An Affair of Honor by Scott Amanda

Author:Scott, Amanda [Scott, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781480415515
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2013-05-06T22:00:00+00:00

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NELL EXPERIENCED A SENSE of astonishment when she realized that the focal point of Rory’s rapt gaze was none other than Major Gideon Talcott. She had been nearly certain that the younger girl would be ripe for a new conquest by now. But she could see no one else who might have drawn Rory’s eye, and that was surely the major and no other in the crowd ahead of them.

They passed along one side of a magnificent, illuminated stained-glass enclosure that resembled a giant Chinese lantern, exhibiting the insects, fruit, and exotic flowers of the Orient, and Nell’s attention was momentarily diverted from Major Talcott. By the time they entered the music room, he seemed to have drifted away in the crowd, and a glance at Rory’s crestfallen expression told her aunt that she, too, had lost sight of him. Nell leaned nearer in order that her words would carry no farther than the younger girl’s ears.

“You would be well-advised, my dear,” she said gently, “to behave with all propriety tonight. Your copybook, you might remember, is a bit blotted at the moment.”

Delicate color suffused Rory’s cheeks, but she vouchsafed no answer other than a brief nod. It was enough to satisfy Nell, however. Huntley escorted them to a set of chairs near the wall, and soon afterward there came a stir from the musician’s gallery as they began to make ready to play for the first set of country dances.

The prince and Mrs. Fitzherbert led the first two or three dances and then retired to an elegantly draped dais from which they could view the activities of their guests and where his highness might receive further congratulations upon his birthday. Nell, sitting out the first dance and watching Huntley and her niece, noted that Rory seemed to be giving him less than her undivided attention as her eyes moved in a continuous attempt to locate Major Talcott. When she suddenly relaxed, a secret little smile playing upon her lips, Nell knew she had found him.

He stepped up to greet them the moment they returned. “I trust your card is not yet filled, my lady,” he said in his pleasant voice.

“Oh, no, indeed, sir. Why ’tis but half filled,” she replied happily.

“Inconceivable.” His eyes twinkled, and Nell could not be surprised when he received an immediate, glowing response. She glanced at Huntley, but he seemed unaware of any byplay, merely shaking hands with Talcott and greeting him politely.

The major took Rory’s card and scrawled his name in two separate places. When he held it out to her again, she looked for a moment as if she might point out the fact that there were several other blank spaces, but she apparently thought better of the notion and merely smiled up at him as she accepted her card. The next dance was the first by which he had entered his name, so once the music began, he bowed briefly to Nell and swept Rory off to join the nearest set.

Nell looked at her companion a bit warily, wondering if he might be annoyed.

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