I am only going to step out for a moment for a breath of fresh air. I am feeling a little nauseous, but I am sure it is nothing,” she explained. It was not entirely a lie—Ellen’s annoying sweetness sometimes made her want to vomit.
She hurried out of the room and began strolling down the hall. She sighed heavily, looking at the paintings and portraits as she went. She had no intention of returning to the parlour until after Ellen finished her little performance.
As she neared the study, an idea sprang to her mind. She bit her lower lip, wondering if she might get away with it. She hurried toward the door, which was slightly ajar. She poked her head in, stepping in only after being sure the coast was clear. She closed the door behind her.
Genevieve walked over to the desk and took a clean sheet of paper from a large stack in the corner. She took out the ink well and a sharpened quill and started to scribble in hurried words. She did her best to conceal her handwriting, making it look as close to Simon’s as possible. An evil grin played at the corners of her mouth, and after several lines, it won out, taking over her entire face.
She reread the note, and when she was satisfied, she folded it. She went out into the hall and found a young man on his way to what must have been the kitchens. Genevieve called to him, and he turned around, looking a little confused.
“Boy, come here,” she said, motioning him over to her.
“Yes, mistress?” he asked.
“My lady,”she corrected. “Can you deliver a message for me?”
“Yes, my lady,” he said. “I can run fast, and I know all the manors in the area.”
Genevieve shook her head, giving him a look of disdain. “No. I want you to take this note to Lord Simon’s private room. It is from my father,” she lied. She held it out to the boy but snatched it away at the last second, pinning him with a suspicious stare. “If I entrust this to you, may I count on you not to read its contents?”
The boy puffed out his chest, looking hurt that she would ask him such a thing. “Course, my lady,” he said.
She paused for a split second longer and then handed over the note grudgingly. “Very well. I need you to take this to Lord Simon’s room and be sure to place it where he will see it right away. Is that clear?” she asked.
The boy nodded and tucked the note into the inside pocket of his vest. “I will deliver it right away, my lady,” he promised.
Lady Genevieve nodded in approval and watched the boy head down the hall back toward the kitchen. She rubbed her hands together, allowing a satisfied grin to wash over her features. She may not be able to have Simon, but she could do her best to keep him and Ellen from growing close. Perhaps then he would turn to her for comfort.
She heard someone come out into the hall and hurried away from the study, not wanting anyone to find her loitering there. Music was still flowing out from the parlour, and she was hesitant to return lest she really become sick. She walked down the hall, looking at all the portraits of the earls, past and present.
When she came to the end of the hall, she stopped in front of Simon’s portrait. It looked as if it had been painted about five years before. She could see that he still had a bit of his childhood pudge and freckles. Even then, she had known he would grow into an attractive man, but sometimes when she looked at him, her heart still ached with how handsome he was.
She frowned, thinking again how unfair life was. If her father had listened to her and gone to Lord Grant two years ago as she had suggested and tried to negotiate a marriage contract between her and Simon, she might be the one in the parlour entertaining Simon’s guests. Life was so unfair.
When she heard footsteps coming toward her, she tried to duck out of the way behind the billowing curtains that covered one of the large windows. However, she spotted the hall boy and stepped out. “Is it done?” she asked.
The boy nodded with pride. “Yes, my lady. I placed it on Lord Simon’s desk, just as you asked.”
“Are you sure? I want Lady Ellen to be able to find it without having to look for it,” she said.
The boy scrunched up his face. “Lady Ellen? I thought you wanted me to place it on Lord Simon’s desk. Shall I go back—”
“No, boy,” she said and frowned, reaching for his arm. She gripped his arm around the bicep and did not realise how hard her fingers dug into his flesh until he winced. She let go. “I meant Lord Simon, of course.” She flicked her wrist in dismissal. “You may go now,” she said.
The boy rubbed his arm where she had dug in her fingers and walked away, giving her a confused look as he went. She gave a satisfied grin as she walked back toward the parlour. Let Ellen see how she liked Simon when he was in one of his sour moods. Hopefully, her forged letter would bring out the worst in both of them.
Chapter 30