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Beneath glistening chandeliers,
the dancers spun to the strains of a Handel waltz. Strathairn smiled down at
his partner, her slim waist beneath his hand as they danced. Lady Sibella
Winborne looked like a delicate flower in a gauzy pale gown covered in amber
blossom. White ostrich feather plumes adorned her luxuriant dark locks. He
enjoyed looking at her. Her serene oval face lifted and she smiled at him, her
mouth wide and full. Too wide for beauty some might say, but made for kissing.
She had inherited her mother’s famous eyes, a delectable mix of blue and green,
but her nature was quieter, lacking the vivacity of her mother in her youth,
who was said to have had men falling at her feet. He admired Sibella’s calm
beauty, but she was oh, so much more: practical, poised and intelligent. Yet
still unmarried, which surprised him.
“You arrived
late tonight. I wasn’t sure you’d come,” she said.
“I was tied up
with business.”
“Not
parliament?”
“No.”
She tilted her
head. “Your horses, then?”
He grinned at
her blatant curiosity. “No.”
“You won’t
tell me.”
“No.”
Sibella
laughed with good humor. “Very well. Might I find you riding in Hyde Park
tomorrow?”
“I hope to.”
Her delicate
brows rose. “If business doesn’t keep you.”
He laughed.
“Precisely.”
The music
faded away. Strathairn escorted her back to her chair where her mother, the
Dowager Marchioness of Brandreth, sat fanning herself among the other dowagers.
He bowed, planning to slip into the rooms set aside for gambling. As much as he
might wish to dance with Sibella again, it would place them under scrutiny, and
faro was an effective release from the tension he always carried with him.
“Don’t rush
off, Strathairn,” her sharp-eyed mother said. “We have seen little of you of
late. You rarely frequent these affairs.” She waved her fan in an arc to
encompass the ballroom. “Where have you been hiding?”
“Not hiding,
my lady, merely visiting my estates.”
Lady Brandreth adjusted the silk shawl over her shoulders. “Did
you include that pile of yours in Yorkshire? I enjoyed the hunt ball, but it’s
cold as charity in winter up in those parts.”
“Not this
time, but I miss it. There’s a wild beauty to the dales in winter, quite unlike
southern England.”
“I daresay.” Her
purple turban wobbled as she nodded. “You are a fine figure of a man,
Strathairn. What are you now? Six and thirty? You should marry. You should be
setting up your nursery.” She gestured toward her daughter sitting beside her.
“Sibella will bear you healthy children. The Brandreths come of good stock, and
the Wederells even better.”
“Mama,
please!” He caught Sibella’s apologetic gaze and suppressed a wry smile. Her
plea would have little effect; the marchioness was known to be one of the most
colorful and outspoken members of the ton.
The dowager batted her daughter’s
protest away with her fan. “I am merely speaking the truth, Sibella.”
“Your daughter
is a credit to you, my lady,” he said with a smile. “She has inherited both
your beauty and intelligence.”
“Now you are
toad eating.” A roguish smile lit Lady Brandreth’s face. “You always were a
charmer. Sibella is intelligent. Walk with her on the
terrace to discover it for yourself.”
“I should be delighted.”
Thanks so much for hosting me!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Maggi!
Deletethis sounds like a good read. thanks for the short tease.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Niki.
DeleteThe excerpt was awesome! Can't wait to read this one :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Morena.
DeleteWhat can I say, Maggi, I read your book and loved it! It's a beautiful historical romance of the Regency period with loving characters. I am looking forward to your next book!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Nicole! Glad you enjoyed Maggi's book
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