It Takes a Lady by Joan Smith

Author:Joan Smith [Smith, Joan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Regency Romance
Publisher: Belgrave House
Published: 2016-09-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Nicholas and Buckner were waiting for the ladies at the bottom of the staircase. Looking down on them, Elizabeth thought that Buckner’s frown held an air of disapproval, along with sympathy. She judged by the frown Nicholas wore that he was concerned and uncertain. After all the trouble, he still didn’t know whether she had found the rubies. She nodded to indicate all was well.

Buckner came forward as they descended. He said the words the occasion demanded, no more. “Sara, your aunt told me you had swooned. Poor girl!” She smiled wanly at him and extended her hand, which he accepted, but he didn’t put his arm around her. He turned to Elizabeth and said in a perfunctory way, “Sorry to hear of your accident, Miss Warwick. I trust you are feeling better now?”

“Yes, thank you. Sara took good care of me,” she replied.

“Then I shall take her to the refreshment parlour for a glass of wine. She looks pale.”

“Yes, you do that,” Elizabeth said. As they left, Sara cast a hopeful glance back over her shoulder.

Nicholas offered Elizabeth his arm. “Careful. I wouldn’t want to start it bleeding again,” she said in an undertone. He noticed then it was her wounded arm and moved to her other side. “I’ll call for my carriage and let your aunt know you’re leaving. You will want to lie down and recover.”

“What I want is wine, but we shan’t go to the refreshment parlour till they’ve left.”

“Sure you don’t want to leave? You got the necklace — or did you?”

“Certainly I got it.”

“I wasn’t sure, but since you did, our job is done. Your ‘accident’ makes a good excuse to leave.”

“I don’t want to leave. I haven’t had one decent dance. I’ve only stood up with Sir Giles. That isn’t dancing. It’s punishment.”

“But your arm!”

“I shan’t tackle a rowdy country dance. I could manage a waltz well enough.”

“You can hardly return to the ball with that bandage —” He looked and saw the jaunty ribbon tied around her arm. “That’s not a suitable bandage. You’ll get that wound infected.”

“Teaching your grandma to suck eggs, Nicholas? You forget I have helped Doctor Tom treat hundreds of wounds, and I don’t mean little scratches like this. The bandage is in place underneath the ribbon. Rather a neat idea, n’est-ce pas? I hope to start a new fashion.”

He just shook his head, not sure whether he was more impressed with her courage and ingenuity or frustrated at her stubbornness. There was no doubt in his mind, however, that she meant to stay, with or without him. If she felt well enough to waltz, he would like to stand up with her.

He had never waltzed with Elizabeth. Debutantes were not allowed to waltz until given permission by the patronesses of Almacks. They had parted ways before that. He was in no doubt that she had mastered the waltz, as she seemed to have mastered everything else. Well of course she had. He had seen her any time these past years dancing the waltz with various gentlemen.

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