Magical Masquerade: A Regency Masquerade by Gilman Hilary

Author:Gilman, Hilary [Gilman, Hilary]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Pleasant Street Publications
Published: 2014-03-30T00:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

That Christmas dinner seemed to Minette no more than a dream, a colourful pageant that passed before her eyes but in which she had no part. Her thoughts were chaotic, and her emotions alternated between a kind of ecstatic wonder and utter wretchedness. Even as she urged her guests to sample the goose breast, haunch of venison, and mince pie, she mused within herself. She knew she had not the strength to resist another such assault upon her resolution. If he touched her again, she would melt beneath his hands and, try as she would, she could no longer remember why that should be such a disaster.

For this special occasion, etiquette was relaxed and guests, instead of confining themselves strictly to their dinner companions on either side, called to each other down the length of Rochford’s mahogany dining table. Sir Richard even went so far as to remove an elaborate epergne from the table so that he could better converse with Mrs Forsyth, with whom he was conducting a lively discussion upon the propriety of the exotically named Muhammad Ali’s presentation of an Egyptian obelisk to England and whether England should, therefore, underwrite the cost of its conveyance to London.

Arabella, in high good humour, was flirting noisily with Franklyn, who was seated across the dinner table. It was illustrative of Rochford’s preoccupation that her exuberance went unchecked. It was left to Lady Gatley to say, with ponderous humour, ‘My dear Arabella, if you bounce any higher from your seat, you are like to fly.’

‘So she will,’ agreed Franklyn, ‘like the angel she is.’

This caught Rochford’s attention. ‘Anything less angelic I have yet to see.’

She pulled a face at him. ‘You are just cross because you have to sit here being polite when you had rather be alone with dear Minette.’

His gaze dwelled for a moment upon Minette, composedly sipping wine from one of his Irish crystal goblets. ‘Out of the mouths of babes—,’ he remarked thoughtfully. Minette looked up and met his eye for a moment. He lifted his glass in a silent toast, and her mouth curved into a charming smile as she returned the salute. Franklyn, witnessing that exchange of glances, caught his breath and frowned suddenly.

For Minette, the chatter at her dinner table came to her in short bursts of sound, haphazard and without meaning, while her mind raced around and around its accustomed wheel.

They shall not make me give him up. Génie does not love him!

‘But, my dear sir, this Egyptian gentleman has absolutely no right to give away fragments of his country’s history in this way. How should we like it if the Regent gave away a portion of the Tower?’

It is I whom he loves. He never cared for Génie.

‘When I was at the Court of Versailles, the dear Queen was once gracious enough to say to me—’

I cannot, I cannot steal my sister’s husband from her.

‘Franklyn! You wicked creature! You must not say such things to me. What would my brother think?’

‘Your brother is not listening, Sweetheart.

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