Persistent Earl : Signet Regency Romance (9781101578841) by Eastwood Gail

Author:Eastwood, Gail
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin USA
Published: 2012-11-15T05:00:00+00:00

The evening of Lucinda Follett’s musicale was warm and clear, with a sky full of stars that began to show even before the last traces of sunset had disappeared. The beauty of the evening seemed an encouraging sign to Phoebe. Her dismay over attending had been doubled by the new awkwardness with Devenham. How she wished she had never encouraged him to come along! She had thought she would feel safe sitting beside him for an evening, but how her heart had betrayed her! She had summoned all her courage as she dressed before dinner and now faced the hours ahead with a reserved smile that was fixed rigidly in place.

She was dressed in an evening gown of black crepe over a black sarcenet slip, which had resided in her wardrobe untouched for a year and a half. Mary Anne had spent considerable hours pressing it and freshening the trimmings of black gros de Naples and black crepe roses. Phoebe knew that it was not cut as low in front as might be fashionable, but the neckline was wide and exposed her smooth shoulders quite satisfactorily. Her hair was dressed with a black lacquered hair comb trimmed with jet that had been her mother’s and some black crepe roses she had borrowed from Judith.

She had had a chance to admire Lord Devenham as the little party assembled in the entrance hall awaiting their carriage. He wore a perfectly fitted silk evening coat of deepest corbeau, with the obligatory white waistcoat and black pantaloons. An ornate silver watch fob covered his pocket, and he leaned on his silver-headed walking stick. His brown hair seemed especially glossy, and his eyes seemed to dance with a lively spirit. He looked outrageously handsome. Phoebe could not stop her smile from broadening a little with genuine pleasure when he bowed elegantly and offered her his arm for the walk to the carriage outside.

There was little traffic at this hour in the West End, and the few blocks to Lucinda’s home were covered quickly. There was a line of carriages waiting to discharge their passengers at the door, however, so several minutes were spent waiting. The occupants of the Allington landau were all surprised to see such a large number of guests arriving.

“I had the impression that this was to be a small musicale, not a major rout,” Judith said with some concern. “I had no idea there were this many people left in Town this late! Where do you suppose they have all come from?”

“I could be wrong, my dear, but is that not Princess Esterhazy being helped from her carriage?” Edward was seated where he could observe the progress of the arrivals from the carriage window.

Judith twisted in her seat and tried to see out her window without actually being so gauche as to stick her head out. “I can’t tell. Oh, dear. Who would have thought that she would be coming?” The imposing wife of the Austrian ambassador and patroness of Almack’s was notoriously high in the instep.

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